UNC ONLY BASKETBALL 2024-25 SEASON

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Maybe the most pathetic aspect of the game today is RJ playing 38 mins. What are they even doing at that point

If he's going to play every min of close games might as well pencil him in for 40 the rest of the year
 
I've supported Hubert all along, but hasn't a lack of ball movement been something that people have complained about Hubert's teams since his first season? I think I've read some posters saying that's been a weakness of his teams here since he became the head coach.
Lack of ball movement is one those complaints that fans go to when the offense struggles. It can be true as effective ball movement definitely helps in the halfcourt but it’s not always the issue.

Not that many teams have great ball movement all of the time. It’s pretty tough to score consistently in the halfcourt. That’s one of the reasons making 3’s is so important.

Hubert’s style seems to be more iso, dribble drive, penetrating and dishing. Whipping the ball around the perimeter to move the defense isn’t a staple. It’s more of an NBA philosophy which many fans were calling for.
 
What did Rob say?

Saying the players don’t trust the coaches is a pretty dramatic claim.
Basically, Rob said that the team doesn't have confidence in their coaches being able to tell them what they need to do in order to fix it/get better. It's on the after-game pod.
 
Carolina was getting to the line a lot early in the season, even against KU and Dayton. In games 2-5 (KU, American, Hawai'i, and Dayton) Carolina averaged 33 FTAs/g. In games 6-9 (Aub, Mich St, Ala, GT), Carolina averaged 19 FTAs/g. It's no secret that the defense is only good when they really want to be, but why aren't the Heels getting to the line more? Most of the difference is Davis, Cadeau, and Trimble. Did Auburn break Carolina's guards' ability to get to the line? Are Carolina's guards not taking the ball to the rim as much now?

3s, layups, and frees are the winning formula. Getting fouled allows Carolina to take the most efficient shots in the game, but also gets the opponents into foul trouble. My 2 cents:
1. gotta play better defense consistently
2. guards (and wings) gotta drive and seek contact

I don't think too much has changed. Really a lot will come down to how games are officiated

I thought they were getting a favorable road whistle at Phog that night. In games refs are allowing a lot of contact in the paint and at the rim this team is in trouble

That and teams are starting to know the scouting report. Opposing bigs camp in the paint at all times and defenders play off the guards
 



He comes across as just being happy to be here. Players who know they’re not playing up to their potential want to be told what to do in order to up their game. Telling them that he’s proud of them is not what helps them improve. Given their presence and focus on the court, I doubt he’s telling them what they need to hear in practice or off the court.

“I thought we did a really good job defensively.” Comments like that, which are clearly not true, helps no one. That is not going to help someone’s confidence in themselves or in the coach, when they clearly know it’s not true. As Rob points out, the result is a team of players that don’t have confidence in HD being able to fix this. And, it doesn’t seem like he understands this, given his pressers, basically since his hire. I had hoped that he would continue to improve each year, but it just doesn’t look like it’s happening - this team is repeating what we saw with prior teams. I hate to say it, but, I just no longer think he’s the right person for this job, or at least this staff is not the right staff for this job, currently. And that fucking sucks to think, and say.

I’ll get off my soapbox, and hope to be proved wrong about him, and the staff.
 
Basically, Rob said that the team doesn't have confidence in their coaches being able to tell them what they need to do in order to fix it/get better. It's on the after-game pod.
That’s an over the top accusation. What’s his source?

I listened to it. Rob is pretty down on everything.
 
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That’s an over the top accusation. What’s his source?

I listened to it. Rob is pretty down on everything.
Not sure. Outside of watching the players on the court, where it seems evident, he also probably talks to them off the court/observes them off the court, and hears from others around the program.

Edit: And, I understand why he's pretty down on them. They've not looked good, nor shown signs of improving in key areas.
 



He comes across as just being happy to be here. Players who know they’re not playing up to their potential want to be told what to do in order to up their game. Telling them that he’s proud of them is not what helps them improve. Given their presence and focus on the court, I doubt he’s telling them what they need to hear in practice or off the court.

“I thought we did a really good job defensively.” Comments like that, which are clearly not true, helps no one. That is not going to help someone’s confidence in themselves or in the coach, when they clearly know it’s not true. As Rob points out, the result is a team of players that don’t have confidence in HD being able to fix this. And, it doesn’t seem like he understands this, given his pressers, basically since his hire. I had hoped that he would continue to improve each year, but it just doesn’t look like it’s happening - this team is repeating what we saw with prior teams. I hate to say it, but, I just no longer think he’s the right person for this job, or at least this staff is not the right staff for this job, currently. And that fucking sucks to think, and say.

I’ll get off my soapbox, and hope to be proved wrong about him, and the staff.

1. We don't actually know what Hubert told them in the locker room. I have my doubts that he actually said that he was proud of them because it's actually very hard to win a game. If he did, smdh. That's craziness. On the other hand, maybe the players will take that as a challenge. "Oh, coach thinks we should be proud of just winning?"

2. Maybe Hubert tries to be the good cop, and lets the assistants spend more time on the negatives.

3. I do not believe that the players do not trust the coaches to help them play better. RJ Davis went from an undersized 4-star guard with grit and a streaky shot to ACC POY. Seth Trimble is so much better this year than last year, and the improvement since his rookie year has been astronomical. He used to be an offensive liability; he's now actually good (most of the time).

4. It's unclear to me that it's helpful to talk badly about the players in a press conference. It's unclear that it's hurtful. It's probably a style issue more than anything.

5. Boy, Hubert looks like he's aged a lot in the last three years.
 
Not sure. Outside of watching the players on the court, where it seems evident, he also probably talks to them off the court/observes them off the court, and hears from others around the program.

Edit: And, I understand why he's pretty down on them. They've not looked good, nor shown signs of improving in key areas.
Lotta season left.

Hubert won’t quit on them.
 



He comes across as just being happy to be here. Players who know they’re not playing up to their potential want to be told what to do in order to up their game. Telling them that he’s proud of them is not what helps them improve. Given their presence and focus on the court, I doubt he’s telling them what they need to hear in practice or off the court.

“I thought we did a really good job defensively.” Comments like that, which are clearly not true, helps no one. That is not going to help someone’s confidence in themselves or in the coach, when they clearly know it’s not true. As Rob points out, the result is a team of players that don’t have confidence in HD being able to fix this. And, it doesn’t seem like he understands this, given his pressers, basically since his hire. I had hoped that he would continue to improve each year, but it just doesn’t look like it’s happening - this team is repeating what we saw with prior teams. I hate to say it, but, I just no longer think he’s the right person for this job, or at least this staff is not the right staff for this job, currently. And that fucking sucks to think, and say.

I’ll get off my soapbox, and hope to be proved wrong about him, and the staff.

Defense was relatively good against GT. GT only got .86 PPP when their aOE for the season is 1.08. Carolina's aDE went from mid 60s to 45th now. Now 45th isn't good enough to have the type of season they and we want, but it's an improvement and a step forward. Carolina's aOE has gone from elite (top 5) early in the season to 25th. If Carolina can combine early season offense with today's defense, they can have a really good season.

Press conferences are a lotta coach-speak. What coaches tell the media may be vastly different from what they tell their players.
 
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Not sure. Outside of watching the players on the court, where it seems evident, he also probably talks to them off the court/observes them off the court, and hears from others around the program.

Edit: And, I understand why he's pretty down on them. They've not looked good, nor shown signs of improving in key areas.
Seems like a big bomb to drop.I don’t believe he meant to convey that the players don’t have confidence in the coaches. I think he meant everyone was struggling to find some answers at the moment.
 
We are in for a very long and frustrating season I am afraid.
Well, look -- RJ has to find his shot. I don't care whether we have an inside threat or not; he should not be shooting 25% from 3. He's the returning ACC POY. If he's going to be an inefficient chucker all year, we will struggle and if people had known that would happen, we wouldn't have been ranked in the preseason.

Assuming that RJ will start being even 90% of last year's RJ, that will help the offense considerably.

And it's hard to win when the pass-first PG has seven TOs. I didn't watch the game -- how did they even happen?
 
Well, look -- RJ has to find his shot. I don't care whether we have an inside threat or not; he should not be shooting 25% from 3. He's the returning ACC POY. If he's going to be an inefficient chucker all year, we will struggle and if people had known that would happen, we wouldn't have been ranked in the preseason.

Assuming that RJ will start being even 90% of last year's RJ, that will help the offense considerably.

And it's hard to win when the pass-first PG has seven TOs. I didn't watch the game -- how did they even happen?
It was bad. Many of the passes weren’t close.

He did hit the big 3 to pretty much get the win though.
 
Well, look -- RJ has to find his shot. I don't care whether we have an inside threat or not; he should not be shooting 25% from 3. He's the returning ACC POY. If he's going to be an inefficient chucker all year, we will struggle and if people had known that would happen, we wouldn't have been ranked in the preseason.

Assuming that RJ will start being even 90% of last year's RJ, that will help the offense considerably.

And it's hard to win when the pass-first PG has seven TOs. I didn't watch the game -- how did they even happen?
Yeah. It’s not unusual for UNC fans to give up on the team in the early season. That’s been going on for many years. There are also those who get some perverse joy from Hubert’s struggles.
 
GT was down two starters. On the road
True, but those 2 players had missed the previous 2 and 3 games, and GT only trailed Oklahoma by 5 with 5 minutes to go. GT was .94 PPP on the road at Oklahoma without the same 2 players, and Oklahoma's aDE is 44th. Carolina's defense definitely needs to improve, but today was a good step forward on that front.
 
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