donbosco
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North Carolina (16-11, 9-6 ACC) vs. Virginia (13-13, 6-9 ACC)
Saturday, Feb. 22 — 4 p.m.
Chapel Hill, N.C. — Smith Center
TV: ESPN2 (Dave O'Brien, Cory Alexander)
Radio: Tar Heels Sports Network (Jones Angell, Tyler Zeller)
UNC Tar Heels:
Cadeau #3 P = 60, E = 50, I = 40, X = 50
Davis #4 P = 10, E = 55, I = 95, X = 50
Jackson #11 P = 35, E = 95, I = 20, X = 25
Washington #13 P = 35, E = 50, I = 55, X = 45
Powell #9 P = 55, E = 5, I = 90, X = 70
Trimble #7 P = 95, E = 30, I = 95, X = 95
Withers #24 P = 25, E = 90, I = 25, X = 25
Lubin #22 P = 5, E = 60/. I = 85, X = 45
Claude #0 P = 80, E = 5, I = 80, X = 80
Brown #2 P = 50, E = 90, I = 100, X = 75
Tyson #5 P = 50, E = 25, I = 90, X 70
Coach Davis Wisdom = 80
Virginia Cavaliers
0 BLAKE BUCHANAN P = 35, E = 90/, I = 60, X = 45
5 JACOB COFIE P = 85, E = 85, I = 0, X = 40
2 Elijah Saunders P = 90, E = 60, I = 60, X = 75
7 DAI DAI AMES P = 100, E = 100, I = 100, X = 100
11 ISAAC MCKNEELY P = 65, E = 5, I = 20, X = 40
10 TAINE MURRAY P = 5, E = 60, I = 15, X = 20
21 ANTHONY ROBINSON P = 10, E = 10, I = 70, X = 40
23 TJ POWER P = 90, E = 85/, I = 70, X = 80
9 ISHAN SHARMA P = 80, E = 0, I = 55, X = 65
4 ANDREW ROHDE P = 5, E = 5, I = 70, X = 35
Coach Ron Sanchez Wisdom = 50
Look-In: Perennially this is The Tortoise and The Hare. Expect nothing different today. UVA plays at a faster pace than two other college basketball teams while UNC is in the top 25. And UVA shoots the trey at 38% as a team, led by Isaac McKneely who is a Three-Machine – he will toss up at least 7 per game and hit at least 3 as a rule. The Cavaliers have won 5 of their last 8 and are kinda hot. They are big too, starting 6-11 Blake Buchanan (5.7 ppg, 5 rpg) and good defender, 6-10 Jacob Cofie (7.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg), on the front line. Three guards will follow with McKneely, armed and ready (13.7 ppg), smallish (6-1) Dai Dai Ames (8 ppg but double figures more often of late), and 6-4 Senior Kiwi Taine Murray (4 ppg). Most troubling is 6-8 Elijah Saunders, working his way back after injury and averaging 10.7 and 5.3 rebounds (he shoots 37% from the arc too). The offensive Andrew Rohde is 6-6, scores at 9.2 ppg and is a top assist-to-turnover man with 4.5 and only 1.7 turnovers. He’s big at 6-6.
So they’ll let the air out of it – they’ll be tough to press – top five in minutes played all shoot over 78% from the line. They make 10 turnovers per game and force but 9. All statistics become deceptive versus Virginia since the game since by slowing things so dramatically a lot less actually happens. It is no fun – unless you come out and smack them from the get-go. Both teams look smart today. Dominican Republic born, Bronx raised, Ron Sanchez tends to replicate his mentor Tony Bennett’s game plan in the main but the talent level is down. Nevertheless, there will be times when this is a slog. The more it is not, the better for the Tar Heels.
Frontcourt: Smart young men in the paint – Lubin hits 85 and Washington settles in at 55 intel. Claude is at 80 and Brown tops all at 100 (hoping school work reflects).
Wings: Positive energy for Ian Jackson and high intel for Drake Powell is accentuated by a fired up Withers. Tyson is a thinking feller too.
Guards: A very even-keeled Cadeau does backcourt duty with a cerebral R.J. Davis (see what I mean about smart guys?). Seth Trimble soars.
Overall: Nervous about this – Virginia has always been tough. Mr. Jefferson’s college and Carolina go waaaay back – to 1910 and UNC holds sway with a 131-57 advantage over that 115 year period. A steady Cadeau bodes well as does a wily Davis. Big numbers for Trimble are also promising and a quick-minded Drake Powell spells DEFENSE. Positivity from Captain Jack seems to be important too. Lubin is cagey on his bad days and he ought to have a good one while Washington has solid looks. Banking on the Good Withers is key. Also banking on some of the history to begin to settle in – Play Hard, Play Smart, and Play Together – The Carolina Way. Las Vegas says Carolina by 9.5…so do the Biorhythms.
