North Carolina Needs Third Scorer To Emerge

North Carolina crushed Clemson over the weekend, and the scoring came from everywhere in the Tar Heels’ second ACC victory. The Tar Heels had four players reach at least 11 points, and James Michael McAdoo continued with his excellent in-conference play with 22 points and seven rebounds. This was the exact victory coach Roy Williams needed for his team

Wednesday’s game at Georgia Tech will show how the Tar Heels react to picking up an important win and whether or not the momentum gained from the weekend carries over. Every game the Tar Heels play from here-on-out is important for their NCAA tournament chances. Despite the game being at the Yellow Jackets’ home court, the Tar Heels are favored. They need Wednesday’s game to build their resume and to regain confidence the entire team has been lacking since conference play opened up. The victory over Clemson allowed the Tar Heels to run and gun, but it was also highlighted by a great defensive effort.

Despite a better defensive showing, North Carolina still needs a third scorer to develop. Marcus Paige has fallen off some and McAdoo cannot be expected to lead every single game. J.P. Tokoto could be the player who emerges as the third scorer. He only tallied four against Clemson, but he should be more of a threat. He is a great athlete who can make open jumpers and create driving lanes on his own. Georgia Tech will definitely key in on Paige and McAdoo, and Tokoto needs to react to this with a big game offensively.

If Tokoto can turn the corner into a consistent scorer, North Carolina will become the threat many believed it could be during non-conference play.

Gregory T. Philson is an ACC college basketball writer at www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @GTPhilson, “Like” him on Facebook and add him to your network on Google.

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