$10 Takeaways From Notre Dame Basketball\'s Win Over North Carolina$

10 Takeaways From Notre Dame Basketball's Win Over North Carolina

By Reed Hunnicutt

North Carolina came in as a heavy favorite in South Bend, but the Notre Dame Fighting Irish turned in a strong second-half performance to stun the Tar Heels. While one regular season game won’t define the season, both teams showed some of their true colors as the game progressed. Saturday’s game highlighted some traits that will have serious implications on the success of these ACC teams as they move toward the NCAA tournament.

$10 Takeaways From Notre Dame Basketball\'s Win Over North Carolina$

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Rex Pflueger Is Becoming A Lockdown Defender — Last year, Steve Vasturia gained attention for his defensive efforts, but Pflueger’s elite athleticism allows him to get more up into offensive players. Pflueger was the only player capable of containing Marcus Paige on Saturday night, forcing turnovers on multiple possessions. Since receiving double-digit minutes in the last seven games, the Mater Dei grad has recorded a steal or block in every game. Mike Brey needs the freshman to continue taking the defensive workload off of Vasturia and Demetrius Jackson.

Roy Williams No Longer Trusts His Bench — One of North Carolina's strengths going into the season was their depth. Since Kennedy Meeks has returned, the Tar Heels are only playing seven or eight guys consistently, with a very thin guard rotation. I don’t know what Nate Britt did, but it’s hard to believe that he couldn’t have provided some defensive pressure against Demetrius Jackson. With the health history of this team, Williams may want to have more guys ready to play.

Marcus Paige and Demetrius Jackson Are ACC's Best Guards — Outside of Cat Barber, no two guards in the ACC demand as much attention as Jackson and Paige. Paige ended his long shooting slump, going 5-of-8 from three and finishing with 21 points. Jackson struggled to score early, but he was a perfect 9-for-9 from the line, finishing with 19 points and six rebounds.

Theo Pinson Can Put The Clamps On Anybody — Pinson was scoreless and ultimately invisible on the offensive end, but his defensive presence could not go unnoticed. Through the 23 games that Notre Dame has played, Pinson is the only player to consistently keep Demetrius Jackson in front of him without help. He guarded Jackson and V.J. Beachem for most of the game, and they combined to shoot 7-for-28 from the field. That’s a testament to the length and agility that will make Pinson an NBA player in the future.

Zach Auguste Is Not As Soft As He Used To Be — I have never questioned Auguste’s potential, but he never seemed to maintain focus or effort for an entire game. The senior played inspired for all 33 minutes on Saturday night against a talented front line. He had two impressive blocks from running back hard on defense. Sure, he missed some easy layups, six free throws and got exposed in the post at times, but he never stopped competing on both ends. To me, that’s a great sign for a Notre Dame team that lacks any other legitimate size.

Brice Johnson Needs To Recognize His Strengths — Johnson has been great all season for the Tar Heels, and I expected a monster game against an undersized team. He dominated the glass but was inefficient offensively, due in large part to how he tried to score. The senior settled for way too many turnaround jumpers and finished just 6-of-16 from the field. While the Fighting Irish bigs deserve some credit, no one should have been able to stop Johnson if he aggressively attacked the rim.

Bonzie Colson Is Meant For The Big Stage — If every Notre Dame game was nationally televised, Colson would average 16 points and eight rebounds with 15 chest pounds and more attempts to pump up the crowd than Notre Dame assistant Rod Balanis. Colson was giving up four or five inches to every Tar Heels post player, yet he still managed to finish with 19 points and 10 rebounds. He never disappoints in the big games and always keeps the fans engaged.

Notre Dame Needs A New Post Defense Strategy — The Tar Heel post players pretty much got whatever shots they wanted all game long. The ball would go into the post, and it was a good look or foul every time. Auguste is an average post defender at best, and Colson doesn’t have the height to contest bigs with size. They should consider a post-to-post double team or leaving one of the non-shooters on the perimeter. Their offense saved them on Saturday night, but this issue must be addressed.

North Carolina Is Still As Inconsistent As Before — Don’t let the good stretch fool you, because the Tar Heels are still full of inconsistent players with a ton of talent. I barely even noticed Justin Jackson in this game, and Kennedy Meeks fell into the foul trouble that always takes him out of the game mentally. Brice Johnson has been their most reliable scorer and he’s been up-and-down emotionally his entire career. The Tar Heels are the type of high-ranked team that could ruin March Madness brackets.

Notre Dame Has One Of The Best Home-Court Advantages In The Country — The Fighting Irish have lost just three home games over the last two seasons. Notre Dame’s sixth man isn’t always there for less notorious home games, but during ACC games, the student section makes sure the referees know that they are far more qualified than them. On Saturday night, the Irish fans were in full force, helping energize a huge second-half run that led to an eventual storming of the court. This game wasn't an upset. If any team comes into South Bend, they should expect to take an L.

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North Carolina Tar Heels

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Notre Dame Fighting Irish

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