Well, we can’t call this column “The Path To Houston” anymore. Why? Because the Tar Heels have made it to the Final Four! So today (and Monday if all goes well), we’ll now call this column “The Path To Houston (Glory), Part 5”. For the second game in a row, the Tar Heels will match up for the third time this season with an ACC foe: the 10th-seeded Syracuse Orange. At this point, however, you can throw the seeds out the window because there are only 4 teams left playing, and they are all playing at an extremely high level. Here’s what you need to know for Saturday night’s match-up.
Final Four: Syracuse
- 23-13 (9-9)
- 10th in ACC
- Stat Leaders (of contributing players)
- Points: Michael Gbinije – 17.6
- Assists: Michael Gbinije – 4.4
- FG%: DaJuan Coleman – 54.1
- Rebounds: Tyler Roberson – 8.4
- Steals: Michael Gbinije – 2.0
- Blocks: Tyler Lydon – 1.8
- Minutes: Michael Gbinije – 37.9
Previous 2015-16 Games
- Game 1 – January 9. @ Syracuse. 84-73 UNC. This was Boeheim’s first game back from suspension, was a home game for the Orange, and the Tar Heels had never gone 4-0 under Coach Williams to start ACC play. It had all the makings of the Saints first game back in the SuperDome after Hurricane Katrina, in which the Falcons didn’t stand a chance. The game was tied at 58 with 6:31 to go, and was only a 2-point game (66-64) with 3:19 to go. The Tar Heels then went on a 18-9 over those final minutes to win by 11. The key was not shooting over the vaunted Orange zone(18.8 3PT%), but attacking it from the inside. Brice Johnson had a career-high 8 assists (Paige also had 8 assists), 5 of which came in the final 8:13 of the game as he picked apart the zone from the high post. 7 of the 8 were for dunks or layups. 4 went to Isaiah Hicks who finished the night with 21 points.
- Game 2 – Febrauary 29. Senior Night. @ North Carolina. 75-70 UNC. On this night, Syracuse showed a more determined effort to stop the ball from getting into the middle of the zone. Marcus Paige once again had 8 assists against the Orange. Brice Johnson had 14 & 10 for just another, ho-hum *yawn* double-double. Tar Heels led by as many as 13 in the 2nd They never trailed, but Syracuse cut the lead to 3 several times within the last 7 minutes, including :07 to go. It was Joel Berry who sent his senior teammates to a senior night victory with two free throws to ice it.
Game Notes
- Depth – Syracuse’s doesn’t have much. Their depth is very similar to that of Duke. 5 players average 30+ minutes a game with 2 other players averaging 17 and 10 minutes a game. Despite the lack of depth, the zone helps the Orange stay out of foul trouble. At the same time, UNC’s depth and pace should wear out the thin Syracuse bench.
- 337 – Syracuse’s rank in defensive rebounding percentage. 3 – North Carolina’s rank in offensive rebounding percentage. The Tar Heels must exploit this advantage.
- In the last 6 NCAA Tournament games as NRG Stadium in Houston (Where the Final Four will be played), the competing teams shot a combined 27.6% from 3. Guess who relies on that shot? Syracuse, Oklahoma, and Villanova. Guess who doesn’t rely on that shot? The North Carolina men’s basketball team. Advantage Tar Heels.
The Record Book
- Brice Johnson needs 1 rebound to set the Carolina record for most rebounds in a season. He currently has 399 and is tied with Tyler Hansbrough. This would also make Brice the only player in program history with 400 rebounds in a season.
- Marcus Paige has made 292 3-pointers in his career. He is already #1, but could be the first Tar Heel to hit 300.
Syracuse Starters
| Player | Ht | Wt | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% | 3-PT% | FT% | TPG | SPG | BPG |
| Trevor Cooney | 6’4” | 195 | 36.3 | 12.7 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 34.1 | 34.9 | 80.6 | 1.53 | 1.58 | 0.17 |
| Malachi Richardson | 6’6” | 205 | 34.3 | 13.3 | 4.3 | 2.1 | 36.4 | 35.2 | 72.7 | 2.14 | 1.17 | 0.28 |
| Michael Gbinije | 6’7” | 200 | 37.9 | 17.6 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 46.8 | 39.9 | 66.2 | 2.81 | 1.97 | 0.36 |
| Tyler Roberson | 6’8” | 226 | 30.8 | 9.0 | 8.4 | 1.4 | 48.4 | 0.00 | 58.8 | 1.56 | 0.78 | 0.67 |
| DaJuan Coleman | 6’9” | 268 | 17.5 | 4.9 | 4.7 | 0.4 | 54.1 | 0.00 | 66.2 | 1.14 | 0.69 | 0.86 |
Syracuse Key Reserves
| Player | Ht | Wt | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% | 3-PT% | FT% | TPG | SPG | BPG |
| Tyler Lydon | 6’8” | 210 | 30.3 | 10.2 | 6.3 | 1.1 | 48.4 | 40.9 | 78.3 | 1.28 | 1.08 | 1.81 |
| Franklin Howard | 6’4” | 190 | 10.6 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 29.5 | 11.1 | 53.8 | 0.87 | 0.55 | 0.13 |
The Numbers
| North Carolina | Syracuse | |
| KenPom Rank | 2 | 22 |
| Points per game | 83.0 | 70.1 |
| Adj. Offensive Efficiency (Rank) | 123.1 (1st) | 111.1 (50th) |
| Adj. Defensive Efficiency (Rank) | 95.3 (22nd) | 94.3 (16th) |
| Tempo (Rank) | 71.4 (62nd) | 65.7 (319th) |
| Field Goal% | 48.2 | 42.6 |
| 2P FG% | 54.1 | 47.2 |
| 3P FG% | 32.1 | 36.1 |
| 3PA% | 26.8 | 42.2 |
| FT% | 74.7 | 69.4 |
| FT Rate | 33.0% | 35.9 |
| RPG | 40.7 | 35.9 |
| Offensive Reb Rate | 40.3% | 33.4% |
| Defensive Reb Rate | 70.0% | 65.1% |
| APG | 17.8 | 13.7 |
| BPG | 4.4 | 4.4 |
| SPG | 6.8 | 8.1 |
| TPG | 10.7 | 11.9 |
| TO Rate | 15.3% | 18.2% |
2 X-Factors:
- Carolina’s 3 point shooting. In the first two games against Syracuse, the Tar Heels shot 18.8% and 24.0% from downtown. So far in the NCAA Tournament, the Tar Heels, as a team have shot 38.2% (26-68) on 3-pointers. Though they’ve done a good job getting to the middle of the Syracuse zone this year, if Carolina can hit 3s and extend the zone, this game could get ugly.
- How do Syracuse’s freshmen handle the Final Four stage? From a Syracuse standpoint, it will be interesting to see how freshmen Malachi Richardson and Tyler Lydon (who have both been playing well) respond to playing in this Final Four atmosphere. Will the lights overwhelm them, or are they too young to know any better? Richardson, while inefficient, has been a big time scorer. Lydon has really come on of late, especially on the defensive end. Although he comes off the bench, Lydon is getting starter’s minutes.
Main Key to the Game:
Though Carolina has been shooting the 3 ball better, the most important piece of this game will be getting Brice Johnson the ball early and often at the free throw line. From there he can take (and make) that 15-footer all day or pick the zone apart. Carolina’s ability (or inability) to get the ball to the middle of the zone most likely determines which of these teams will be playing for the national championship on Monday night.
Tar Heel Hoops 