3 Takeaways from UNC's Loss at Cal

Here are three takeaways from the Tar Heels’ loss to Cal.

Defense is still bad

The defense was never expected to change overnight, but it would help if the team showed a little heart. Cal scored 54 points in the first half, which is just unacceptable from UNC. This is the second straight game in which a team has scored 45 or more points in the first half against the Tar Heels.

After the man-to-man defense was not working, head coach Hubert Davis switched to a 2-3 zone. This was not the best adjustment to make against a team that was raining 3s. Cal forward John Camden took advantage of this so-called adjustment. Camden scored 20 points, including four 3-pointers. He shot 50% for the game, and most of his shots were wide open.

Justin Pippen and Dai Dai Ames also pitched in with 19 points each. The duo combined for six 3-pointers and went 13-for-22 from the field. It was truly a poor and embarrassing defensive effort by the Tar Heels.

UNC has no outside shooting

UNC could not hit a 3-pointer to save its life in this game. The Tar Heels shot 9-for-27 from 3-point range, and Derek Dixon accounted for four of those makes. This is the third straight game in which UNC shot under 40% from beyond the arc.

If UNC is not going to defend, it at least has to make up for it with 3-point shooting. That was not the case in this game. The poor outside shooting allowed Cal to double Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar, which gave them trouble.

UNC relies on Caleb Wilson too much on offense

Wilson is clearly the best player on the team, and he should get the most touches. He should not be responsible for carrying the other players while the rest of the team watches him do it by himself. There were so many times throughout the game when Wilson was the only player showing effort and making plays. It is obvious that Wilson is playing hard and wants to win, but no one else on the court for UNC is showing that same effort.

It would not be as bad if plays or sets were run through Wilson, but all he gets are isolation looks or block touches. He was visibly gassed late in the game, as he was seen with his hands on his knees and leaning over. That is because he is the offense, and Davis is not making it easy on him.

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