Grading North Carolina’s Defense Against FSU’s Best

Prior to Tuesday's matchup against Florida State, we identified two players the Tar Heels had to prioritize slowing down. Those two players were Chauncey Wiggins and Robert McCray V.

Here is an assessment how North Carolina's defense handled Wiggins and McCray V in the double-digit win over the Seminoles on Tuesday night.

How Well did Chauncey Wiggins Perform?

Heading into this contest, Wiggins was averaging 12.0 points and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting 40.0 percent from the field and 29.1 percent from three-point range.

Against the Tar Heels, the Clemson transfer recorded 16 points and 10 rebounds, while shooting 5-of-14 from the field, including 3-of-9 from beyond the arc. So yes, Wiggins surpassed his season averages by a considerable margin, but the efficiency was poor, and in general, North Carolina's length and athleticism on defense caused the Seminoles forward issues all night.

Wiggins' zero assists should come to no surprise, as he has recorded one assist over the last five games. Overall, the Tar Heels orchestrated a solid defensive gameplan against a forward with immense offensive skills.

How Well did North Carolina Defend Robert McCray V?

Heading into the conference opener against North Carolina, McCray was averaging averaging 13.5 points, 7.1 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting 44.0 percent from the field and 28.3 percent from beyond the arc.

On Tuesday night, the 6-foot-3, 187-pound guard totaled 11 points, eight assists, and six rebounds while shooting 5-of-13 from the field, including 1-of-5 from three-point range. Again, on the surface, it appears North Carolina's defense came up short in this assignment, but what was not mentioned was McCray's seven turnovers. That was the senior guard's most committed turnovers in a game since Nov. 25.

While speaking to the media during his postgame press conference, head coach Hubert Davis shared how his defense took Florida State out of its comfort zone.

• "Yeah, I mean, we knew they were going to shoot a lot of threes," Davis said. "A couple things we talked about were not over-helping, because I think sometimes, they would get into the lane to generate a three as opposed to trying to score around the rim, which would be difficult against our length."

The Tar Heels' ability to play man-to-man defense without sending additional help contributed to the majority of McCray's turnovers.

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