NCAA Tournament: UNC basketball against another Shaka Smart team

North Carolina won the No. 8 seed in the eastern region of the NCAA tournament and will meet Market No. 9 in the first round on Thursday at Fort Worth. The winner could potentially face reigning champion Baylor in the second round.

But Caroline (24-9) should know from last year’s experience so as not to look ahead to the match with the Bears. When last season she played as a team under the eighth seed, she was defeated by the 9th number of Wisconsin with a score of 85-62 and never faced a possible champion of the country.

The work of coach Hubert Davis began in earnest last year after losing in the first round to the Badgers, when he essentially managed the remarks after the game. Former coach Roy Williams was too emotional as he knew this was his last game as head coach, although he has yet to reveal it to anyone.

Tar Heels finished second in the ACC standings in their first year under Davis. A month ago, it was predicted that they would become a two-figure team and possibly be seeded, but the Hills finished the season well and finished eighth.

Market staff is not at all like the team that won Chapel Hill 83-70 last season. Greg Elliott is the only Golden Eagle player from this game who is still on the list.

Heels enjoy a 4-2 record for the entire series, but 1-1 in the NCAA tournament. Carolina defeated Market in the 2011 Sweet 16; Berkut’s victory took place in the 1977 national championship match.

Here’s a look at the match:

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Carolina and Market have had no rivals this season, but Berkut head coach Shaka Smart is familiar with Hills staff. He coached Texas before beating UNC 69-67 last season in the Maui Invitational Championship.

Smart coached Brady Manek of the UNC for four years while playing for rival Longhorn Oklahoma. He also actively recruited Carolina in the starting back zone at Caleb Lava and RJ Davis, eventually offering both scholarships to play in Texas.

How did Market get here?

When Smart left Texas to take a position in the Market, the Golden Eagles list was exhausted, which included players such as Dawson Garcia, who left for the UNC, and Theo John, who moved to Duke. Sophomore forward Justin Lewis and Elliott were the only Golden Eagles rotation players on the list. Needless to say, the poll of pre-season coaches of the Greater East did not expect much from them. Marquette was selected to finish ninth, just one point ahead of Georgetown’s 10th place.

Smart changed that story earlier in the season, directing the Eagles to the frustration of the then No. 10 Illinois. Their highlights of the season included a meeting with rival Vilanov’s conference, and they completed a regular season draw with Creighton in fifth place in the Greater East standings.

Which players should UNC focus on?

Lewis, a 6-foot 7 forward, led the team with an average of 17.1 and led the team in rebounds, averaging 7.9 per game. He was also named the first All-Big East team and received an award for the league’s best player.

Daryl Morsel, who moved from Maryland 6-5, was second on the team, scoring 13.5 points per game. Like Lewis, Morsel shoots 35 percent from the 3-point line.

The Eagles rely heavily on the two in their results. Lewis and Morsell accounted for 40 percent of all of Market’s attempts to score. According to Ken Pomeroy, Lewis makes 28.9 percent of the throws when on the floor. Morsel keeps up with him, taking 24.4 percent of the throws when he plays.

Don’t be surprised to see that the best UNC defender is Lucky Black in a pair against Morsell to start the game. If Carolina can slow down one or both of these players, Market may have trouble scoring.

Who is the best for Carolina for the big game?

The Eagles have no player in office who could match Armando Bacot. The Hills junior striker has dominated the last three games, scoring 10 on 11 against Duke, 5 on 11 against Virginia and 9 on 10 against Virginia Tech.

Bacott didn’t just do 25 double-doubles for no reason. It could be equally effective on boards. Market had a weakness when it comes to rebounds as it allows opponents to gain a rebound percentage in the offensive of 31.4, according to Ken Pomeroy.

This story was originally published March 13, 2022 20:26.