No. 10 North Carolina and American probably don’t have much in common at this stage of the season, although both teams are counting on what they learned from recent losses to aid them in the future.
The teams will meet in a non-conference game Friday night in Chapel Hill, N.C.
North Carolina (1-1) will play at home a week after a memorable outing at No. 1 Kansas, where the Tar Heels rallied from 20 points behind before dropping a 92-89 decision.
“I think we only had four turnovers in the second half,” North Carolina coach Hubert Davis said. “Then we started attacking the basket, and that allowed us to score the basket, get fouled, get to the free-throw line and then be able to knock down some threes. And so I was really proud of them, how they got back into the game.”
While the North Carolina offense clicked, expect much of the team’s attention to be on improving defensively.
“Things can change quickly if our will and our want to and our desire and the defensive end raises,” Davis said.
The coach had concerns about foul trouble for North Carolina’s interior players, something he’ll seek to correct with better defensive sequences.
“I look at the size of your heart,” Davis said of being able to compete at that end of the court.
Confidence could be growing for North Carolina forward Jae’Lyn Withers after a solid second half in the Kansas game. He scored all 11 of his points after halftime, with a trio of 3-pointers boosting his production.
“He can really shoot the ball,” Davis said. “And having a big guy that has the ability to knock down perimeter jump shots, especially from 3, it puts a lot of pressure on opposing defenses. And it’s a part of our offense that we want to continue to develop throughout the season, of having him pop more and be able to knock down that 3 that gives us more space for our guards.”
American (1-2) is coming off Tuesday night’s 74-66 loss at Siena despite receiving 26 points from Matt Rogers.
“It’s a long season, and games like this help and are going to prepare you for getting your message across to your team,” American coach Duane Simpkins said. “We’ll take this as a learning opportunity and get ready for Carolina.”
The Eagles gave up too many points at the rim against the Saints, Simpkins said. American used a zone defense for the first time this season for part of the first half, but that didn’t make Simpkins comfortable.
“We’re a man-to-man team, and that’s what we want to hang our hat on,” he said. “We’ve got to get better.”
Friday night’s game will include a homecoming element for American assistant coach Jackie Manuel, who played for North Carolina’s 2005 national championship team and also later was on the team’s support staff. He’s in his second season at American.
The Eagles are 0-2 on the road, with their lone victory coming at home against Harvard on Sunday. They’ll stay in North Carolina for a game Monday night at High Point.
–Field Level Media
