Seven Month Winning Streak Ends

The Heels lost for the first time since April last night, snapping their seven-month winning streak.


Obviously, a lot has changed in those seven months.  And while most things have aged in that time the Heels have gotten younger, and that youth was exposed in the first 10 minutes of the second half last night versus Syracuse. 


It was exposed last night, but on display since the first exhibition game a month ago.  One by-product of having a young and new team is that Roy is still experimenting with line ups, rotations, and substitutions - and the players are doing the same thing.  Until things fall into place the Heels will lack the flow and synchronicity synonymous with Carolina basketball.


That lack of flow was on full display in the first 10 minutes of the final 20 in Madison Square Garden.  In the face of a physical and determined Orange the Heels looked tentative and unsure, short arming shots and even short arming passes that led to fast break points. 


It's a bi-product of games played by 20-year olds, but it was odd to see how calm and determined Carolina was in the first half compared to the second. The Heels trailed early 0-8 but calmly made plays and attacked Syracuse's zone very well. 


Again, in the second half it was a different story.  Syracuse simply outmuscled our tall but skinny front line in the paint. As the noted philosopher Mike Tyson once said: 'everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.'  The Heels' stayed with the plan in the first half; in the second half they didn't.


Finally, these are the kind of games - and growing pains - we expected from this team. The Heels have had similar stretches of sloppy play in each of their games this season. You can get away with that kind of play against Valparaiso and FIU and even a Big 10 team like Ohio State. Clearly, the margin of error is much thinner against a team like Syracuse.   


The good news for Heels fans is this team has quality guys (Ginyard, Thompson, though he had a terrible trip to NY), is talented enough (Davis, Zeller, Henson) and has the best coach in the country.  So I'm confident Carolina will figure it out, and get better as they get ready to face more tough competition in Michigan State, Kentucky and Texas.  


And not only will this team get better, conversely they can't get any younger.