Triangle Offense

• File photo by Arianna Hoffmann
• McAdoo's progress gives UNC hope off the bench

Just three days after the Duke-authored collapse that will live in infamy — and eternally on ESPN — Carolina hosted Virginia and failed to open the competition with its customary joy. (When John Henson is bummed, you know something is wrong.)

But the Heels persevered through a turbulent first half and raced past the Cavaliers in the second, simply overwhelming one of the most plodding clubs in all of college basketball. Carolina didn’t falter during the closing minutes this time and expanded the lead to cement a 70-52 victory.

Tyler Zeller, whose missed free throws and defensive blunders contributed to the Duke catastrophe, demonstrated senior poise by tossing in 25 points on 9-for-16 shooting. He added nine rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block, making him by far the most productive Tar Heel on the day.

Apart from Zeller, Carolina shot just 15-for-52 from the field. Thus, credit belongs to both Zeller and the team’s defense and rebounding — the Heels hammered UVa 52-32 on the glass — for winning comfortably despite atrocious shooting overall.

In fact, UNC connected on just one three-pointer and has made 2-for-16 in the past two games. Very few teams realistically can endeavor toward a national championship without hitting from long-range, and the marksmanship issue ranks foremost among Carolina’s limiting factors based upon recent results.

• File photo by Al Drago
• Rivers suddenly possesses an immense legacy

Well, not until last night. Capping a legendary comeback that revived his team from a 10-point deficit with under three minutes to play, Austin Rivers swished a three-pointer as time expired to vaporize the Smith Center crowd and give Duke what likely will be remembered as its best win in the rivalry’s history.

How did this happen?

Because I’m on the UNC beat, I’ll tackle this question from the perspective of what went wrong for the Tar Heels. First, a look at the box score reveals Carolina advantages across multiple categories: field goal percentage, free throws and free throw percentage, rebounds, assists, turnovers and blocks.

Given all that and considering that the Heels were defending their home turf against an opponent that already has lost two games at Cameron this season, again — how could this happen?

Most fans and media understandably are pointing to Carolina’s inability to execute during the final minutes, as well as crediting (sometimes grudgingly) Duke’s poise and hot shooting. It was like downloading a highly desired, rare movie and getting the spinning wheel of death with only three percent remaining.

But the fact that the game was competitive at all late speaks to the larger problem: Duke simply crushed UNC from the three-point line. The Blue Devils shot 14-for-36 on threes, a remarkable number of attempts given that Carolina knew what Duke would attempt to accomplish offensively.

• Expect to hear a lot about the status of this guy

The Terrapins have handed the Heels disappointment and devastation in the past decade, particularly in College Park. The national champion 2009 Tar Heels weren’t able to defeat Maryland there (admittedly, a better version), and thus this year’s Heels definitely accomplished something meaningful prior to Duke.

Carolina again struggled to find the mark offensively. The Heels shot 44 percent for the game, finally raising their percentage down the stretch after absorbing the Terps’ haymakers all day. Tyler Zeller is beginning to separate himself from everyone else on the club, piling up another 22 points (7-for-12 field goals), seven rebounds and two blocks.

Kendall Marshall played horribly early but regained his poise and in the decisive minutes delivered beautiful passes to maximize each UNC possession. He tallied a monstrous 16 assists, and most of his six turnovers occurred early.

John Henson didn’t earn himself any fans by dunking the ball in the closing seconds, but he deserves credit for continuing to work hard against aggressive Maryland defense. He contributed 17 points and 12 rebounds in 36 grueling minutes.

In fact, Roy Williams essentially voted no confidence in his bench. Marshall played 38 minutes while Harrison Barnes logged 35 and Reggie Bullock 34. Carolina’s once-impressive depth has been worn to the nub due to season-ending injuries suffered by Leslie McDonald and Dexter Strickland.

Barnes’ sprained ankle also has begun to toll ominously. He twisted it against Wake Forest and aggravated the injury against the Terps — how healthy will he be when the Devils stroll into the Smith Center? After the game he compared the pain to getting shot, obviously not a promising sign going forward.