By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina found enough offense to beat Charlotte on Tuesday, but Coach Michael Malone was left concerned about how much offense his team handed the 49ers.
The 49ers scored 23 points off Carolina turnovers in the Tar Heels’ 89–82 overtime victory, extending a preseason problem that UNC must solve. With the exhibitions finished and Western Carolina visiting Monday for the season opener, Malone’s assessment went beyond the relief of escaping with a win.
“Good teams don’t beat themselves, and right now we’re doing that,” Malone said.
Through three exhibitions, Carolina has more turnovers (47) than assists (39). For a team with multiple guards capable of initiating the offense, creating opportunities has come with too many possessions surrendered before a shot goes up.
That left Malone more concerned with getting shots than debating which shots his team should take. Asked about balancing his preference for 3-pointers with stretches of poor shooting (UNC was 5 of 13 from outside the arc in the first half and 12 of 29 for the game), he returned to the turnovers that had helped Charlotte stay in the game.
“We have to be a lot more efficient offensively, and that starts with taking care of the basketball,” Malone said after Carolina finished with 14 assists and 14 turnovers, its first exhibition without more turnovers than assists. “And then if we take care of it, I think then we can worry about what kind of shots that we’re generating.”
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Fifth-year guard Angelo Brizzi (top photo) was one of only three playing at least 14 minutes (Jarin Stevenson and Jaydon Young are the others) who didn’t commit a turnover after he committed four in the loss to Indiana.
The other end of those possessions has been a problem, too. Carolina gave up 18 second-chance points against Charlotte after allowing Indiana 20 offensive rebounds and 17 second-chance points in the previous exhibition.
Those breakdowns leave the Tar Heels working against themselves in two directions. Turnovers deny them scoring opportunities, while missed defensive rebounds give opponents another chance after UNC forces a miss.
Young saw the same pattern.
“I think I learned that we can be really, really, really good if we stop beating ourselves,” Young said. “I think we beat ourselves really often, even the games that we won.”
Tuesday offered evidence of both the potential and the problems. Terrence Brown scored 27 points, Neo Avdalas supplied 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists, and Young made three of his four 3-point attempts.
Yet those performances were needed to get Carolina through an overtime game in which familiar mistakes kept resurfacing. The Tar Heels also trailed at halftime for the third time in three exhibitions, leaving Malone dissatisfied with how his team has started games.
Malone said his players looked nervous in their first appearance before the home crowd. Young also acknowledged some early jitters, but the issues extended beyond missed shots and the excitement of playing at the Smith Center.
Jarin Stevenson said pressure disrupted Carolina’s organization, keeping the Tar Heels from consistently getting into their offense.
“Just staying organized. Can’t let pressure take us out of our actions,” Stevenson said. “I feel like yeah, there are some times where we just didn’t know what we were doing.”
That is part of the adjustment for a team still learning how to play together. Brown is working through possessions both with and without the ball, while Avdalas gives Carolina another playmaker who can direct the offense and find teammates.
Malone likes having those options because they make the Tar Heels harder to guard. But he said responsibility for improving the turnover problem starts with the primary ball handlers, and Brown acknowledged that efficiency is part of his adjustment.
“I’m trying to bring my game up in efficiency and bring my turnovers down as well,” said Brown, who had two turnovers Tuesday after turning it over five times in the first two exhibitions.
Rebounding requires a broader response. Malone pointed to the limited production from his starting frontcourt, while acknowledging that switching defensively had pulled Stevenson toward the perimeter.
Avdalas’ nine rebounds showed the contribution Carolina can get from its guards. Brown said he and the other players need to help shoulder that responsibility, and Young connected better rebounding to the pace the Tar Heels want to play.
Malone’s concern was that the emphasis in practice had not yet produced consistent results in games.
“To me, rebounding is not a skill. It’s a want to. It’s a desire. It’s a toughness,” Malone said.
Carolina’s response Tuesday gave him something to work with. The Tar Heels stayed close despite their poor start, got important contributions from several players and made enough plays to win.
The result did not change the work waiting before Monday’s opener. Along with ball security and rebounding, Malone identified finishing at the basket as an area that must improve, giving UNC a clear list of priorities as preparation shifts to games that count.
“We get to the rim a lot, but we’ve been struggling to finish,” he said.
Young’s warning was broader than any one category on the stat sheet.
“But the lesson from this is there’s a lot of good teams out there,” Young said. “Anybody can come in here and beat us at any time.”
The exhibitions gave Carolina three chances to discover where it was making winning harder than necessary. Monday begins the test of whether the Tar Heels can stop giving their opponents so much help.
Photo by Drew Horwitz
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