By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina opened the season by launching 3-pointers on 54.3% of its shots against Western Carolina. Over the next two games, that share has settled at about a third of its attempts.
Against Wofford on Friday, 34.2% of the Tar Heels’ shots came from 3-point range, and against Wyoming on Tuesday night the number was 34.5%. UNC went 9-of-20 from outside the arc in the 76–63 victory over the Cowboys, and the 3-pointers fell at key moments in pivotal runs.
Malone said the drop does not reflect a plan to shoot fewer 3s. His comments have suggested that he’s fine with numerous 3-point attempts.
“I don’t think we go into the game saying we’re going to take a certain percentage of threes,” he said. “I think we go into the game saying we’re going to read the defense and take what is there.”
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What was there for the Tar Heels on Tuesday often came closer to the basket. Terrence Brown scored UNC’s first eight points after halftime, repeatedly attacking the rim as the Heels built an 11-point lead.
Able said the shot mix reflects how opponents guard Carolina, not a change in how it wants to play.
“We’re not going into the game saying we’re going to shoot a lot of threes or we’re not going to shoot a lot of threes,” he said. “I think it was just a matter of how they played. We hit the lob a lot of times, and it was just because they were attaching out to the shooter.”
One of those lobs came in the first half, when Able’s alley-oop pass to Jarin Stevenson for a dunk helped start a 9–4 run that Denis ended with a 3-pointer.
Denis said the opponent and the flow of the game are what shape the shot profile.
“I just think it’s the flow of the game and the way the defense is set,” he said. “I think every game is going to be different. Different guys are going to get great looks, and it’s just going to be different every game.”
The Tar Heels also took care of the ball, committing nine turnovers, but they did not get to the free throw line as often as they have earlier this season. Malone tied both areas to how he wants the offense to function.
“We’ve been living at the free throw line,” said Malone, whose team was 9-of-18 from the free-throw line against Wyoming. “We didn’t get to the free throw line a lot tonight, which is also part of our offensive struggles. Right now, the team that we have, we have to be a team that does not beat themselves offensively, taking care of the ball.”
UNC (3–0) returns to the Smith Center on Friday to face Georgia (3–0), its first power-conference opponent of the season. Malone said the focus remains on finding the best look on each possession rather than hitting a number.
“Depending upon the game, depending upon how you’re being guarded, we’ll try to find the best shot, and the best shot is an open shot, whether it’s a 3-point shot, attacking the basket, whatever it might be,” Malone said. “We’ll watch the film, and we’ll find ways we can get better as we prepare for Friday night.”
Photo by Joshua Lawton
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