Where: Dean Smith Center, Chapel Hill, NC
When: Saturday, December 22nd, 1:00 PM
TV: FSN
Records: UNC 10-0; UCSB 10-1
So how was practice on Thursday? Ty Lawson said it was the hardest one they have had since his first one on Chapel Hill. Roy said the 12 hours between the end of the Nicholls State and practice gave him enough restraint to avoid killing some or all of the players. The overarching lesson to the player, according to Lawson, was the need to respect every opponent that comes down the tunnel. Unfortunately for UCSB, they could be the first recipient of UNC's newfound intensity and focus.
UCSB on paper has an impressive 10-1 record which was largely built on west coast Little Debbie snacks. Not that it matters what the record is, if UNC comes out with a similar defensive effort as Wednesday night, UCSB will look like a million dollars. UCSB is a good shooting team, especially from the perimeter which stands to reason that this game could serve as an excellent test to see how seriously the Heels are taking playing up to snuff on the defensive end of the floor. Anything less than a dominant effort is going to bring more questions about how good UNC is or can be.
If it is all the same, the fewer the questions, the better.
UNC 111 UCSB 65