Texas A&M drills North Carolina
Off shooting night dethrones champs
CHARLOTTE – With his program under significant NCAA scrutiny during its last two postseason runs, North Carolina coach Roy Williams viewed his time on the court as therapeutic.
This season, with the program’s years-long infractions case now in the rearview mirror, Williams acknowledged Saturday afternoon that life has been more pleasant of late.
But Sunday’s ugly exit from the NCAA tournament at the hands of Texas A&M might make him re-evaluate that stance.
“I can’t think of any time where I’m sadder,” said coach Roy Williams, choking back tears.
North Carolina, the No. 2 seed in the West Region and reigning national champion, got bounced 86-65 on a de facto home court in Charlotte, ending its season in a pile of three-point bricks while being physically dominated inside by a Texas A&M team that has long had intriguing potential but didn’t reach it often during the regular season.
The Aggies, the No. 7 seed, advance to their second Sweet 16 in the last three years and will face No. 3 seed Michigan in Los Angeles.
While many upsets in this tournament have been of the “how did that happen?” variety, this one was fairly straightforward.
North Carolina (26-11) always faced an existential challenge in this game, as both Texas A&M big men Tyler Davis and Robert Williams are potential pros and the Tar Heels frontcourt was oriented more toward the skills of 6-8, 240pound Luke Maye as a stretch big man and small lineups with 6-6 Theo Pinson often playing power forward.
North Carolina had overcome size deficits before during the season, but once Texas A&M survived the Tar Heels’ opening salvo playing in front of an energized home crowd, the game reverted to matchups that the Aggies were much better at exploiting.
It didn’t help that North Carolina shot poorly, hoisting 31 times from threepoint range and making only six.
But part of that was guided by desperation, as the Tar Heels had little answer for Davis (18 points, nine rebounds) or 6-10 future lottery pick Robert Williams (eight points, 13 rebounds).
North Carolina, in fact, made just one of its first 18 from the three-point line until Maye hit one with 15:35 left, cutting the deficit to 53-36.
But in a sequence that was emblematic of the entire game, Texas A&M came right back down the floor and took advantage of the Tar Heels’ ball pressure by throwing over the top to Davis for another dunk.
Though Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy was perceived to be under pressure in late February when his team was 17-11 and 6-9 in the Southeastern Conference, his coaching performance down the stretch — and particularly Sunday — left little room for criticism.