CB3 Media Heel Prints

Check back prior to the 2008 season for a preview and a program outlook.

Click here for Carolina baseball analysis.

Off the cuff: Can you believe how much of a rinky dink outfit ESPN seemed with its technical problems that kept fans from seeing the first 16 minutes of play? With all the advances and all the costs put into covering basketball games today, that shouldn't happen.

Several years ago, Raycom was allowed to cover the same games as ESPN. Sometimes the games were blacked out on ESPN and sometimes they were available on both. Not sure that would have helped as the cameras were shared but I don't remember that ever happening when CD Chesley or Rick Ray were running the (Sail with the Pilot) ship.

For more on the problem, please click here.

Marcus Paige's slump is becoming worrisome to fans but UNC coach Roy Williams says nobody has more confidence in Marcus Paige than him. Still, Paige was one of eight and zero for five from beyond the arc. He has only hit three of his last 25 shots.

Tar Heels 83, Wake Forest 68
Johnson leads Heels over Wake by 15

UNC's Brice Johnson led the Tar Heels to their 10th straight win with 27 points and 11 rebounds - his 10th double-double of the season - en route to an 83-68 victory at home against Wake Forest. (1/20)

The Tar Heels led by 16 at the half, 46-30, and the Deacons could only cut into the margin by one in the second half despite Carolina shooting a season-low for a half at 26 percent.

The lead for much of the first half hovered around six to eight points until the Tar Heels broke it open with a 12-0 over a two-minute period late in the half. Nate Britt provided a three-point shot during the run and Theo Pinson got a three the old-fashioned way with a driving layup and free throw.

A 7-0 UNC run in just over a minute in the second half pushed the lead to a game-high 27 points at 64-37. During that run, Joel Berry sank a couple of free throws after Wake coach Danny Manning picked up a technical.

During a particularly sloppy portion of the game, Wake Forest outscored the Heels 16-5 to get within 16 but the lead swelled back to 21 before the Carolina subs came in and the Heels settled for the 15-point win.

UNC coach Roy Williams was not happy in the post-game interview room despite the relatively easy victory and the fact that the Heels are the only undefeated team left in ACC play. He pointed to the fact that 14 of the Deacons 17 buckets made in the second half were layups or dunks.

But the Tar Heels did come up with 17 points off 12 Wake turnovers in the first half alone to set the tone. "We created some turnovers early and that gave us some confidence," Coach Williams said. For the game, Carolina came up with 15 steals and forced 19 turnovers.

UNC's Johnson was the only Tar Heel in double figures and he attributed that to being aggressive on the offensive boards. But his concern was for the Tar Heels to improve on the defensive end. "We need to stop their guys from getting to the hoop and make sure they have contested shots," he said.

The Tar Heels, now 16-2 and 6-0 in the ACC, play at Virginia Tech Sunday at 6:30 p.m., conflicting with the Carolina Panthers playoff game.

Boxscore

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Read my Tar Heels' season preview on by clicking here.