just now: NFL Assistant coach fire message to Tar Heels….
For the first time since Christmas break, UNC basketball did not have a weeknight game this week. With an 8-1 record in January and a dominant 8-1 victory over now-No. 8 Duke in Chapel Hill to start February, the No. 10 Tar Heels (20-6, 12-3 ACC) established themselves as a strong contender for a high NCAA Tournament spot.
However, a 2-2 record since then has been accompanied with murmurs in the locker room that sounded worn out, indicating the club was more than willing to enjoy this week off.
As the third-year head coach of UNC prepared for a matchup with Tony Bennett’s unranked Virginia team (20-7, 11-5 ACC) in Charlottesville at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday (ESPN), he gave a comprehensive account to the media on Friday of the impact the break from game action has had on his players’
Sometimes, both as a team and as an individual, all it takes to improve is the ability to pause and collect your breath. Furthermore, I believe that this squad would benefit from not having a midweek game since it would allow them to relax both physically and emotionally.
All things considered, it was a demanding week filled with incredibly productive practices to get ready for the rest of the season. Therefore, it wasn’t a week off. It was time to reaffirm the factors that have made this team successful so far and to make sure they can keep getting better and moving forward.
There’s a distinction between practicing on us and doing individual exercises, where your mind is fixed on that, and doing that in addition to considering how this relates to preparing for a game. And I found it pleasant that we could spend a significant portion of the week with just one person’s attention.
“And I thought it was needed.”
Less than 48 hours will pass after UNC basketball’s game against Virginia on Saturday before the team hosts Miami (15-12, 6-10 ACC) at the Dean E. Smith Center on Monday at 7 p.m. (ESPN).
