Heel Tough Blog: Kentucky Recap

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Looking to bounce back, against a desperate Kentucky team, UNC went on the road, into a hostile Rupp Arena and earned a 67-64 win, in the ACC/SEC Challenge, to give Carolina their first win in Lexington since 2007, and arguably the biggest win since winning at Duke back in March of 2024 to clinch the ACC regular season title. And while Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar both recorded double-doubles, it was freshman Derek Dixon, not even a starter, who came to the rescue, scoring 5 points in the final minute, to propel Carolina to the win. Coming out of a timeout, Dixon hit a three to give Carolina a 64-62 lead, and after UK tied the game on the following possession, Dixon then hit a layup, out of another timeout, that put UNC ahead for good, after Jarin Stevenson contested a layup by Colin Chandler, and Wilson secured the rebound. Prior to his last minute of excellence, Dixon was just 1-6 from the floor, but proved ready for the challenge when the game was on the line. Dixon wasn’t the only Tar Heel to struggle from the field; Carolina shot just 41% from the field and 30% from behind the arc, and they left points at the foul line, going 9-15. Veesaar led Carolina with a 17-point, 10-rebound, double-double, going 8-12 from the field, with multiple high-flying dunks in the second half. Caleb Wilson added 15 points and 12 rebounds, but he was just 5-19 from the field, struggling with Kentucky's double teams. Luka Bogavac was the only other UNC Tar Heel in double figures, scoring 12 points, on 4-11 shooting, and 3-6 from behind the arc, before fouling out. What paced Carolina’s offense was their offensive rebounds, as Carolina grabbed 20 offensive rebounds, and converted them into a season-high 22 second-chance points, as Carolina outrebounded UK 41-30. 

But it was Carolina’s defense that led the charge, especially in the second half, as they held Kentucky without a field goal for over 10:00 of game time, in a game where the Wildcats shot 43% from the field, but just 1-13 (8%), from deep. Now, Kentucky did score 42 points in the paint, including 28 in the first half, but you have to love the effort and the attention to detail in the second half, which Hubert Davis praised in his postgame press conference. After allowing UK to shoot 50% in the first half, they held them to 35% shooting over the final 20 minutes, going 8-23 from the field. Now, Kentucky was compromised going into last night’s game, being down three rotation players, but they also spent $22 million on their roster, and Carolina’s $14 million dollar roster was able to make winning plays, without senior guard Seth Trimble. 

Just like the Kansas game earlier this season, last night was a great example of why having two storied programs like UNC and Kentucky play on campus is better than having them play on a neutral floor in the middle of the country somewhere. Carolina hadn’t won on the road against a ranked opponent since winning at Duke in March of 2024, and this road win will prove vital when Carolina visits Raleigh and Duke, come ACC play. 

Speaking of the wins over Kansas and now Kentucky, Carolina has now beaten both of those programs for the first time in the same season, since 1981-82, the first national championship season under Dean Smith. More importantly, the win improved Carolina to 2-1 in Quad 1 games, giving them more Quad 1 wins than they had all of last year. Here’s what to take away from a gritty win on the road for Carolina Basketball: 

1. Stellar Defense: Carolina’s defense was the best it’s ever been under Hubert Davis last night, when you consider they didn’t allow a made basket for over 10 minutes in the second half, on the road. Furthermore, they limited a team that loves to take and make the three to just 1-13 from behind the arc, as no UK starter made a single three. Now they did give up 42 of the 64 points in the paint, but only 14 in the second half, where UNC held Kentucky to 8-23 shooting. Their defense excelled so much last night that it moved 11 spots in KenPom’s rankings, as Carolina now has the 22nd-rated defense in college basketball. 

2. Offensive Rebounding: Without Carolina’s offensive rebounding, they more than likely don’t win, as they pummeled Kentucky on the offensive glass all night long, grabbing 20 offensive rebounds, and scoring a season high 22 second chance points in the process. Kentucky entered the game third in defensive rebounds per contest, but didn’t look the part, as both Wilson and Veesaar totaled double-digit rebounds. Jarin Stevenson quietly had a nice night on the glass, grabbing 5 rebounds in his 34 minutes. And as dominant as Carolina was on the offensive glass, it also limited Kentucky’s presence on the offensive glass, as they grabbed just 8 offensive boards. Now, Kentucky was without Mouhamed Dioubate, but regardless, they dominated the nation’s 4th-best rebounding team, 41-30 on the glass, in a game where rebounding was at a premium. 

3. Dixon PG1?: After his strong play to close out the game, you have to wonder if Hubert Davis is considering making a switch at point guard, as Kyan Evans’s struggles continued last night. Evans scored just 2 points in 16 minutes, as he struggled with foul trouble once again, leading to Dixon playing extended minutes in the first half. In the second half, Davis just opted to play Dixon over Evans, and it worked out in a major way, as Dixon made the winning plays down the stretch. Dixon isn’t the facilitator that Evans is, but he finished better at the basket and has shot the ball more consistently from the outside. You wonder what a benching would do to Evans’s confidence, but Hubert’s job is to play the best starting 5 possible, and there’s no denying that Dixon is playing at a higher level right now. With their next game not until Sunday against Georgetown, there is time to tinker with a lineup switch if Davis chooses to do so. 

4. ATOs: For all of Carolina’s struggles offensively, Hubert Davis put on a clinic drawing up plays out of timeouts, helping get Carolina timely buckets as the game drew to an end. UNC quite literally scored on three possessions, out of a timeout, including a Luka Bogavac three, that gave UNC the lead with less than 2:30 to play, and both of Dixon’s buckets in the final minute came out of timeouts. Hubert isn’t a controlling play-caller on the sidelines, but last night, when his team needed him to design a play in the timeout, he was able to help his team, and it propelled them to a win on the road. 

5. Powell Provides a Spark: While Derek Dixon is getting a lot of the love off the bench, Jonathan Powell needs to be shouted out for his first-half efforts as well, hitting two big triples, including one out of a timeout that Jarin Stevenson called while diving on the floor for a loose ball. Carolina needs him to put the ball in the basket from the outside, and he provided a lift in the first half. 

6. Pick-6 Turnovers: Had Carolina lost the game, turnovers would’ve been a major reason why, as Carolina gave the ball away 12 times, leading to 13 points for the Wildcats. As it has been for the majority of the season, most of the turnovers have come in the first half, where UNC turned it over 7 times, leading to 10 points for Kentucky, most of them in breakaway lay-up and dunk fashion. Once Carolina started to value the basketball better, it took away the easy transition points, playing a role in their drought in the second half. 

Up Next: Carolina returns home on Sunday, when they’ll host Georgetown at 5 PM on ESPN.