Despite North Carolina’s recent troubles, the Tar Heels still entered Assembly Hall this evening with the 11th-best offense in the Pomeroy ratings.
But Indiana’s defense absolutely, positively stymied the Tar Heels for much of tonight’s game. On the perimeter, Indiana applied ball pressure that made North Carolina rather uncomfortable. UNC struggled to get into its offense, struggled to pass the ball, struggled to breathe. Shots were contested and rarely easy. Steals turned into quick buckets on the other end. It was a dominant, stifling, all-out-effort performance from the Hoosiers. They played hard. Really hard. It’s the type of defense that’s starting to become Indiana’s identity in the Mike Woodson era.