Inside the North Carolina locker room on Thursday afternoon, Joel Berry, the junior point guard, was trying to put into words how often he and his teammates tell Isaiah Hicks that he needs to stop fouling. But you know Hicks, Berry said, referring to Hicks’ calm, casual demeanor.
“You can say something to him,” Berry said, “he’s just going to laugh. But we’re actually serious about it. We’re like, ‘Isaiah – we need you on the court. Like, you’ve got to stop fouling.’”
Of all the questions UNC faced entering the postseason, perhaps the two most critical were these: Can Hicks keep his fouls in check and remain on the court long enough to make a difference?