Coming off a frustrating loss to SMU, North Carolina didn’t have time to soak in it and let the frustration boil over.
The response mattered, not just the win, but how UNC carried itself against a Wake Forest team that could be tough at times.
After the game, Wake Forest’s head coach acknowledged what UNC brings to the floor, particularly in the frontcourt. Head coach Steve Forbes had plenty to say about Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar, the two best players on North Carolina’s roster.
“They've got a really, really good team. I think they've got one of the best four-five combinations in the country in Wilson and Veesaar. I think they only missed one shot between them — like two shots between them the whole night. I think they had nine offensive rebounds. Really good players,” he said, per UNC.
North Carolina has leaned heavily on Wilson and Veesaar to score and do a lot of other things. Against Wake Forest, they both did what they had to do, scoring 25 and 22 points.
Back to the SMU loss just a week earlier, UNC walked off the floor frustrated and searching for answers defensively. Wilson admitted that playing better on that side of the floor was what UNC needed to do in this game.
“To make people miss. That was the biggest focus. We just had to make people miss shots. Tonight, they hit tough shots and teams are going to hit tough shots when they play us. That's all I can say.”
Wilson understands that defense will be why UNC can be the team it wants to be this season. I wouldn’t say UNC was perfect on that side of the basketball in Saturday’s win, but it was a bit better, and that’s all we can ask for right now.
This win didn’t erase the SMU loss, but it helps us forget about it a bit.
North Carolina didn’t let one loss hurt the next few games, and with Wilson and Veesaar impacting both ends, the Tar Heels reminded everyone why they’re still one of the most difficult teams in the country to beat when it plays anywhere close to how well it can.