Bullock's Buckets Lifts Heels Past OHIO

If you are a UNC fan reading this you probably just exhaled a collective exhale as UNC squeaks by Ohio 73-65.  On a night where Harrison Barnes wasn't hitting any shots and looked nothing like an ALL-ACC performer Reggie Bullock came through with clutch shooting to score 17.  Without Kendall Marshall UNC's offense looked disjointed most of the night, but freshman Stillman White played without committing a single turnover. With a 20 point 22 rebound performance from Tyler Zeller the Tar Heels move on to the elite 8 on Sunday to play the winner of Kansas and NC State.

Reggie Bullock scored 17 points on 6-13 shooting, grabbed 10 rebounds, dished out 5 assists and played excellent perimeter defense down the stretch.  in every NCAA tourney run a teams stars may struggle in a game where you need a guy to step up and make a big shot.  When Reggie Bullock looks back on his career when the tar Heels were down one with 42 seconds to go in regulation he stepped into a three pointer that gave the Tar heels a two point lead.  With no life on offense his timely shooting provided a needed spark to counter the outside shooting of Ohio. Bullock continued the hot hand to begin overtime as he grabbed a rebound then knocked down a three pointer to give UNC a lead that they would not relinquish the rest of the game.

Stillman White's play cannot be overlooked as the freshman had six assists and zero turnovers in his first start of his short UNC career.  While the offense was visibly different than when ran by Marshall, White put the ball in his teammates hands however the Tar Heels shot 40 percent as a team.  Whether or not UNC can advance Sunday without Marshall is a moot point right now.  The young freshman should be commended for playing with poise and providing one of the best relief performances for any Tar Heel that I can remember.           
Tyler Zeller was a monster in the middle that North Carolina at times refused to feed.  Pouring in 20 points and grabbing 22 rebounds Zeller disappeared offensively down the stretch mainly because his teammates did not get him the ball.  At times it appears as if UNC loses it's basketball IQ and ignores their advantage inside.  Harrison Barnes made two big buckets, but the other 12 he missed were through poor shot selection.  Barnes looked like a player who needed to work to make the team next year instead of a player who will have his number honored in the Smith Center.

This was UNC's first game without Kendall Marshall, but if some of these so called pros do not play better Sunday Kansas or NC State fans will be making plans to visit New Orleans.

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