The North Carolina Tar Heels suffered their second loss of the season, falling to No. 4 Auburn at the Maui Invitational. And for the second straight game, the Tar Heels fell behind in the game, struggling early on.
Unlike the win over Dayton, the Tar Heels couldn’t come back as the Tigers held the lead the entire game. It was a tough loss although to a good team, there were some things lacking. And one key Tar Heel mentioned something important.
Defense.
“I just want pride defensively,” Trimble said after the game. “I don’t think we are bought in as a team defensively. That’s something that I take pride in. I feel like it’s still there for me and it’s just sometimes as a team, we just don’t have it. I have to be better as a leader and continue to bring that.”
Trimble is by far North Carolina’s best defensive player and has been a force on the perimeter. He’s also bringing it on the offensive end, turning his game around this season.
But he’s right.
The Tar Heels have struggled defensively this season and both games in the Maui Invitational show that. Too many times there were rotations missed, open shots or poor rebounding on the defensive end.
If you’re not bought in defensively, you’re going to struggle. And that’s what’s happening with UNC right now. Can they get it figured out? Wednesday provides another opportunity to do that as they take on Michigan State in the last game of the Maui Invitational.
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