If You're Looking For UNC, They Finally Emerged, 'I Guarantee You No One Wants To See Us'

UNC defeats Wake Forest, 93-83. The win tonight was about celebrating a three win streak, it's all about unfinished business in the ACC.

There's something different about this Tar Heel team; they're not the same timid team fans witnessed months ago; they're probably not in the same lineup. This team you are witnessing is the team voters saw that placed them in the top 10 during the preseason; this is the team fans were excited about seeing, and this was the leadership Coach Williams was looking for. With any Coach Williams team, it takes a little second for players to get acclimated to his system of team ball. When you're used to being the star in high school, Williams breaks all that up and forces you to distribute the ball and involve other players. It doesn't matter who shoots, as long as it was a team effort, and there's a win. 

Freshman guard Cole Anthony, probably felt that he had to be the guy to carry the load for UNC. Coahch Williams even confirmed that without Anthony's 34 points in the first game of the season, they wouldn't have won, but that's the beauty of college ball, adjusting through adversity and finding your shot. Cole's efficiency has changed since his reemergence in the lineup,

"Several games ago, I told him I wanted him to be more efficient, and I wanted his shot attempts to go down and his makes to go up… I wanted his assists to go up, his turnovers to go down, and his defensive play to keep getting better because I think that he really can be a very efficient point guard." Williams said, "We put him in a spot a couple of games ago where he felt like he had to score every possession himself, and his shot is much better than his percentage has been. So the reason I laughed is because I grabbed him at shootaround today, and I said remember 'more efficient tonight.' Then as we were leaving the locker room, I grabbed him, and he said, 'Yeah, I understand what you're going to say. Be more efficient.' I think he is that kind of player and he hasn't had a lot of guys making shots around him. He was four-for-five from three, eight-for-eight from the line, seven assists, and one turnover. I didn't even mention his points when I talked about being efficient. I thought he was sensational."

But it's not just efficiency that has turned this team around, its something they keep telling themselves, 

"We're not finished yet." 

Fans have been looking for an identity for this Carolina team, and that seems to be it, a team looking to prove the haters wrong and finish this season as champions. This year was one of Coach Williams toughest; he's been frustrated and speechless as to why his team wasn't producing. Kids he knew were capable of closing out and winning games, but for some reason couldn't reflect it during game time. The players themselves, riddled with injuries, team inconsistencies and lack of chemistry, it all pointed to a season of disappointment, but something kept those boys playing, and the past three games, are a direct result of what happens when you keep pushing.

It's always easy to give up, especially if you're playing in a conference you have zero intentions on being apart of next year. Senior guard Brandon Robinson knew his role for Carolina was more significant than just being a shooter; he had to be the reminder that this team is made of champions with a coach willing to give when they couldn't. Robinson stuck to his guns all season, speaking to what this team is and how dangerous they are despite being in 15th place.

"We have all been on the same page. He has been telling us… that we are not done yet. We are capable and have a lot of room to grow. We still have a lot of confidence to go to the ACC Tournament and win it. That is just the first time he said it in public, but he has been reminding us about it all year. That is why we come in each and every day and work hard to get better."

But the dagger of the night? It comes from freshman guard, Cole Anthony, 

"I guarantee you no one wants to see us. I can't put it on anything I can't control, but just being honest, if I was a different team, I wouldn't want to see us. This is the scariest bottom team you've ever seen. We're hungry. At the level we are playing at, we are a top 10 team easily. College basketball is having a weird year, not that many great teams, I think at this point, we're turning into a great team."

Carolina has all the momentum in the ACC, and they're not letting up, and tonight might've been the night they proved they're serious about turning this season into something unbelievable. 

And in case you're wondering, UNC defeated Wake Forest tonight, 93-83. But that win doesn't seem enough to these kids. They're hungry, and they want more. They head to Durham Saturday night to face the Duke Blue Devils. If there was a team to determine if the Heels can really take the ACC, this is the one.