Some Tar Heel fans — too many — may have been expecting a blowout, but the Heels 72-68 win over the Wildcats unfolded about exactly as I expected. Both teams shot worse than I expected — aided by some real bizarre calls by the refs, both ways — and the game rarely got into a good flow as a result. Plus this was the Heels’ first game of the season.
Still, the building was full and, had the UNC band and cheerleaders been on hand, it would’ve felt just like a game in mid-March between two quality teams.
This year will see several more college games at Bobcat Arena, including UNCC vs. Wake and Davidson vs. dook. That is a result of the building hosting both the ACC Tourney and a NCAA regional this year. Coaches want their teams to get a look at the building in game conditions before those money games roll around. Those two events, however, also explain why the Bobcats will close their season as road warriors, rarely returning to Charlotte as the NBA season winds down.
