1. Bama made better halftime adjustments and we didn’t re-adjust. It’s a chess match. Bud Foster is probably the king of this. But in the second half, the pace slowed considerably. We didn’t get out in transition. We allowed them to slow the game down and go inside. And we didn’t take advantage of all the early fouls. We should have relentlessly attacked and gotten to the line. We didn’t. Buzz kind of got out coached, which surprised me.

2. The rotation/lineups were puzzling for much of the night, even before the foul trouble. Thought we saw a bit too much Bede and Hill, and not enough Clarke and Wilson. Ride your horses. By this point in the season there is a certain chemistry. That’s really important in the flow of a big (and close) game. This isn’t the time to tinker with that and turn the game into a science experiment. Robinson sat WAY too long.

3. Clarke seems to have altered his aggression. I assume this is in response to several offensive fouls against him late in the season and then his frustration boiling over into a few T’s. It seems like Buzz put a little bit of a leash on him (and cut his minutes). I really disagree with this. Clarke’s athleticism and style of play is needed at times. The energy he can bring to the team is amazing. Yeah, he needs to watch his emotions and not get silly T’s, but the man can flat out play. In fact, I’m ok with him getting a few charges called if it helps the energy level. That’s the kind of aggression you need sometimes. Just felt like he changed his game and that did not help last night. We needed him out there playing his game more.

4. Blackshear. Oh, where to even begin here? I don’t know. A lot of it has to be on KJ himself. He just kind of has these moments where he isn’t situationally aware. The reach-ins near mid court, the elbow while driving to the bucket with 4 fouls at a critical time in the game, etc. And that’s just last night. He has made some great plays this season, but the level of inconsistently is beyond frustrating. I put less and less of this on Buzz. I think he had probably told KJ 1,000 times to watch himself. KJ just doesn’t remember to do it. I mean, when he is in there and allows guys to dunk all over him because he doesn’t want to pick up a foul, he is of no use. But I also feel like he has a target on his back like Jeff Allen always did. But as far as we know, KJ has done nothing to earn the ire of officials like Allen did.

5. The best for last—some kind of lack of mental toughness late. The last three games have all been similar. VT looked like the better team even when the scoreboard didn’t show it. There have been these second half meltdowns that are almost inexplicable. Almost like a voodoo, but I don’t believe in that. This is shocking from a Buzz team because we all know he is famous for doing things before, during, and after the season to make these guys mentally tougher than everyone else. Yet, it is mental mistakes and toughness (allowing the opponent to play head games with you, like Notre Dame did) that are doing us in. What gives? It really is mysterious.

Bonus one here on the officiating. I just think they were wildly inconsistent. First half, lane contact allowed and a lot of 50/50 calls got no whistle. Then all of a sudden they come out whistles ablaze in the second half. I know there are no officiating “crews” in basketball the way there are in football, but maybe there need to be. You have three guys calling things differently and then even changing how they call the same things within the game. Wasn’t a good look for the zebras last night. A lot of bad, bad calls. Both ways. The T on Buzz was unnecessary. Slapping the scorer’s table?! Give me a break. The UNC Central coach was throwing his towel after every poor call on Wednesday night. Nothing. This is the big dance, let’s not treat players and coaches like third graders.