1. Simply a complete win for Alabama as they executed their game plan perfectly en route to a 94-79 win at the Smith Center. The Heels have led just 11-13 in the last 165 minutes they’ve played (three games in Maui and tonight). Size was once again a major issue as Alabama sent waves of long, athletic bodies to Carolina.

2. Carolina really struggled to score. The Tar Heels didn’t shoot well overall, checking in at 41 percent, but were very poor from the three-point line, where they shot just 5 for 28 and failed to generate the points.

3. The bright spot on offense was Ian Jacksonwho contributed 23 points and shot 10 of 17. Coming into ACC play, the rotation is by no means fixed – both at the rim and in the post, where the Tar Heels rotated a number of players without ever really finding one who was consistent (Ty Claude probably came closest, picking up six points and five rebounds in 10 minutes before exiting with an injury.

4. After the 1:2 performance on Maui Hubert Davis indicated that he and the coaching staff would explore possible changes. One thing was immediately apparent Wednesday night: the Tar Heels were starting Drake Powell instead Jae’Lyn Withers. Powell posted a team-high +16 on Maui (the next highest was Ven Allen Lubin at +7, and then Seth Trimble at +2). The freshman had a few moments (six points and three rebounds), but overall he had one of those games that rookies sometimes have where things move a little too quickly. He was far from alone in this category.

5. Rauhnacht for RJ Daviswho never found a rhythm on offense and finished 7 for 24 from the field and 1 for 11 from three-point range. That now gives him a 1-for-20 mark from three against the Tide in the last two meetings. This will get the most attention, but Davis’ backcourt partner, Elliot Cadeaualso had a rough night, finishing the game with one point and four turnovers (he had 18 assists and 16 turnovers in his last four games). The trend continues: If Cadeau is good, the heels are good too. If he isn’t, they fight. The entire starting backcourt trio (Seth Trimble finished -19) just didn’t have a great evening. With this year’s team, any time all three of these players struggle, it’s going to be a difficult night.

6. For the fourth straight game, Carolina trailed by double digits in the first half. The Tar Heels struggled to hold onto the ball early, committing seven turnovers in the first part of the first half. Then, when they realized that Grip was having trouble shooting, they hit just 36.1 percent from the field and a paltry 15.4 percent from the three-point line.

7. Combine those numbers with the fact that the Tar Heels didn’t do a particularly good job of getting to the finish line – they shot just 6 of 7 from the charity stripe – and it’s frankly surprising that the halftime deficit was just was nine. It could have been much, much worse.

8. Here lies the problem with the Crimson Tide’s guarding in the first half. They scored 37 field goals in those 20 minutes. Eighteen of them were threesomes. Fifteen were layups or dunks (eight total). Of the 37 shots they took, 33 were either layups or threes. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels hit 13 of their 33 shots from mid-range, an area that simply isn’t very efficient or productive.

9. Carolina occasionally showed defensive pressure all over the field and three quarters of the field. This may need to be a larger part of the future game plan. The Tar Heels aren’t particularly good at it yet, but it gives opponents a different look and has the potential to create turnovers.

10. The rigorous early-season schedule now includes three top-10 opponents in the first eight games. It’s the first time since the 1967-68 season that the Tar Heels have faced such a tough matchup in the first eight games. And next Saturday: the ACC opener, with Georgia Tech visiting the Smith Center at 2 p.m. Remember, Carolina has played three of the top ten teams in America so far and is currently well below them. Now you have to win some games against teams that are outside of that elite range.

11. Reminder of two things for this weekend: First, Saturday’s ACC opener against Georgia Tech also includes the return of the Tip-Off Club in front of the Smith Center.

12. Second, the annual children’s clinic with the basketball team was moved upstairs this year. It takes place this Sunday, December 8th. The entry fee is $75. For more information, click here or keep an eye on all Carolina Basketball social media channels in the coming days. It’s a great opportunity for children to interact with this year’s team.

13. Good turnout from Tar Heel alumni. Mitch Kupchak, Ed Davis, Tyler Hansbrough (on the THSN call), Tyler Zeller and Marcus Ginyard were all in attendance. And it wasn’t just basketball – Drake Maye and Vance Honeycutt were there too.