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No. 9 North Carolina overpowers Stanford in Jerod Haase-Roy Williams reunion – The Mercury News

STANFORD — Getting the chance to face North Carolina at Maples Pavilion for the first time since Michael Jordan’s days was not enough for Stanford.Not nearly enough, not after a 96-72 defeat.“To lose a game by that much, we’re just disappointed right now,” said Cardinal forward Reid Travis after falling to the No.9 Tar Heels on Monday night.“We came into the game with the mindset we wanted to knock them off.” The defending national champions were far too good for the Cardinal (3-2), but coach Jerod Haase hopes his players benefit from the model they saw.“We will learn examples of championship habits and championship traits.They have such a fantastic program,” said Haase, who was part of that program for six years as an assistant to Roy Williams, his college coach at Kansas.Stanford announced a sellout crowd for the occasion, but perhaps half of the fans were decked out in Carolina powder blue.It did not go unnoticed by Travis, who led his team with 21 points.“It puts a chip on my shoulder,” he said.“I bought the guys together before the game and said, ‘Take a look at all the blue in the gym.’That kind of lights us up.” Haase, in his second season, is unapologetic about saying he wants Stanford fans to someday feel that level of passion.“Having Carolina in the building is a special deal, to have a crowd that’s excited,” he said.“I  wish we put together a better effort so the fans who came out will be more inclined to come back.“While it’s not going to happen overnight, we’re going to build this thing into a monster.” The Tar Heels (3-0) were the monsters on Monday night, especially guards Kenny Williams and Joel Berry II.Williams, who totaled 20 points in UNC’s first two games, scored that many in the first 10 minutes, including six 3-pointers, to pocket a career-high.He took just one shot in the second half and finished with 20.“I thought Kenny was absolutely sensational,” his coach said.“The best thing about it is he wasn’t  not selfish for one minute.I can’t say enough for what I thought he did for us.” Said Kenny Williams, “When I first went to the bench I told the guys, `Man, I’m just throwing it up there and it’s going in.’“ Stanford (3-2) was impressed, but unhappy with its defensive work on the perimeter.“It was a defensive lapse.He shouldn’t be able to get those looks,” said Stanford freshman guard Isaac White, who scored a season-high 20 points.Berry, the most outstanding player in last year’s Final Four, did not play in Carolina’s season opener after breaking his hand by punching a wall when he lost a video game.He shot 1 for 11 in the second game, but came alive to score 29 against the Cardinal, 18 in the first half.“That is a concern that we’re going to need to defend the 3-point line better,” Haase said after UNC made 11 of 26 from deep.That wasn’t Stanford’s only shortcoming.The Cardinal missed 11 of its first 18 free throws and turned the ball over 19 times.“Clearly, there’s room for growth,” Haase said.“I do believe the experienc