For what seemed like forever against American on Friday night, the North Carolina Tar Heels couldn’t drain a 3-pointer if they tried.
UNC missed its first nine attempts, not draining one until an electric, second-half make from Belmont transfer Cade Tyson. He finished 3-of-7 from deep as the only Tar Heel with multiple made threes.
RJ Davis, who’s usually automatic from deep, went 1-of-7 from the perimeter. Elliot Cadeau and Seth Trimble, who’ve both improved their 3-point shooting, were a combined 2-of-5 from deep. North Carolina was just 7-of-22 as a team.
Luckily for UNC, though, its inside game was giving the Eagles fits. No post player was more important for the Tar Heels than junior center Jalen Washington, who scored a career-high 18 points on a perfect, 6-of-6 mark from the field and career-best 6-of-7 output from the free throw line.
North Carolina finished its night 36-of-61 overall (59 percent) from the field. On a night where the perimeter shots weren’t falling, the Tar Heels were seemingly automatic from inside-the-arc.
“We felt like that was the best way for us to score,” Washington said of UNC taking the basketball inside. “Just taking advantage of that and being relentless down there, just dominating points in the paint. I feel like that was just opening up shots for guards, our wings just to be able to shoot and knock down threes, which they’re capable of doing and they’ve been doing.”
Not only was Washington scoring efficiently, but he was also showcasing a fire his teammates and coaches didn’t see last season, celebrating after and-ones, contested layups and thunderous dunks.
“Jay Wash is a really sweet, quiet giant, and I love that about him, but on the court I want the one that hits himself in the head (celebrating),” North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis said. “I want that all the time — not just for him, but for his teammates, which he does if he gets a rebound, or he dives on the floor. He’s a lot more confident. His personality is coming out.”
For a season in which we weren’t even sure that J-Wash was going to start for the Tar Heels, he’s sure taking advantage of his golden opportunity.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.