Tag: Elliot Cadeau

RJ Davis, guards able to earn transition baskets vs. Georgia Tech

UNC’s big advantage in fast break points helped it beat Georgia Tech on Saturday and snap a 3-game slide.

If there’s one area the North Carolina Tar Heels will consistently out-perform opponents in, it’s transition offense.

On Saturday, Dec. 7 in its 68-65 ACC-opening victory over Georgia Tech, UNC’s transition offense shined through once again.

North Carolina (5-4, 1-0 ACC) outscored the Yellow Jackets, 16-5, in fast break points. This was in part due to the Tar Heels’ improved rebounding, particularly from center Ven-Allen Lubin, but also due to their guards’ ability to quickly sprint up the court.

After the game, reigning ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis elaborated on why UNC’s transition game was so important – and why today’s production needs to continue.

“I told my teammates in the huddle that we’re really good in transition – and not a lot of teams can stop us in transition – because of the guards we have,” Davis said. “We are quick, we’re athletic. We have to get stops in order to run. That’s what we did, we were able to get out. I think Elliot (Cadeau) did a good job pitching the ball ahead. We ran a small lineup today, so myself, Seth (Trimble), Ian (Jackson), Elliot (Cadeau) did a good job of coming in – helping out with the bigs and the rebounds. We were able to leak out and get some transition buckets.”

Trimble anchored North Carolina’s scoring attack with 19 points, plus he added seven rebounds and four steals. Davis added 16 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Jackson scored 15 points, grabbed two rebounds and dished out one assist, while Cadeau filled up the stat sheet with nine points, six rebounds, four assists and game-high three steals.

Lubin and Jalen Washington combined for 14 rebounds, as the Tar Heels out-rebounded Georgia Tech by a 48-37 margin.

Even though UNC struggled throughout – and trailed late in the second half – it’s good to see that transition offense can still lead it to victory.

North Carolina will need consistent fast break opportunities to generate some positive momentum – and get back to playing a consistent brand of winning basketball.

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UNC guards suffer ice-cold shooting performance in Wednesday loss against Alabama

UNC’s typically-productive guard trio struggled immensely against Alabama on Wednesday night.

With a lack of experience in the post this basketball season, the North Carolina Tar Heels will need to rely heavily on production from their talented backcourt.

When UNC’s talented backcourt can’t get its shots to fall, struggles are bound to follow.

Such was the case on Wednesday night, as North Carolina’s overall concerns grew in a 94-79 loss to Alabama. Tar Heels (4-4) sophomore guard Elliot Cadeau, junior Seth Trimble and reigning ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis shot a combined 11-of-41 – 28.6 percent – from the field.

Davis, Cadeau and Trimble struggled from deep even more, shooting a combined 2-from-17. Davis made one of 11 attempts, Trimble drained one of four and Cadeau missed both attempts.

“It’s easier to get down on yourself and be negative when things are not going your way,” Davis said in postgame interviews. “Shots are not falling, we’re losing games. Our guards have to do a better job of setting our big men up. I think it’s a two way street we’ve got to connect on. It’s a different year, in terms of guys going to be guarding me a little bit differently. Today I had Jarin Stevenson on me, (Derrion) Reid and (Mouhamed) Dioubate. That’s why coaches been doing a good job putting me in better spots to get better shouts. They’re all tough right now.”

UNC didn’t struggle entirely in its backcourt, as Ian Jackson enjoyed a career-high 23 points (10-of-17 on field goals, including 3-of-5 on 3-pointers). Hubert Davis is still tinkering with North Carolina’s lineup – and he might want to consider starting Jackson more.

The Tar Heels struggled shooting over Alabama’s height: Jarin Stevenson, Grant Nelson and Cliff Omoruyi are all 6’11”. Georgia Tech is a pretty tall team as well (center Ryan Mutombo is 7’2″), so if UNC’s guards want to rebound from Wednesday’s struggle, they’ll have to find additional ways to generate points.

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Elliot Cadeau joins a UNC legend with his 2024 production through first three games

Elliot Cadeau is UNC’s first basketball player – of the 21st century – to achieve this rare feat.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are just three games into their college basketball season, so it’s still difficult to tell how the season will play out.

There is one thing we’re confident saying about UNC through just those three games, though: Elliot Cadeau took a MASSIVE step forward from freshman year

Cadeau, a sophomore from West Orange, N.J. who starts at guard alongside RJ Davis this year, looks extremely well-rounded. In addition to being a solid passer, Cadeau is explosive when he drives to the basket, can knock down threes at a more consistent clip and – cue the excitement – shows the ability to slam dunk in transition.

With his 47 points and 23 assists on North Carolina’s young season so far, Cadeau earned a unique statistical distinction alongside a program legend.

Cadeau became the first Tar Heel, since Ed Cota (1997-2000), with a minimum 12 points and seven assists through his first three games.

If you were old enough to remember watching Cota, he was an assist machine named the 1997 ACC Rookie of the Year. At the time, Cota was just the fourth player in UNC’s history to be named ACC ROTY (Joseph Forte, Marvin Williams, Tyler Hansbrough, Brandan Wright and Harrison Barnes later earned the distinction)

https://www.instagram.com/p/DChwYwYx1JD/?img_index=1

If you look at the graphic above, Cadeau enjoyed his best game on the young college basketball season – and arguably his collegiate career – last Friday against American. Basketball is a team sport, but Cadeau’s hot stretch early was the main reason why North Carolina initially led the visiting Eagles, as he scored 15 first-half points.

How much better can Cadeau g througethout the season? Will he return for a third year?

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UNC basketball maintains Top 10 ranking in Andy Katz’ NEW Power 37 rankings

Andy Katz gave the Tar Heels a good spot in his latest Power 37 rankings.

We’re only three weeks into the 2024-2025 college basketball season, but we’re slowly starting to see several teams shape their identity.

I’ve already watched Kansas prove itself as a continued powerhouse, while Arizona might not be as good as we thought. Duke is one of the most talented teams on paper, but its achilles heel every year – experience – cost it a chance at beating Kentucky.

I can’t formulate too much of an opinion about our North Carolina Tar Heels, but I can tell you they’re exciting to watch. UNC is 2-1 through three games, looking its strongest against American and showing some initial concern against Elon.

Ahead of the stacked Maui Invitational, which begins on Monday, Nov. 25, North Carolina landed 10th in Andy Katz’ latest Power 37 rankings. These groupings are new to the 2024-2025 season, with Katz utilizing the Power 36 a season ago.

The Tar Heels found themselves trailing Iowa State (ninth), Alabama (eighth), Purdue (seventh), Duke (sixth), Kentucky (fifth), Auburn (fourth), UConn (third), Gonzaga (second) and Kansas (first).

https://twitter.com/MarchMadnessMBB/status/1858548409323397473/photo/2

When Armando Bacot, Cormac Ryan and Harrison Ingram left UNC in the offseason, I’ll admit I had some initial concerns about the team’s depth – and veteran leadership.

Through three games, North Carolina has quickly showcased additional depth and new leaders – both from the transfer portal and amongst returners.

Elliot Cadeau has stepped up alongside reining ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis, giving the Tar Heels one of the country’s most dangerous backcourt duos. Drake Powell might be the best defensive player on the roster, while Seth Trimble added an offensive arsenal to his bag.

Jae’Lyn Withers and Jalen Washington are thriving in their first year as starters. Belmont tranfser Cade Tyson is starting to look more comfortable, while Ven-Allen Lubin is that productive, long-overdue big man off the bench.

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Three Tar Heels ranked in ESPN’s preseason top 100 college basketball players

Three UNC Tar Heels joined the ranks of the top 100 players in college basketball, according to ESPN.

Yesterday, ESPN, written by Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf released their top 100 college basketball players ahead of the start of the regular season next week. Three UNC basketball talents find their name on the list.

The first player on the list is Drake Powell. The freshman forward ranks No. 88, according to the writers who had this to say about his impact.

“At 6-5, Powell’s greatest strength is probably his versatility. In a landscape full of elite players, he can be a talented scorer and also defend multiple positions — key for a UNC squad that had a top-10 defense a year ago.”

The next player on the list was just 11 spots above Powell and that is guard Elliot Cadeau. Hubert Davis gave high praise over the offseason of Cadeau and his improvements which were noticed by Borzello and Medcalf too.

“He has long been considered one of the elite passers in the country but will look to improve upon his 18.9% 3-point shooting. If he can make strides as a shooter and on-ball defender, he can be one of the best point guards in college basketball.”

The last Tar Heel is the best, RJ Davis. Davis came in at No. 2 after a lengthy piece on the debate between fifth-year senior and potential superstar freshman in Duke’s Cooper Flagg.

“Davis deserves to be the preseason national player of the year favorite. He was a first-team All-American. He has been to the national title game. He led North Carolina to a 1-seed last season. And he’s likely going to put up bigger scoring numbers than Flagg — and make a legitimate run at becoming the Tar Heels’ all-time leading scorer. ”

Ultimately, they chose Flagg because of his hype and potential ceiling. However, Davis is still one, if not the, best player in the country.

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UNC guard named among CBS Sports top eight breakout stars

CBS Sports pegs this UNC basketball player as a top breakout candidate!

North Carolina will start their basketball season in just under a week when they take on Elon at home. It won’t take long, just over a week from now, before they open up their first game against a top-25 opponent.

Looking ahead to the season, CBS Sports journalist Cameron Salerno listed his top eight breakout stars in college basketball which included Tar Heel’s guard Elliot Cadeau.

Cadeau is coming off of a season starting 31 games and averaging 7.3 points, 4.4 assists, and 2.3 rebounds per game as a true freshman. However, you have to also realize that Cadeau reclassified last year and entered college a year early.

His maturity into his sophomore season along with his skillset has greatly increased. Here is what Salerno had to say about the Tar Heel guard.

Cadeau’s greatest strength is his passing, but where he is poised to improve the most is his 3-point shooting. Cadeau shot an abysmal 18.9% on 1.4 attempts from beyond the arc, and part of the game plan opposing teams would instill (see the game against Alabama as an example) was to leave him open to shoot. His passing remains his greatest strength, but improving his shooting from beyond the arc will go a long way in his draft stock soaring.

Elliot Cadaeu and RJ Davis make up one of the best backcourts in the nation and if Cadeau has improved as immensely as anticipated, they will dominate in the upcoming season.

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Elliot Cadeau named to preseason watch list

Elliot Cadeau earned a spot on the 2024-25 Bob Cousy Award Watch List.

North Carolina point guard Elliot Cadeau is poised for a breakout campaign in his sophomore season.

Fresh off a good freshman season in which there were both ups and downs throughout, the development of Cadeau took a step forward. And that’s really all you can ask for with a young player.

Now, going into his second season, Cadeau is earning some big praise as he has earned a spot on the Bob Cousy Award Watch List Monday afternoon.

Cadeau is one of 20 players named to the preseason Bob Cousy Award Watch List on Monday. A list that features some of the top point guards in the country.

Below is the full list of players on the watch list:

Mark Sears Alabama
Jeremy Roach Baylor
Tyrese Proctor Duke
Walter Clayton Jr. Florida
Malik Mack Georgetown
Ryan Nembhard Gonzaga
Myles Rice Indiana
Tamin Lipsey Iowa State
Dajuan Harris Kansas
Josh Hubbard Mississippi State
Elliot Cadeau North Carolina
Markus Burton Notre Dame
Bruce Thornton Ohio State
Braden Smith Purdue
Dylan Harper Rutgers
Ace Baldwin Jr. Penn State
Jordan Pope Texas
Zakai Zeigler Tennessee
Wade Taylor IV Texas A&M
Elijah Hawkins Texas Tech

 

This is the first time Cadeau has been on a preseason watch list and is coming off a season in which he averaged 7.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. He will be a starter again for the Tar Heels at point guard this season.

In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2025 Bob Cousy Award will be narrowed to 10, and then in late February, to just five. In March, the five finalists will be presented to Cousy and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee, where winners will be selected.

Fans can vote for their favorite player in each of the steps towards the award this season.

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UNC basketball sophomore ranked among Top 10 in his class

UNC basketball second-year star hits Andy Katz’ list of Top 10 sophomores in the country

The college basketball season is upon us and UNC basketball is just three weeks away from its season-opening game at the Smith Center against Elon on November 4th. UNC has a lot of promise heading into this year led by two stellar returning starters.

Fifth-year senior RJ Davis and sophomore point guard Elliot Cadeau are the two returning starters.

Davis was recently awarded a preseason All-American First-Team prediction from CBS Sports, and now Elliot Cadeau joins him ending up on Andy Katz’s list of the top 10 sophomores for the 2024-2025 basketball season.

In his freshman season with the Tar Heels last year, Cadeau averaged 7.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. He was also a member of the 2023-2024 ACC All-Freshman team.

He ended the season third in the ACC in assists with 150 despite only starting about three-fourths of the games for the Heels after working his way into the starting lineup.

Cadeau is poised to make a huge sophomore leap this season and with the addition of stretch players like Cade Tyson and the improvement of Cadeau’s outside shooting per Hubert Davis, he could go from being someone that the team leaves open to a real threat shooting and facilitating the basketball.

Time will tell how Cadeau progresses this season, but being a part of this list from Katz proves that there are people out there noticing it too.

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UNC basketball sophomore praised highly of offseason work

Could a huge sophomore leap be in store for this UNC basketball player? Hubert Davis thinks so.

Elliot Cadeau heads into his sophomore season this year with UNC basketball. According to 247sports, Cadeau came out of high school at Link Academy with a 98 rating. He was the No. 12 player in the nation and No. 2 point guard in the Class of 2023.

In his freshman season, he didn’t come into North Carolina and start immediately. However, he grew into a starting role quickly with his ball-facilitating capabilities.

He averaged 7.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game in 37 games last season. He shot 41.7% from the field and 18.9% from beyond the arc.

It got to such a low point last year that teams were purposely leaving Cadeau alone outside the arc because he shot so poorly from the mid-range to the three. However, on top of passing, his ability to get to the rim was unmatched.

Heading into his second year with UNC basketball, Cadeau has been working hard to improve the weaker areas of his game.

Hubert Davis echoed this praise about Cadeau at the ACC Tipoff event yesterday.

“You will not recognize him this year,” said Davis, “He’s worked extremely hard this summer. He’s consistently knocking down threes, mid-range jump shots … the progression of the maturity and the leadership he brings is off the charts.”

If Cadeau can get his three-point shooting percentage up and keep defenders honest out wide, then it will not only allow him the opportunity to make threes, but it will also open up opportunities to drive to the basket more.

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Hubert Davis reveals where Elliot Cadeau has progressed the most

Has Elliot Cadeau improved? Head coach Hubert Davis believes so.

North Carolina’s backcourt should be among the best not only in the Atlantic Coast Conference but the entire country. They return the ACC Player of the Year in RJ Davis, as well as starter Elliot Cadeau and key backup Seth Trimble. 

The trio along with freshman Ian Jackson will be key to UNC’s success this season and that’s especially the case if Cadeau can continue to get better in one area. His shooting.

In his freshman year, Cadeau was one of the best passers in the ACC and helped run UNC’s offense. And it sounds like he’s already taking steps forward in getting better with his overall scoring.

During UNC media day on Friday, Hubert Davis was asked where Cadeau has progressed the most. His answer is encouraging.

“His progression has been huge, but I would say specifically in two areas,” Davis said. “One, I mean, he’s just knocking down shots all over the place, and just the confidence as a result of the hard work that has been put in this summer.”

Cadeau shot 41.7 percent from the field and 18.9 percent from the three-point line in his freshman season. So putting the work in to get better is crucial for Cadeau.

He also is working on being a vocal leader as Davis pointed out.

“So he’s always thinking about the team, and then just his overall leadership is just off the chart. I mean, the way that he holds himself accountable, but to other players, the encouragement that he gives his teammates. One of the things that we like, which I love, is the progression of going from your freshman to sophomore to junior. . . The difference of Elliott as a sophomore compared to a freshman. It’s really neat about his progression.”

If Cadeau can improve even more from that impressive freshman campaign, it should bode well for UNC moving forward this season.

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