Tag: Elliot Cadeau

Could Seth Trimble’s return spell a positive domino effect for UNC?

Guess who’s back…back again?

There was a collective sigh of disappointment two weeks ago in Chapel Hill, when UNC basketball guard Seth Trimble decided to enter the transfer portal.

Trimble, one of North Carolina’s best defensive players, could get more playing time elsewhere. Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis made a questionable decision to not play him much in the second half of UNC’s Sweet 16 loss to Alabama, leading to speculation Trimble’s time in Chapel Hill was coming to an end.

Two weeks after Trimble announced his decision to transfer, Tar Heel Nation breathed a collective sigh of relief, as Trimble withdrew himself from the transfer portal and announced his decision in returning to Chapel Hill.

Trimble’s news of returning might not be the only return either as CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander tweeted:

Having RJ Davis, the reigning ACC Player of the Year and a 2023-2024 Wooden Award Finalist, return to UNC would be arguably the biggest roster plus entering the coming season. He, Trimble and Elliot Cadeau would form an experienced guard trio that not many other teams can say they have.

Not to mention, North Carolina also welcomes 5-stars Ian Jackson and Drake Powell (guard/forward) to the roster next year. Those are talented guards 1-5, who could all start if Hubert Davis wanted to roll with a small lineup at times.

I have a strong feeling that since Trimble is returning, Davis will be highly encouraged to play him more.

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Should UNC go after Bronny James if he heads to the the transfer portal?

With news breaking that Bronny James is rumored to enter the transfer portal, should Hubert Davis try to bring him to UNC?

College basketball has undergone some significant changes, one being the transfer portal that allows players to find new teams, almost like free agency in the pros.

One player who is rumored to be heading to the transfer portal is Bronny James, as Dick Weiss reported. The portal news of the 19-year-old son of NBA future hall-of-fame player Lebron James sent shockwaves to the sports world.

Many thought James would be gearing up for the NBA draft. Instead, another year in college is on the horizon, leaving one question… Which team will be lucky enough to snag James?

As of now, there are no links to any school and James hasn’t been confirmed to be in the portal. His father, LeBron, did say that there would be some tough decisions ahead for his son, hinting that maybe he is leaning towards entering the portal.

But would UNC be an option?

Back in 2019, UNC’s Roy Williams was in attendance to see James play, along with representatives from Duke, UVA, Michigan, Tennessee, and Notre Dame.

 

Hubert Davis has shown to be a guru in the transfer portal, snagging players that fit the Tar Heel philosophy. James had an underwhelming freshman year, but when you account for the serious medical scare he had before the season that delayed his debut, it’s hard to hold the stats against him.

James this season appeared in 25 games this season, averaging 4.8 points, 2.1 assists and 2.8 rebounds. He only averaged 19.4 minutes of playing time and didn’t shoot well from behind the arch (26.7%). That said, James showed moments throughout the season of how good he could be when giving the minutes, finishing with 11 points, six assists, and five rebounds against Arizona in January.

It’s hard to see why James would be a perfect fit for UNC when you look at those numbers, but there’s a reason why he was a four-star recruit and a McDonald’s All-American. He has great size for the shooting guard position and had been a marksman from three, showcasing that in the McDonald’s game, where he finished 15 points (5/8 from deep). James is also a lockdown defender, whose knowledge of the game is showcased through his play.

UNC will look different next year, with no Armando Bacot and Cormac Ryan, and possibly the departure of RJ Davis and Harrison Ingram. Four key players that were significant in the Tar Heels’ success this year. Right now it’s only a what-if scenario, but imagine how good James could be next to a pass-first guard like [autotag]Elliot Cadeau[/autotag].

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Three keys to a Duke victory against UNC

Taking a look at three keys to a Duke win vs UNC on Saturday as the Blue Devils close out the regular season.

It is time for the round two.

Tobacco Road’s biggest titans are set to square off one final time for the regular season on Saturday evening. The stakes will be a bit higher than they were when the two hit the hardwood the first time in February. An outright ACC title is on the line for UNC while a share of the ACC title is still up for grabs for Duke.

That doesn’t even include the possible implications for NCAA Tournament seeding either. Both schools are still firmly in the mix for a No. 2 seed at this juncture, and a massive Quad 1 win like this would only boost that case.

All those storylines aside, it’s Duke and North Carolina. The bragging rights matter and Duke, specifically, has revenge on their mind.

The loss in Chapel Hill in February felt like a lifetime ago. Duke played passively, didn’t play a crisp game (nine of their eleven turnovers were live ball), and defensively, they had some major hiccups.

Credit is due to the Tar Heels. They played great. But Duke didn’t put forth their best effort.

Saturday gives the Blue Devils one final chance to show how much of a force they’ve become. There is no mistaking them now. They’ve got a bench unit that’s starting to flourish despite being without Caleb Foster at least through the ACC Tournament, per head coach Jon Scheyer. And Tyrese Proctor has found his swagger again.

These all bring us to our three keys for the game on Saturday.

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie

Duke’s chances to truly be Final Four contenders rest on the shoulders of their sophomore Australian point guard, Tyrese Proctor. Proctor can control and dictate a game on both ends. In the first UNC matchup, he played 26 minutes and scored two points on 1/6 shooting. It felt as if he wasn’t even out there at points. He wasn’t aggressive, and he seemed reluctant to get downhill.

In the last three games, he’s found himself. He kept Duke afloat early in Raleigh despite NC State connecting on the first punch. His 11 first-half points, spearheaded by three massive three-pointers, kept Duke from spiraling. He can shoot, he can pass and he can defend. All three of those things Duke will need against UNC.

Look for Proctor to be a factor early.

The bench needs to show up

Ryan Young, Sean Stewart, and TJ Power look solidified as Duke’s bench right now. Caleb Foster joins that when, or if, he gets back, and Duke officially is nine deep.

For right now, they are eight deep, and that will have to be enough. Power and Stewart have started to become consistent players off the bench in the last three games. Stewart had his best game as a collegiate player against NC State. He played 26 minutes and had 12 points, five rebounds (four offensive), three blocks, two assists, and two steals. It was incredible. If Stewart provides that kind of impact, Ryan Young hits the glass, and TJ Power can hit one or two open threes, Duke will be in a much better position to win.

Defending Bacot

RJ Davis is likely going to win ACC Player of the Year. And rightfully so. He’s had a phenomenal season. Davis can get his season average in points. Stopping fellow senior Armando Bacot is the real challenge for Duke. They have bodies to throw at him, but in an attempt to limit foul trouble for Flip, they tried to double Bacot last game and it helped result in open threes or driving lanes for others.

How Jon Scheyer and this coaching staff choose to play Bacot matters. Do they double him? If they do, do they leave Elliot Cadeau, a 21% 3-point shooter, open and force him to shoot the ball? Or do they play Bacot straight up and leave Flip to defend him one-on-one? Either way, one wrong decision would be to leave Harrison Ingram open. He shot 5/9 from distance in game one. 

That’s the game within the game and one matchup that will likely decide the winner. 

Senior night for captain Jeremy Roach, Ryan Young, and Spencer Hubbard. A share of the ACC title is on the line for Duke. The number one seed in the ACC Tournament is still up for grabs. All the storylines are there. Duke just needs to play a bit cleaner than they did in Chapel Hill and they’ll have a chance to wrap up a very good regular season.

The man in the mirror is the final hurdle Duke must clear as they prepare for rematch with UNC

The Duke Blue Devils have to win against themselves in order to win against UNC.

Sir Edmund Hillary said it best: “It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.”

It feels like the perfect quote to summarise the Duke basketball experience this year and focus on what’s ahead of the team as they prepare to try and get revenge for an early February loss to their rivals, UNC. The Blue Devils have been fighting the team in the mirror all season. It’s time they conquer that.

If they can, the Blue Devils will head to Washington, D.C., for the ACC Tournament, with their share of the 2023-2024 ACC regular season title; if the Tar Heels win, they are the outright title winners. Losing that also likely eliminates Duke from having any shot at a 2-seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

For Duke, it’s simple: UNC is the best opponent (not named Arizona or Baylor) on their schedule. They beat Baylor in Madison Square Garden, which stands out as a great Quad 1 win, but the Blue Devils know they need more. Hubert Davis’ team is undoubtedly in the Final Four-capable tier of teams, so a win against North Carolina would be the perfect confirmation that this Duke team has grown and evolved and is playing its best basketball.

It’s easier said than done, as UNC will have everything to play for on top of the sheer fact that this is a rivalry, and it could be Armando Bacot and RJ Davis’ last game against Duke ever. They’ve ruined big nights in Cameron Indoor Stadium before.

Duke played a rough basketball game against UNC in the first round in Chapel Hill. They were not strong on the court, and their defensive plan wasn’t strong. Ultimately, the Heels just played better.

Duke shot 26.3% from three, compared to almost 38% from UNC. Harrison Ingram was the thorn in Duke’s side from the outside, going 5/9 from deep. Duke also had 11 turnovers, which led to 19 UNC points. Eight of those turnovers were live-ball, which makes it even harder to get back on defense against a transition offense-focused team like UNC.

Kyle Filipowski struggled with foul trouble, and when his team needed him to contain Armando Bacot without a double team, he couldn’t. Tyrese Proctor had one of his worst games, registering just two points and one assist on 1/6 shooting in 26 minutes.

So, what has to change this time around? Duke has to put together a complete performance as they have in games on the road at Miami, NC State, Virginia Tech, or as they did recently at home versus Virginia. This team has shown that it can play a full 40 minutes on both ends of the court, and when they can, they will blow teams away, as eight of their conference wins have been by 15 points or more.

Duke is a deeper team now. The bench has lengthened a much-needed development due to limitations with guys like Jaylen Blakes and Ryan Young. They are decent role players but certainly guys with deficiencies. The answers were the 6-foot-9 five-star freshman Sean Stewart and the 6-foot-8 four-star small forward TJ Power.

Power’s shooting ability is among the best on a team of great shooters this season, but the lack of opportunities hasn’t allowed him to showcase that. Stewart is hyper-athletic and an incredible shot disruptor combined with pure energy and hustle, allowing him to provide the energy on 50/50 plays Duke needs.

Each player has played at least 10 minutes in the last three games. Stewart had a season-high 26 minutes of game action at NC State, where he had his proverbial breakout game, scoring 12 points, five rebounds, three blocks, two steals, and two assists. He was a menace on defense, and four rebounds came on the offensive glass, giving Duke extra possessions.

They must be factors in this rematch, and the rest of the team needs to be more assertive with the ball. If Duke hadn’t been forced into so many live-ball turnovers, they could’ve shaved off at least six points they allowed. Tyrese Proctor must play better, especially considering Caleb Foster will still be out. He’s had some encouraging performances since being inserted back into the starting lineup with Foster out, and Monday night in Raleigh showcased that.

Kyle Filipowski needs to be a factor for the entire 40 minutes. Jon Scheyer must find a better way to defend Bacot while not allowing RJ Davis to explode. Do not respect Elliot Cadeau’s shot. Make him shoot more jumpers than layups, and respect Ingram as a solid spot-up shooter.

It won’t be easy, but Duke can beat UNC. Aside from the implications mentioned above about the ACC title, this win is about Duke playing well enough to beat an elite opponent as it pursues a sixth NCAA title in two weeks.

They missed the mark early against Arizona and in Chapel Hill. In both games, Duke was the loser, but there was a clear sense that Duke didn’t play well enough to beat that caliber of team. Can they conquer themselves and raise their level of play to conquer their goals? We’ll find out on Saturday.

What went right and wrong in UNC’s win against NC State

A look back at UNC’s Saturday afternoon win, taking a closer look at what went right and wrong for the Tar Heels.

The UNC men’s basketball program brought out the brooms Saturday, sweeping NC State after a 79-70 victory.

Despite being the superior team, the Tar Heels struggled out the gate and the finish, proving no matter the record, when two rival teams face off you can throw records out the window. Outside of play being played at a higher level due to the rivalry aspect, UNC did a few right and wrong things that caused the rollercoaster affair.

A lot went right for UNC to secure the victory, but a majority of what went wrong took place in the first half, which is why the game was close in the first place.

In the first half, the defense was nonexistent, with NC State knocking in seven triples (64%), shooting 57.6% from the field to pour in 45 points. 13 of those 45 points were scored by UNC turnovers, as NC State continued to capitalize off the Tar Heels mistakes.

The second half painted a completely different story, with UNC playing juggernaut defense. They held NC State to 22.8% from the field in the second half, including a stretch of 15 consecutive missed shots for the Wolfpack. NC State’s hot shooting from three also vanished, knocking in 2 of 8 three-point attempts.

The finish was nearly a disaster, with UNC not delivering the blowout that was breading but getting the job done despite the few drops of sweat.

From an offensive standpoint, UNC did a great job attacking the basket, resulting in 27 free throw attempts, which they capitalized by shooting 85.2% from the line. [autotag]Elliot Cadeau[/autotag] had an aggressive outing, pushing the pace with 15 points and seven assists.

This win was ideal for UNC, who has two big games left, big for their reasons. They will take on Notre Dame on Tuesday, marking [autotag]Armando Bacot’s[/autotag] and potentially [autotag]RJ Davis’s[/autotag] last game in the Dean Smith Center. Then they travel across the street to take on arch-rival Duke Blue Devils, as they look to complete the regular season sweep.

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Tar Heels struggle against Syracuse’s zone defense, drop third consecutive Tuesday game

For whatever reason, UNC can’t seem to win a weekday game. North Carolina fell to a middle-of-the-road Syracuse team tonight on the road.

Can we start a petition for UNC not to play anymore mid-week basketball games?

On Tuesday, North Carolina couldn’t quite get over the hump in its 86-79 loss to Syracuse. It was the third straight Tuesday loss for the Tar Heels (19-6, 11-3), who have quickly gone from a team with a multiple-game lead in the ACC to now holding a half-game lead over Duke in the conference.

UNC struggled against the Orange’s (16-9, 7-7) signature zone defense, which forced guys like Elliot Cadeau – who’s more of a drive-to-the-basket-type player, to take rushed jumpers. The Tar Heels still shot 47.5 percent from the field, but couldn’t drain shots in the biggest moments.

North Carolina’s defense also struggled big-time, allowing Syracuse to shoot an alarming 62.5 percent from the field, led by a pair of 20-point scorers in Judah Mintz (game-high 25 points) and JJ Starling (23).

This is a much different tone than January, when the Tar Heels looked like one of the ACC’s best defensive teams. UNC went 10 straight games holding opponents to 70 points or less, starting with Oklahoma back in December and ending with Florida State late January.

UNC had four double-digit scorers, led by a surprising 18 points from Cormac Ryan, but Armando Bacot and Harrison Ingram were the only starters to shoot over 50 percent.

If there’s one positive about what North Carolina did, it’s the ability to climb back from large deficits. The Tar Heels were down nearly 10 at separate occasions, but saved by 3-pointers from RJ Davis and Harrison Ingram.

Player of the Game

I’m gonna go ahead and give this one to Cormac Ryan, who needed a high-scoring game in the biggest way.

Ryan scored 18 points on 6-of-14 shooting from the field, plus a 2-of-2 mark from the charity stripe. It was Ryan’s first time since UNC’s 75-68 win over Florida State on Saturday, Jan. 27 that he reached double-digits.

If North Carolina wants to beat Virginia Tech on Saturday, it’ll be helpful for Ryan to have another high-scoring game.

What’s Next

The Tar Heels welcome the Virginia Tech Hokies to the Dean Dome on Saturday, Feb. 17 for a 2 p.m. ET tip-off.

Virginia Tech (13-10, 5-7), who once looked like a decent team in the ACC, are losers of its past three. The Hokies are playing Florida State tonight, hoping to turn their fortunes around against the conference’s fifth-place team.

Good news for UNC – Virginia Tech is just 1-6 on the road. North Carolina is 10-1 at home, but a win is no guarantee, especially after tonight’s clunker.

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What went right and wrong in UNC’s win against Miami

A look back at UNC’s Saturday afternoon win, taking a closer look at what went right and wrong for the Tar Heels.

The UNC men’s basketball program escaped a choke job Saturday, washing away the Miami Hurricanes late-game surge.

It wasn’t a pretty win for the Tar Heels, nevertheless a victory was the result of keeping UNC in the driver’s seat of the ACC. UNC got off to a great start in both halves, but not finishing out those periods gave Miami a chance.

In the first period, Miami went on multiple runs in the final three minutes, giving Miami the lead at the half. The second-period collapse came from UNC’s four-minute drought to end the game, where the team failed to score a field goal.

A lot went wrong in the final four minutes, and turnovers played a huge role, with UNC committing 16 turnovers, resulting in 22 points from Miami. The inconsistency in ACC refereeing also played a role in controversial calls.

In the end, the refs ended up helping UNC in the final seconds, calling a lane violation on an out-of-bounds play that would’ve given Miami a chance to tie it. Instead, the Tar Heels were still victorious, and here’s why.

UNC had it going from three, hitting 11 shots from behind the arch (35.5%), their most since their win against Charleston Southern. The Tar Heels also got significant contributions from [autotag]Armando Bacot[/autotag], [autotag]RJ Davis[/autotag], and [autotag]Elliot Cadeau[/autotag].

Bacot was a force on the glass, grabbing 15 rebounds (four offensively) while taking advantage of every look, scoring 62% from the field (5/7). Davis continued his Player of the Year campaign finishing with 25 points for the eighth time this season. Cadeau played a huge role in UNC’s offensive attack, pouring in 19 points(career high) and eight assists.

It wasn’t the finish UNC imagined, but a win is a win, improving UNC to 19-5 (11-2 in the ACC).

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What went wrong in UNC’s loss to Georgia Tech

A look back at UNC’s Tuesday night loss, taking a closer look at what went wrong for the Tar Heels.

The UNC men’s basketball program will return to Chapel Hill with their win streak snapped after a 74-73 loss to Georgia Tech.

A no-call would echo throughout social media as the explanation of why the Tar Heels lost, but it was the events leading up to the no-whistle on why. Outside of [autotag]RJ Davis[/autotag] pouring it on with 28 points, UNC’s offense went flat, with no other Tar Heel reaching double digits in the score column.

It was a game of season lows for UNC, shooting 36.4% from the field and 52.9%(9/17) from the free throw line. On the flip side, Georgia Tech took advantage of the free throws, shooting 88.2%(15/17) from the line.

Another factor was the foul trouble for [autotag]Elliot Cadeau,[/autotag] who had a game-high +12 in +/-, according to the University’s post-game notes. Cadeau received his fifth foul with under six minutes to play.

Nevertheless, credit to the Yellow Jackets for a masterful game plan, they pushed the pace throughout the night and took advantage of poor shooting by UNC. They also drew up the perfect play to get freshman Naithan George switched on to [autotag]Armando Bacot[/autotag], driving for a tough finish. Hubert Davis did answer with a brilliant play to get the ball in RJ Davis’s hands for the game-winner.

However, a no-call turn ends the game and UNC’s win streak. The loss stings, but in a way beneficial, with Duke coming to town Saturday. Not that the Tar Heels need more motivation to send the Blue Devils home with an L, but now off a frustrated loss.

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Elliot Cadeau has career game for UNC in win over Florida State

Elliot Cadeau is finally starting to live up to his 5-star hype for the UNC men’s basketball team. He set a career mark on Saturday.

When we’re talking about leading scorers, it’s been the RJ Davis show for UNC basketball.

Davis looks like one of the country’s best guards, leading the ACC and sitting 13th in the nation with 21 points per game. He led all scorers with 24 points in North Carolina’s 75-68 Saturday afternoon victory over Florida State.

It was another North Carolina guard, however, who stole the show,

Elliot Cadeau came into Chapel Hill as one of the highest-ranked recruits in recent years, with the thought he’d be out after 2024. It seems like Cadeau will now be a Tar Heel for at least two years.

Cadeau enjoyed a career day for UNC, scoring a career-high 16 points on 4-of-12 field goal shooting and an 8-of-9 mark on free throws.

Cadeau’s always been a solid guard since he stepped foot on campus, but there’s no question he looked like a lost freshman earlier this season. Since the New Year turned over, Cadeau is a completely different player.

He looks significantly more confident, driving to the rim and taking shots for himself. If nothing’s available, he’ll dish the ball outside or try to find a teammate down low.

With two consecutive games in double-digits, Cadeau is hitting his stride at the right time.

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Tar Heels minimize turnovers in second half, down FSU behind 10-0 run

UNC was in trouble Saturday afternoon at Florida State, facing a halftime deficit. The Tar Heels rode a hot second half to a key victory.

Just like the Atlantic Coast Conference-opening matchup for both teams back in December, Saturday afternoon’s North Carolina-Florida State basketball game proved to be an instant classic.

The Tar Heels appeared to be pulling away with a 10-0 run midway through the second half, only for the Seminoles to punch right back and close their gap to two points late.

Even during a late stretch in which it missed six consecutive field goals, North Carolina held off a pesky FSU squad for a 75-68 victory.

RJ Davis made a clutch runner in the lane that extended UNC’s lead to four points, then sank two free throws to seal the win.

The win kept UNC (17-3, 9-0) atop the ACC standings ahead of Tuesday’s matchup at Georgia Tech.

Early on, the story was FSU’s defense. The Seminoles forced North Carolina into 13 first-half turnovers, which is a season-high, scoring nearly 20 points off those turnovers. FSU sped up the likes of Davis and Elliot Cadeau, as the Tar Heels’ two point guards made some uncharacteristic mistakes and faltered under the pressure.

UNC cleaned up its act big-time in half two, turning the ball over just four times. It took a while, but shots also started falling against the ‘Noles.

Cormac Ryan gave North Carolina its second-half scoring spark, hitting 3-pointers to score nine of his 10 points on the day. Cadeau grew up a little bit, looking extremely confident en route to a collegiate career-high 16 points.

Last year’s Tar Heels would’ve folded in a game like today’s.

This year’s Tar Heels are destined for something greater, though. They truly do look like one of the country’s best teams – it’ll be an exciting fight to the finish.

Player of the Game

It has to be freshman point guard Elliot Cadeau, who looked extremely confident in the biggest true road game of his career so far.

Cadeau scored a career-high 16 points on Saturday. He shot just 4-of-12 from the field, but led all players with eight made free throws.

Cadeau will only become a better scorer as he further develops. Look for a strong follow-up performance from him against Georgia Tech.

What’s Next 

UNC heads back to Chapel Hill for a couple days, then hits the road again on Tuesday for a 7 p.m. tip-off at Georgia Tech.

The Yellow Jackets don’t give the Tar Heels problems like they do in football, but this is easily another game North Carolina could lose if it’s not careful.

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