Tag: UNC Basketball

Hubert Davis says UNC needs this transfer to play at a high level

Hubert Davis says UNC needs Cade Tyson to play at a high level moving forward.

North Carolina was able to get back on track Friday night, taking care of business against American University in a nonconference game in the Dean Dome.

With a 2-1 record heading into a big couple of weeks in Hawai’i, the Tar Heels will be tested, especially in the Maui Invitational. While it’s still early in the season, we are getting a feel for how the rotations will look and how Hubert Davis is managing things.

Davis pointed to one player they landed in the transfer portal as someone who needs to play at a high level moving forward: Cade Tyson.

“I’ve said a number of times in regards to Cade, he’s a basketball player,” Davis said after the game. “Yes, he can shoot the basketball, but he can defend, he can rebound, he’s a good passer, he understands how to play on both ends of the floor, and he’s somebody that we need playing at a high level. And I was happy that tonight he played with confidence, and I was really, really proud of him.”

Tyson has struggled early this season, scoring just two points combined against Elon and Kansas. Against American, Tyson played better.

He finished with 11 points on 50% shooting from the field including some 3-pointers. He found his groove for the first time and the Tar Heels are hoping that continues this season.

Tyson can be a key piece for the Tar Heels off the bench, giving them a legit perimeter threat. But he has to be consistent and play at that high-level Davis was talking about.

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UNC basketball guards figure out new roles, might have a new top option

Can the two guards perfect the 1A and 1B roles alongside each other?

Through three games this season, it is clear North Carolina has one of, if not the best backcourt in the country. Fifth-year senior and reigning ACC Player of the Year, RJ Davis, and improved sophomore Elliot Cadeau are making waves in college basketball.

However, this season has proven very different than last. Rob Harrington of Inside Carolina finds the same intriguing theme as I do: Can Cadeau and Davis perfect the dynamics and role shifts this season.

We talk about (role assimilation) every season. Last year, we didn’t have to spend a lot of time on it because the roles filled in so immediately. Number one, it’s Elliot Cadeau’s team. Now, I was a resistor after the preseason. We talked a little bit about it in the preseason roundtable, but it would take a lot to knock me off that line at this point. And it’s not about how RJ Davis isn’t shooting well, it’s about the fact that the entire team seems to respond to Cadeau.

None of that was a knock on RJ Davis, Harrington has very positive thoughts on the star-shooting guard as well.

He’s a scorer, and last year they did tons and tons of stuff for him, high screen after high screen. He does one, he does another one, and he starts looking for a shot. And this year it doesn’t look like he’s going to be able to play that way. I don’t think it’s a matter of being selfish or unwilling to do it, but it’s going to be a big adjustment for an All-American player to now have to be 1B, maybe even number two, and I think that’s going to take some time. I don’t think I see him getting frustrated. I don’t think he’s going to have a bad year because he has too much heart for that.

It will undoubtedly take time for Davis and Cadeau to perfect this new pairing. However, by midseason we could see as good of a backcourt as UNC basketball has ever seen.

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UNC sets team-best points total under Hubert Davis in blowout win over American

UNC reached a

The UNC men’s basketball program is one of the country’s best at executing the up-tempo offense – and turning that into extremely-high point totals.

Particularly since Hubert Davis took over for the legendary Roy Williams as North Carolina’s (2-1) head coach, it seems like the offense is even more dangerous.

Under Hubert, the Tar Heels have now scored 100 points in a game eight times, most recently reaching 107 in Friday night’s blowout victory over American. Elliot Cadeau and Jalen Washington scored 18 points apiece to lead UNC, Seth Trimble and RJ Davis each added 13, while Cade Tyson rounded out the double-figure scoring with 11 points.

North Carolina led the visiting Eagles (1-3) just 43-34 at the half – and its defense was susceptible to hot shooting early – but North Carolina made a quick imprint on its victory with 64 second-half points.

Not only was the Tar Heels’ second-half scoring output its most in a half under Hubert, but its 107 total was also the most in a game during the Hubert era.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DCarhkFRcnm/

Defensively, UNC limited American to just 21 points and 14.7 percent shooting in the second half.

“For this team to play at that pace, it is all tied to defense,” Hubert said. “I mean, it was the same way in the second half against Kansas. I mean, we got stops, and when you get stops and you finish it with the rebound, we’re pretty good in transition. I said at the beginning of the year, in order for us to be good in transition, one, you’ve got to be in the best shape of your life. And, two, there needs to be a full commitment. And there’s been a full commitment with these guys in regards to sprinting to offense and just the unselfishness of pitching the ball ahead, seeing the open guy and having multiple guys when you pitch the ball ahead that actually can attack the basket and do something with it. I just think it’s a huge benefit for us.”

North Carolina was clearly the better team in every area Friday night, but like Hubert alluded to, the game was largely decided offensively in fast break points. The Tar Heels held a whopping 23-0 advantage over the Eagles, who entered Friday’s non-conference matchup as one of the country’s slowest teams.

UNC’s previous points high under Hubert was 105, when it beat Charleston Southern, 105-60, two days before New Year’s Eve last year. They also beat Syracuse 103-67 on Jan. 13 this year, College of Charleston 102-86 on Veteran’s Day in 2022, lost 103-101 to Alabama on Nov. 27, 2022, beat Tennessee 100-92 in Chapel Hill on Nov. 29 last year, dominated rival NC State 100-80 on Jan. 29, 2022 and The Citadel 100-67 on Dec. 13, 2022.

Just how many more times can North Carolina reach the century-point threshold this season?

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Jalen Washington sets career-high, anchors post attack in UNC’s Friday night victory

Just exactly how good was Jalen Washington for the UNC men’s basketball team during Friday night’s dominating victory?

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.

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RJ Davis’ poor shooting continues, struggles from three

The reigning ACC Player of the Year is off to a rough start to this season.

For the third straight game, this was a tale of two halves for UNC basketball. After leading by just nine points at the halftime break against American, it took just 15 minutes in the second half for North Carolina to take that lead and make it a 43-point lead.

They eventually won by 57.

Regardless of the success of the team, the reigning ACC Player of the Year, RJ Davis, continued to struggle shooting the ball despite finishing with 13 points, three rebounds, and three assists in that win.

Davis was 3-15 against Kansas including 1-for-7 from three. On Friday against American, he was 5-for-13 from the floor including another 1-for-7 from three.

Head coach Hubert Davis believes his star guard is just in a slump right now.

“No, one of the things I tell the guys all the time is there’s going to be times where your shot goes in, and there’s times that they don’t,” Davis said after the game. “Percentages even out. RJ is a great basketball player, but he can also really shoot, and those percentages are going to even out. There’s going to be times where he’s going to close his eyes, just throw the ball up, and it’s going to be able to go in.”

Just one time in all of last season did Davis have a game where he shot under 20% from the field. He went 1-for-14 on the road against Virginia, finishing the game with 12 points. Also just one time last season, did Davis ever have a three-game stretch of at least two games under 40% and one game under 25%. That’s just from the field as well. The electric scorer is known for his three-point shooting.

While Davis didn’t light it up from the floor, Hubert Davis believes he still impacted the game in a positive way.

“I thought he was the key to game in the second half,” Davis said. “I thought his leadership in the locker room, just his energy, his enthusiasm, the way that he was leading in the locker room at halftime, I thought was the number one key in getting everybody really excited to play a better second half.”

After shooting almost 40% from three last season, he is currently averaging 22.2% from the same range. A player with the caliber of skill that Davis possesses will undoubtedly find his way out of this slump, but how long will it continue into the season?

The Tar Heels are hoping it ends soon.

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Drake Powell’s defensive energy sets tone in UNC’s Friday night blowout victory

The Tar Heels are lucky to have a player of Drake Powell’s defensive talent. He showed out on Friday night.

Seemingly everything was clicking for the North Carolina Tar Heels on Friday night, as they obliterated American University, 107-55, in front of a raucous Dean Dome crowd.

UNC (2-1) only led by nine at halftime, then outscored the visiting Eagles (1-3) 64-21 in the second half. North Carolina held American to just 14.7 percent shooting in the final 20 minutes, the lowest in a half by an opponent in the Hubert Davis era.

Throughout the whole game, but particularly in the second half, there was one player in particular who captained the Tar Heels’ defensive effort: freshman Drake Powell.

Playing in just his second home game for UNC, 20 minutes up the road from his hometown in Pittsboro, Powell led all players with 11 rebounds.

“I think rebounding is a fun part of the game for me,” Powell said. “I’m just trying to do it more consistently. Just feeling my whole game. I was just trying to play with a chip on my shoulder as well, crashing the boards with enthusiasm.”

There wasn’t a single person who was happier about Powell’s effort than his head coach, Hubert Davis.

“You can use him in a number of different spots on both ends of the floor,” Davis said of Powell. “He does stuff that we didn’t teach him in drills, wasn’t in any station. His one block, that’s the second time he’s done a block where he’s caught it with both hands. Last time I can remember that was MJ doing that, when we played together with the Wizards. Drake’s just starting to scratch the surface of what he can do out there on the floor.”

Powell also blocked a game-high three shots and added seven points, hitting 2-of-5 shots and 3-of-4 free throws.

North Carolina is very lucky to have a player of Powell’s caliber. If Powell can turn in this defensive effort on a nightly basis, the college basketball world needs to watch out.

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PHOTOS: UNC basketball beats American University

Here are the best photos from the UNC basketball program’s big win over American University on Friday night.

The North Carolina Tar Heels got back on track Friday night, a week after suffering their first loss of the season to Kansas. Like that game against Kansas, it was a bit of a slow start for the Tar Heels.

But they used another big second-half performance to blow out American University 107-55. The Tar Heels get back over .500 as they are 2-1 overall on the season.

From here, the Tar Heels head to Hawai’i as they face off against the Rainbow Warriors next Friday night. After that, they will participate in the Maui Invitational which is a loaded field. It will be a great test for the Tar Heels out there in Maui.

Before we get there, let’s look at the best photos from this game on Friday night.

Tar Heels explode for second half surge in win vs American

In what looked like a good game at the half, North Carolina blew past American in the second 20 minutes.

North Carolina broke loose in the second half to beat American 107-55, proving just how dominant of a college basketball team the Tar Heels have the possibility of being. Here is how the game shaped up.

The first half was back and forth with UNC keeping the lead for the majority of the half. The biggest lead they got out to was 12 points when they were up  41-29 with two and a half minutes left in the half.

American never led in the entire first half.

They went into the halftime break with a nine-point lead, 43-34. Elliot Cadeau finished the first 20 minutes with 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting, just four points shy of the sophomore guard’s career high.

RJ Davis’ struggles shooting the ball continued as he had just four points on 2-of-6 shooting in the half including 0-for-3 from beyond the arc.

For the third straight game, this was a tale of two halves for Tar Heels basketball. In just 15 minutes in the second half, North Carolina had taken their nine-point halftime lead and made it a 43-point lead.

On top of that, Jalen Washington hit a career-high in scoring while Elliot Cadeau finished one point shy of his. Washington was a large part of that second-half surge, scoring 10 of his 18 points in the second half.

John Holbrook and Dante Mayo Jr. both scored their first points of the season in this win with Russell Hawkins also getting playing time.

RJ Davis finished the game with 13 points. Seth Trimble scored 13 points and pulled down six rebounds. Cadeau and Washington finished with 18 points with Cadeau also dishing out eight assists.

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North Carolina edged out by No. 2-ranked UConn in team’s first loss

Paige Beuckers and No. 2 UConn outlast Lexi Donarski and No. 14 North Carolina in women’s basketball.

The No. 2 ranked team in the nation, UConn, and the No. 14 ranked Tar Heels both met on a neutral court in Greensboro, North Carolina, at the Greensboro Complex. With North Carolina projected to lose by 22 points, the Tar Heels came out, fought, and despite the loss 69-58, they proved they belonged.

The first half ended with just a 12-point differential between the two teams. It started out with UConn leading the charge. It took an 11-point lead at the end of the first quarter. The Huskies didn’t take long to jump out to a big lead in the second quarter either, scoring nine points before UNC made two buckets.

However, North Carolina jumped back and lost the quarter by just one point, 13-12. Indya Nivar led the team at the halftime break with 11 points. Alyssa Ustby was just 1-for-5 from the field with two points and four rebounds.

The Tar Heels had a hard time stopping Paige Bueckers, as she had half the team’s points with 18 points and two rebounds heading into the third quarter.

UConn edged a bigger lead in the third quarter with another four-point advantage. The quarter ended with Bueckers and Lexi Donarski swapping three-point makes.

After cutting the game to nine points in the fourth quarter, North Carolina would score just two points in five of the last eight minutes of the game as UConn broke the lead back out, eventually winning 69-58.

Nivar finished the game with 15 points and nine rebounds to lead North Carolina. Ustby and Donarski finished just 2-for-12 from the field and a combined eight points.

Bueckers dropped 29 points and four rebounds with four assists.

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Two UNC freshmen will NOT be available against American

UNC will be short two of its star freshmen tonight in basketball action against American.

When the North Carolina Tar Heels take on the American University Eagles tonight in men’s college basketball action, they’ll be doing so without two of their star freshmen.

Per InsideCarolina, guard Ian Jackson and center James Brown will be unavailable due to lower-leg injuries. They are considered day-to-day.

Jackson, a projected starter this offseason, has instead averaged 7.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 0.5 blocks off the bench. Brown, UNC’s voice of reason who was a key behind its second-half comeback against Kansas, grabbed two points and two rebounds against Kansas on Friday, Nov. 8.

What do Jackson and Brown’s injuries mean for North Carolina, besides the fact it’ll be down two of its best young players?

Brown’s injury likely won’t impact the Tar Heels as much, as they’re deep in the post with Jalen Washington, Jae’Lyn Withers, Ty Claude and Ven-Allen Lubin.

It’s Jackson’s injury, though, where things get a bit tricky for UNC. He is North Carolina’s third-best perimeter shooter, registering a 50 percent clip through two games. The Tar Heels will almost certainly miss Jackson’s speed and him acting as a sixth man off the bench. If UNC’s guard trio of RJ Davis, Elliot Cadeau and Seth Trimble get in foul trouble, the roster is pretty thin behind him – unless UNC elects to dip into its walk-ons.

Luckily for North Carolina, Jackson and Brown’s injuries come in just the third game of 2024. Hopefully their injuries aren’t too serious, but if Jackson and Brown are out for an extended period of time, Hubert will have to re-shuffle his minutes a bit.

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