Quick Hitters – UNC vs. Georgia Tech

Quick Hitters from North Carolina’s 96-83 home loss to Georgia Tech on Saturday evening.

Condensed Game:

Highlights:

• Not sure why, but Carolina came out completely flat. Was it the hangover from Anthony Harris’ injury? Was the team feeling the pressure of Coach Williams passing Coach Smith in career victories? Tough to say, but the first half effort was not nearly enough to win an ACC basketball game.
• You’ve likely heard by now, but just to make sure: add Anthony Harris to the growing list of 2019-20 Carolina casualties. Harris tore his right ACL last Monday against Yale. He participated in few enough games where he should be able to receive a medical redshirt and still have four years of eligibility ahead of him.
• Unfortunately it’s precisely the energy Harris has brought over the course of the past several games that the Tar Heels would have benefitted from in the first half.
• Before looking at all the messy numbers, let’s start by celebrating a few bright points. First off, Garrison Brooks. Brooks made big play after big play and was the heart and soul of the team. He had a monster offensive game, setting a new career high in scoring (35), which eclipsed his previous high by 15 points (20). Brooks made 17-of-18 free throws and brought in 11 rebounds. Here’s a look at Brooks’ game:

• Brooks has now scored in double-digits five games in a row, the longest such stretch of his career (previous high was three in a row). On the season, Brooks has scored double-digits in 10 of Carolina’s 14 games. All due respect to Brooks, it could also be said that the fact that Garrison Brooks is the team’s leading scorer (by total points scored) is not what anyone expected coming into the season and an obvious sign of Carolina’s offensive struggles.
• Brooks’ 17 made free throws are the most since Tyler Zeller made 20 on 2/29/12 against Maryland (the most ever by a Tar Heel in the Smith Center). Brooks also ties Tyler Hansbrough (2/10/08 vs. Clemson) for the second most free throws ever made by a Tar Heel in the Smith Center.
• Largely on the back of Brooks’ free throw shooting, Carolina went 23-for-27 (85.2%) from the free throw line. The only game they shot better this season was against Oregon (20-for-21, 95.2%).
• Georgia Tech applied full-court pressure from the outset. Carolina handled the pressure well and didn’t turn the ball over once against it.
• Unfortunately, while handling the full-court pressure well, Carolina turned the ball over 15 times, including the first three possessions of the game. Christian Keeling was the main suspect (four turnovers), while Brandon Robinson and Jeremiah Francis each had three.
• 50% field goal percentage watch: We are now 14 games into the season and Carolina has yet to shoot 50% from the field over the course of an entire game.
• Today marked just the second time this season the Tar Heels have eclipsed 80 points. Unfortunately, they surrendered over 90 points in both of those games (Gonzaga – 94, Georgia Tech – 96).
• Armando Bacot is in a shooting slump. Over the last five games, he is shooting 9-for-38 (23.7%) from the field.
• Solid effort tonight from Justin Pierce. The past two games is his first time scoring double-digits in back-to-back games as a Tar Heel. He also had three assists and no turnovers.
• Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Carolina took forever to score. The first points came at 16:04 on two Armando Bacot free throws. The first field goal came 13:10 minutes into the game. In that stretch, Carolina missed their first 15 field goals. If this feels like déjà vu, it is. The first points against Yale were also Bacot free throws and the Tar Heels missed their first seven shots.
• Many of the missed shots were long-range two-pointers, the least efficient shot in basketball. Carolina continues to struggle to find the types of easy, in-the-rhythm-of-the-offense shots that they are accustomed to.
• After the ice cold start, Carolina did hit seven of their last eight before halftime and four of the first five after halftime.
• While the Tar Heels were struggling to score, Georgia Tech built leads of 8-0, 19-2, and 27-4.
• Things got so dire in the first half, that Shea Rush, Brandon Huffman, and Robbie O’Han all saw the court in an effort to find something, anything that would work.
• Three different Yellow Jackets picked up three first half fouls, and leading scorer Michael Devoe went on to get his fourth less than two minutes into the second half. Unfortunately, Carolina couldn’t capitalize and none of these players fouled out.
• Down 20 at the half (the biggest deficit EVER in the Dean Dome), Carolina came out swinging and reeled off a 9-to-1 run. They eventually got the lead down to nine, and 10 or 11 on several other occasions, but could never make the next big play. Every time the Tar Heels threatened, they would take a bad shot, turn the ball over, or fail to corral the defensive rebound.
• Additionally, while the offense probably did enough in the second half to pull out a victory, the defense was porous and mitigated all the hard work on the offensive end.

Roy Williams postgame press conference:

Remember to check in for Quick Hitters after every North Carolina basketball game. Next up is a home game against Pittsburgh on Wednesday, January 8. Tip is at 7:00ET on the ACC Network.

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Quick Hitters – UNC vs. Yale

Quick Hitters from North Carolina’s 70-67 home win over Yale on Monday night in the Smith Center.

Condensed Game:

Shorter Highlights:

• With the victory, Coach Roy Williams is now tied with Dean Smith for fourth all-time with 879 Division 1 victories.

A tradition of excellence 🐐🐐 #CarolinaFamily pic.twitter.com/jMTIt74vKT

— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) December 31, 2019

• In true Roy Williams fashion though, it was obvious post-game that all he wanted to do was get off the court to go check on Anthony Harris’ knee. Harris has been a welcome spark off the bench. He attacks the rim, plays tough man-to-man defense, and appears to elevate those around him. It was unfortunate to see his right knee buckle as he drove to the basket with 3:05 left in the game. His previous injury was to the left knee. Here’s Jeremiah Francis, who has been rehabbing with Harris, discussing the heartache of seeing his teammate go down:

• It sounds strange to say, but this late December game against Yale was important for March. Yale is the best team in the Ivy League, so it was critical for Carolina to hold serve at home. This was a victory against a veteran and experienced Yale squad who never went away and had a shot at the buzzer to tie the game. Coach Williams will have several teachable moments from the stretch run.
• As predicted, Jeremiah Francis started tonight, rather than KJ Smith. Joining him were usual starters Brandon Robinson, Leaky Black, Garrison Brooks, and Armando Bacot. One of the great strengths Francis brings is aggressive driving to the rim. When unable to find a seam, he continues to probe and look for a driving lane or a pass.
• Just like Carolina, Yale is a strong defensive rebounding team. In fact the teams had 33 defensive rebounds each. The difference came on the offensive glass, where the Heels dominated Yale 15-to-1.
• Carolina had just eight turnovers. In starting his first collegiate game, Francis had five assists and just two turnovers. No moment has seemed to be too big for him. In fact, he was the one standing at the free throw line down the stretch of the game. He hit a lay-up (plus the and-one foul shot), hit both ends of a one-and-one, but missed his final foul shot to give Yale the aforementioned opportunity to shoot a potential game-tying three at the buzzer.
• An important factor in the victory: Zero of those eight turnovers came against Yale’s full court pressure. You might recall that the Heels struggled against UCLA’s pressure last Saturday. Tonight, in 10 possessions against full-court pressure, Carolina never turned the ball over.
• The Tar Heels shot a more respectable 12-for-17 (70.6%) from the free throw line. You would love to see that number rise even higher, but anything in the seventies is a win.
• Tar Heels have now played 13 games to open the season without shooting 50% in a single game. Tonight’s number was 36.6% (26-for-71).
• Anthony Harris was not the only injury tonight; This team just cannot catch a break on the injury front. Andrew Platek was in street clothes thanks to an ankle injury. Christian Keeling rolled his ankle while saving a ball midway through the first half (he was thankfully able to come back). At one point in the second half, athletic trainer Doug Halverson was looking at Leaky Black while on the bench.
• As has become custom for the 2019-20 Tar Heels, the first points of the game didn’t go on the board until nearly four minutes in (Bacot free throws at 16:17) and the first field goal after five-and-a-half minutes of game action (14:26).
• This opening scoring drought resulted in an 11-2 lead for Yale. However, Carolina responded with an 11-0 run to take a 13-11 lead.
• Carolina’s defensive aggression set the tone for the game. While the stats don’t reveal much (four steals and four blocks), the Tar Heels were active in passing lanes, had multiple deflections, and caused multiple shot clock violations. Unfortunately, Anthony Harris was often the one setting this aggressive tone, and pending the severity of his knee injury, will be out of commission for some time.
• If you watch the Tar Heels closely on offense, you’ll notice that players are often hesitant to shoot. While yes, this team has struggled to score, it appears that at least part of the issue is mental. At some point, players will have to start unconsciously pulling the trigger.
• Justin Pierce was a revelation tonight. He was active, confident, and attacked the glass and the basket. Carolina needs Justin Pierce to be this version of Justin Pierce every game. Here’s Pierce talking about his performance:

• Pierce’s production is especially needed with Armando Bacot struggling as he did tonight. Bacot played just 16 minutes and had just two points (both from the free throw line).

North Carolina is going to need more from Armando Bacot, especially without Cole Anthony.

In the four games without Anthony, Bacot has 8 made shots and 10 fouls.

— Bryan Ives (@awaytoworthy) December 31, 2019

• Carolina has struggled with surrendering second half runs (19-0 vs. Michigan, 16-0 vs. Wofford, 10-0 vs. Gonzaga, 12-0 vs. UCLA). Yale looked like it would do something similar tonight, scoring the first seven points of the second half. But then Carolina went on a 17-2 run and never relinquished the lead.
• Garrison Brooks has been the leading scorer in Cole Anthony’s absence, and while Brandon Robinson held that distinction tonight, Brooks continues to be the most consistent Tar Heel. He turned in a double-double with 11 points and rebounds.
• Robinson was indeed the leading scorer (career high 20 points). Carolina needs someone to shoot consistently and dependably from beyond the arc and Robinson is the prime candidate for this role. He buried five three-pointers in this one.

Roy Williams postgame press conference:

Remember to check in for Quick Hitters after every North Carolina basketball game. Next up is a home game against Georgia Tech to kick off the main portion of the ACC conference schedule. The game is Saturday, January 4 at 6:00PM ET on the ACC Network.

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Quick Hitters – UNC vs. UCLA (CBS Sports Classic)

Quick Hitters from North Carolina’s 74-64 neutral site win over UCLA on Saturday afternoon in Las Vegas at the CBS Classic

Highlights:

• A win! We’ll get to the hard-hitting analysis in a minute (yes, that’s tongue-in-cheek), but first let’s stop to celebrate the joy of winning. It wasn’t pretty. It won’t win the ESPY for “Best Game”. But it was a victory. And coming on the heels of a four game losing streak, the Tar Heels will take a win any way they can get it. Against both Gonzaga and UCLA, Carolina really competed hard. If this trend can be the new norm, these Tar Heels will win some ACC games.
• Let’s start with a perhaps unpopular opinion: Having now seen Jeremiah Francis in action for a grand total of four collegiate games, (1) he pushes the ball better than Cole Anthony and (2) the offense appears more organized with Francis at the helm. This is no dig at Anthony, but rather an observance of the different skill set both players bring to the table.
• In Anthony’s absence, the emergence of recently healthy freshmen Jeremiah Francis and Anthony Harris has been a boon for the Tar Heels. The two were vital to Carolina’s success today and are bringing a toughness quality to Carolina. More on both players…
• Francis is showing glimpses of being able to confidently and consistently run the team from the point guard position. He was money from the free throw line today (9-for-10), including being selected to shoot the technical free throws. He made a freshman mistake with 1:45 left in the game. With Carolina ahead comfortably compared to the remaining time, Francis drove in for a lay-up rather than pulling the ball back out to re-set and run clock. In subsequent positions, Brandon Robinson demonstrated how to do this well, which Anthony Harris took a cue from and did as well on the very next possession. Those are errors you can live with because it’s a kid (who hasn’t played in two years, by the way) being aggressive.

https://twitter.com/twmarks_/status/1208483121022357505

• Harris played just three minutes in the first half and had a memorable defensive stop right before halftime (UCLA had been driving at will and Harris walled off his mark twice on the same possession, leading to a turnover). However, he exploded in the second half, playing nearly three-quarters of the half, and was just the spark Carolina needed. Known more for his defensive acumen, Harris provided eight straight points for Carolina (a steal and lay-up, back-to-back threes) in one stretch.

https://twitter.com/FreeportKid/status/1208576714927988736

• As the Tar Heels amassed a rather sizable lead, I thought to myself, “When was the last time the Tar Heels had a double-digit lead this season?” Great question. It was nearly a month ago, November 27 against Alabama.
• Interesting minutes distribution. As predicted, KJ Smith got the start at point guard, but Jeremiah Francis got the starter’s minutes (28-10). Look for Francis to start for the first time when the Heels return to action at home against Yale.
• The past two games have yielded “Gonzaga Bacot” (bad and foul-laden) and “Wofford Bacot” (also quite bad). “Oregon Bacot” is the player Coach Williams wants to see on a consistent basis. Thankfully today against UCLA, Armando was “Oregon Bacot”. After going 3-for-20 from the field in those previous two games, Armando Bacot went 5-for-7 against UCLA for 15 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.
• After missing the second half of the Gonzaga game, Brandon Robinson returned to action today. Robinson, Bacot and Black are all still banged up in one way or another. Hopefully the large gap before the next game (Mon., Dec. 30) will allow some ailments to heal.
• 5 different Tar Heels scored in double-figures – Bacot (15), Harris (14), Brooks, Robinson, Francis (all had 12). This balanced attack is an encouraging sign.

https://twitter.com/UNCMBBStats/status/1208526929529171969

• Carolina has been absolutely terrible recently at the start of the “third quarter” (first 10 minutes of the second half). Today’s version included a 12-0 UCLA scoring run to cut Carolina’s 13-point halftime lead to just one.
• In the most un-like-Roy-Williams thing ever, the Heels were down to just one timeout with 16:07 remaining in the second half. Coach took a timeout with 18:01 remaining to stem the UCLA run. Then Garrison Brooks had to take the penultimate timeout with 16:07 because he couldn’t inbound the basketball against UCLA’s full-court pressure. Carolina struggled with UCLA’s pressure throughout the second half (that’s putting it nicely) and will certainly need to spend practice time on breaking the press.
• Brandon Robinson hit three important three pointers in the first half. However he didn’t make another basket the rest of the game.
• I mentioned earlier that this was an ugly game. Some numbers to prove it: UCLA had 14 first half turnovers. For the game, the teams combined for a total of 39 turnovers. The second half was plagued by so many fouls. In total, 46 fouls were called in the game. The Tar Heels put the Bruins in the bonus with 15:37 left in the game.
• Not much to show from either grad transfer today. Neither reached double-digits in playing time and Pierce and Keeling combined to score five points. These young men will find their place on this team. It’s just taking longer than anyone hoped or expected.
• Some old friends were in the house for this one:

https://twitter.com/UNC_Basketball/status/1208499634861047808

Roy Williams postgame press conference:

Remember to check in for Quick Hitters after every North Carolina basketball game. Next up is a home game against Yale on Monday, December 30. Tip is at 7:00ET on ACC Network.

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Quick Hitters – UNC @ Gonzaga

Quick Hitters from North Carolina’s 94-81 road loss to Gonzaga on Wednesday night in Spokane.

Condensed Game:

Highlights:

• Give credit where credit is due: This is a really good Gonzaga team. They were too much for a depleted North Carolina squad, and quite frankly are better than the Tar Heels even at full strength. The environment in “The Kennel” was electric. As is often said, kudos to Coach Williams for his willingness to go play a true road game in Spokane. If nothing else, Carolina played tough and fought to stay in a game they could have easily lost by 30.
• Leaky Black, who is considered game-to-game as he deals with a foot injury, played tonight. However the Tar Heels were dealt other blows. After a lackluster first half, Brandon Robinson missed the second half with some type of illness that kept him in the locker room after halftime. Armando Bacot committed two fouls in the first 67 seconds of the game and was essentially a non-factor.
• KJ Smith once again started for Cole Anthony, and was serviceable, but the real revelation has been Jeremiah Francis. How does someone not play for two years with knee issues and then suddenly come out like a wrecking ball? Francis played 22 minutes, scored 11 points, shot 2-for-3 from deep, had two steals, and perhaps most importantly, had three assists and zero turnovers.

The corner feed. The relocation. The stepback triple.

THIS is the Jeremiah Francis we saw in high school. #UNC pic.twitter.com/Qr7hGJM0jD

— Trevor William Marks (@twmarks_) December 19, 2019

Many wondered when (if ever) Jeremiah Francis would be able to suit up for Carolina.

Tonight was his 3rd basketball game in 2+ years.

Francis scored 11 points, reaching double-figures faster in his career than Raymond Felton and Joel Berry.

— Bryan Ives (@awaytoworthy) December 19, 2019

• Another Tar Heel coming back from a knee injury, Anthony Harris had a nice game. He had eight points on efficient shooting numbers and had a nice steal at the free throw line.
• Perhaps Christian Keeling has finally turned a corner. He scored in double digits for the first time as a Tar Heel (12), and did so on 5-for-7 shooting, while also grabbing some rebounds (3) and dishing a couple assists (2).
• The other grad transfer, Justin Pierce rebounded from scoreless outings against Virginia and Wofford to score seven points.
• The best Tar Heel tonight was Garrison Brooks. In 31 minutes, Brooks scored 16 points on 7-for-11 shooting, grabbed six rebounds, had three assists, two steals, and just one turnover. Brooks needs to continue delivering these type of performances.
• For the first time all season, the Tar Heels scored 80 or more points (81). Granted, the second half of this game didn’t feature much stellar defense and Carolina still didn’t look like a great shooting team.
• Carolina’s bench nearly doubled their previous season high scoring number. Carolina had 28 against UNC-Wilmington thanks in large part to Justin Pierce’s 18. Tonight, the Heels scored 53, contributed to by eight different players. As further evidence of tonight’s bench usage, 10 different Tar Heels played 10 or more minutes, while 12 played five or more. Keep in mind, these numbers coming with a dwindling roster.
• Carolina’s defense struggled mightily tonight against KenPom’s number one rated team in adjusted offensive efficiency. Corey Kispert shot 10-for-12 from the floor, including 5-for-6 from three, for 26 points.
• As a team, Gonzaga shot 72.0% on field goals in the second half. During one stretch, the Bulldogs hit 11 straight field goals without a miss. Those numbers are simply unacceptable.
• For large portions of the game, the offense looked absolutely discombobulated. This is likely a function of weird combinations of players who have spent little to no time functioning together as a five-person unit. To get an idea of the issues, watch the spacing between the players on the floor Saturday when Carolina plays UCLA.
• An example of the strange line-up combinations. From 2:59-1:07 of the first half, Carolina sported a line-up consisting of Jeremiah Francis, Anthony Harris, Leaky Black, Brandon Robinson, and Justin Pierce (with KJ Smith eventually coming in for Francis). Who is the center in that combination?
• After starting the season 3-for-19 (15.8%) from three, Andrew Platek has hit four of his last five. Coach Williams has spoken about his quality shooting in practice, so hopefully the fruit of that will start showing up in games.

Roy Williams postgame press conference:

Remember to check in for Quick Hitters after every North Carolina basketball game. Next up is a the CBS Sports Classic against UCLA on Saturday, December 21. Tip is at 3:00ET on CBS.

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Quick Hitters – UNC vs. Wofford

Quick Hitters from North Carolina’s 68-64 home loss to Wofford on Sunday afternoon in Carmichael Arena.

Condensed Game:

Shorter Highlights:

This will probably be as painful to read as it was to write. Such is the stretch the Tar Heels are going through right now. Here we go:

• The hits just keep on coming. This team cannot catch a break on the injury front. Just as one or two players get back on the court, another couple of players are out. Before the game this afternoon, Carolina announced that Cole Anthony would miss the game with a knee injury, Leaky Black would miss the game with a foot injury, and that Sterling Manley would be done for the season after undergoing surgery. Throughout the game, several other players spent time being evaluated by athletic trainer Doug Halverson (Brandon Robinson, Armando Bacot, Garrison Brooks, KJ Smith).
• The news for Cole Anthony is that he is out indefinitely with a knee injury, which will be further evaluated this week. Leaky Black is game-to-game with the foot sprain he’s been dealing with. As far Sterling Manley, he had season-ending surgery on December 12 to repair cartilage in his left knee. The timetable for his return is unknown. Tough blow for Manley who has been plagued by lower body injuries.
• The silver lining with Cole Anthony out is that you can say with assurance that the Tar Heels will not be able to fall into the trap of waiting around for him to bail the team out offensively. Six different Tar Heels scored at least six points today.
• Given the new injuries, can you imagine what the line-ups would have been today if Armando Bacot’s ankle injury had been worse or if Jeremiah Francis and/or Anthony Harris were still out of commission?
• Free throws proved to be a major issue again today. In a game Carolina lost by four, they shot 12-for-20 (60.0%) from the free throw line.
• The Tar Heels did rebound well. They grabbed 51 to Wofford’s 34. However, given their inside advantage, the points in the point should have favored Carolina more than 28-20. The Heels got the ball to Brooks and Bacot quite a bit, but the ball should have gone into the paint on literally every possession. When it did, Brooks shot an extremely efficient 8-for-10. Bacot, however, struggled; shooting just 2-for-14. These interior struggles took place even with Chevez Goodwin, Wofford’s main interior player, attached to the bench with foul trouble for the majority of the game.
• It can’t be said enough what joy it must bring Jeremiah Francis (in particular) and Anthony Harris to be back in basketball action. Both players have missed significant time and have worked extremely hard to get back on the court. Francis showed glimpses of the dynamic point guard he can be as he gets healthy. He pushed the ball and quite consistently found teammates. Depending on Anthony and Black’s availability, the two freshmen will likely continue to shoulder as much time as they can handle.
• With the starting and back-up point guards both sidelined, KJ Smith took hold of the reins and played a steady game. He scored seven points and had four assists, against two turnovers. While Smith is admittedly not the playmaker that Anthony is, the most important thing he did today was to stay within himself and not try to do more than he was capable of. Here’s Smith talking about the opportunity to start at point guard for Carolina on the same court where his own dad was the last Tar Heel to do so in a regular season game:

• Carolina, who historically assists on a high percentage of made baskets, has not done so to this point in the season. For the game, the Heels assisted on 17 of 23 made baskets. While the outcome of the game was not what Coach Williams was looking for, sharing the ball more consistently is a step in the right direction.
• We are now 10 games into the season without Carolina shooting 50% for the game or reaching the 80-point plateau.
• In both halves, the Heels took awhile to score. At the beginning of the game, the first points came on a Brandon Robinson three-pointer after 2:15 had already come of the clock. The post-halftime drought was even longer, clocking in at around 3:00.
• An encouraging sign: Andrew Platek shot 2-for-3 from beyond the arc.

• Christian Keeling had arguably his most productive game as a Tar Heel, finishing with eight points, nine rebounds, and two assists. Keeling could have had 10 points, but stepped on the three-point line on two different occasions. The different of those couple inches makes this a one-possession game down the stretch instead of two possessions. Details matter.
• On the flip side, Justin Pierce, the other graduate transfer, did not attempt a single field goal. The one shot he did take was a free throw attempt, which was an air ball. For the Tar Heels to sniff success, both Pierce and Keeling will have to become consistent offensive contributors.
• The stretch that ultimately killed Carolina was Wofford’s 16-0 second half run to take a 55-42 lead. Led by Brandon Robinson the Heels mounted a strong comeback, but fell short due to turnovers and a lack of shot making.
• You would obviously like to walk away as the victors, but what a neat opportunity to play a regular season home game back in Carmichael, the setting for so many huge Carolina memories in seasons gone by.

Roy Williams postgame press conference:

Remember to check in for Quick Hitters after every North Carolina basketball game. Next up is a road game against Gonzaga on Wednesday, December 18. Tip is at 9:00ET on ESPN2.

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Quick Hitters – UNC vs. Oregon (Battle 4 Atlantis)

Quick Hitters from North Carolina’s 78-74 win over Oregon in the consolation game of the Battle 4 Atlantis on Friday afternoon.

Highlights:

 

• Big time win for Carolina to close out the Battle 4 Atlantis with a 2-1 record. Heading into the upcoming Ohio State, (at) Virginia, (at) Gonzaga gauntlet, that 2-1 record provides a lot more cushion than 1-2 would have. Additionally, this win will be a nice resume-boost come March.
• Congratulations to Coach Williams (877) for passing Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp (876) for 5^th place on the all-time D1 coaching victories list.

Coach Williams moves into 5⃣th place passing Adolph Rupp with 877 wins on the All-Time Wins List 🏆#CarolinaFamily pic.twitter.com/SrxHWopbd0

— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) November 29, 2019

• The stat that made the difference in the game: Coming into today, Carolina was hitting 60.3% (82-for-136) of their free throws, good for 324^th in the country. What has been a weakness all season, turned into a strength today: The Tar Heels hit 20 of their 21 charity stripe attempts (95.2%). This number included 11-for-11 in the second half.

UNC shot 95.2% from free throw line (20 of 21) today vs Oregon. Second-highest pct. under Roy Williams (min. 20 made) and highest since making 23 of 24 (.958) in 2007 ACC championship game vs NC State in Tampa #CarolinaFamily #GoHeels

— Carolina Basketball Stats & Info (@UNCMBBStats) November 29, 2019

• The Tar Heel bench is beginning to look like the MASH unit on the sideline for the Looney Tunes in Space Jam. The infirmary has already claimed Jeremiah Francis, Anthony Harris, and Sterling Manley. Leaky Black sprained his foot against Michigan, and while he was able to start the game, was only able to play 8:30 (all in the first half). Garrison Brooks suffered a corneal abrasion (a surface scratch) against Michigan and had to wear what looked like shop glasses to protect his eye. Brandon Robinson suffered from Joel Berry syndrome: He stepped on a Ducks’ foot and re-tweaked his bad ankle. We await a status update on all three Tar Heels.
• Garrison Brooks was able to overcome his Cyclops-like condition to play 32 minutes, score nine points (on 4-for-6 shooting), pull down 10 rebounds and block three shots. His combination inside with Armando Bacot is becoming a dominant force.
• When Brandon Robinson tweaked his ankle, he immediately ran back to the locker room (2:30 into the second half) and appeared to be in a great deal of pain. However, he checked back in just 1:30 of game time later. Robinson was able to manage a career high 13 points, hit three three-pointers, dish four assists, block a shot, and grab two steals. Perhaps most importantly, Robinson played some key (and certainly painful) defensive possessions against Oregon’s dynamic point guard, Payton Pritchard. The most crucial of these possessions came with 20 seconds remaining and Carolina clinging to a three-point lead. Robinson did a marvelous job staying with Pritchard and forcing him into a deep three; however, discerning viewers caught Robinson crouching on the sideline in a great deal of pain after the possession.
• Hard to believe we haven’t talked about Armando Bacot’s performance yet. Bacot, just like Brandon Robinson, set a career high with 23 points. He also had a career high six blocks. The combination of the points and his 12 rebounds (seven of which were offensive) gave Bacot his fourth double-double in five games. The big freshman was just four blocks shy of a triple-double. Most impressively Bacot, shooting just 41% on his free throws this season, hit nine out of 10. This performance at the line will be imperative for the type of inside game he plays.

Armando Bacot is the first Tar Heel with 23 points, 12 rebounds and 6 blocks since Feb. 19, 1995, when sophomore Rasheed Wallace had the same line at Virginia. Those are the only two times in UNC history a player had at least 23/12/6 in a game. #CarolinaFamily #GoHeels

— Carolina Basketball Stats & Info (@UNCMBBStats) November 29, 2019

• Carolina has struggled with three-point shooting. The team got off to an encouraging 4-for-8 start today, made by four different players (Cole Anthony, Brandon Robinson, Justin Pierce, and Christian Keeling). Unfortunately, the Heels only hit two of their final 15 attempts and finished with a 26.1 percentage for the game.
• The Tar Heels were saddled with a good deal of foul trouble. Cole Anthony, Armando Bacot, and Garrison Brooks each had four fouls while Brandon Robinson and Justin Pierce each had three. Curiously, no other Tar Heels committed a foul.
• Anthony’s foul trouble, paired with Leaky Black’s injury, forced KJ Smith into playing 8:16 (by far the most game time he’s seen as a Tar Heel). Smith didn’t contribute much on the stat line, did have two assists and just one turnover. One of the assists was a beautiful drop-off to Armando Bacot for a dunk. Anthony’s fourth foul came with 10:16 remaining but Smith’s steady play allowed the freshman to stay on the bench until after the under-4:00 media timeout.
• The foul trouble and injuries also created some unconventional line-ups. When KJ Smith checked in at 10:16, he was paired with Brandon Huffman, Garrison Brooks, Christian Keeling, and Brandon Robinson.

• Let’s talk about the blocks. Carolina had nine IN THE FIRST HALF. They finished the game with 12. The most impressive of these was the highlight of the game when 6’3” Cole Anthony went up to reject 6’7” Shakur Juiston in transition.

Cole Anthony met him at the rim 🚫 pic.twitter.com/BSC7ZvSt5i

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 29, 2019

• The second most impressive highlight was also from Mr. Anthony. Just a minute before his block, Anthony deflected an Oregon attempted inbounds pass, chased down the loose ball, and threw down a one-handed slam in transition.

Cole Anthony dunk pic.twitter.com/ckO2W3FF8L

— tarheelupdate (@tarheelupdate) November 29, 2019

• Christian Keeling and Justin Pierce both had a more dynamic first half, finishing with seven points each. However, Carolina will need the two grad transfers to put together a complete game in order to achieve this teams’ goals. Keeling and Pierce combined to shoot 0-for-9 in the second half. Keeling, in particular, looks uncomfortable or unsure of his shot. Keeling comes in with the reputation of a scorer, and will hopefully soon settle in and find his touch (and confidence).
• Here’s what a senior adds: With around 13:00 minutes remaining in the game, Keeling missed a three and in the rebound action the ball rolled toward the baseline. Brandon Robinson, bad ankle and all, was able to save the ball and throw it directly to Garrison Brooks for a lay-up plus an and-one foul shot (which Brooks made).
• Now seven games into the season, Carolina is still yet to hit 80 points or shoot 50% from the floor. Quite the anomaly for a Roy Williams-coached club.
• The events surrounding the final media timeout of the game were quite interesting. As previously mentioned, this is when Cole Anthony checked back in. Carolina had mounted a 10 point lead which Oregon whittled down to six. The play that led to the under-4:00 media timeout was an incorrectly adjudicated out-of-bounds call which gave Oregon the ball, to go with the momentum they had already built up. This seemingly incorrect decision contributed to the closing moments becoming more tense than they otherwise might’ve been. The other curious happening during this media timeout was that someone involved in the on-court timeout entertainment apparently stole the game ball.
• While they were the flashiest, Cole Anthony’s dunk and block weren’t the most important moments of his play. Saddled with four fouls, the freshman scored six of Carolina’s final eight points after Oregon cut the lead to one with 1:30 left. Most impressively, four of these points were pressure-filled one-and-one free throws. The final two points were also one-and-one free throws, completed by none other than the gritty Brandon Robinson.

 

Roy Williams postgame press conference:

 

Remember to check in for Quick Hitters after every North Carolina basketball game. Next up is the Big 10 / ACC Challenge at home against Ohio State on Wednesday, December 4. Tip is at 9:30ET on ESPN.

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Quick Hitters – UNC vs. Michigan (Battle 4 Atlantis)

Quick Hitters from North Carolina’s 73-64 loss to Michigan in the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas on Thanksgiving Day.

Highlights:

• First off, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Despite a disappointing couple hours on the hardwood, thankfully this is a day where we are reminded of the things in life that truly matter. I pray that it was a day filled with family and friends (and eating way too much food).
• As you can imagine from a loss in which Carolina was down by 24 at one juncture in the second half, there are many negatives to dwell on from the nine-point loss to Michigan; chief of which is the fact that the Tar Heels scored exactly two points in the first 9:00 of the second half. Michigan went on a 19-0 run during this stretch.
• On a day like this, you also have to search for silver linings: From that 24-point deficit, rather than folding, Carolina fought back and eventually reduced the margin to as few as eight. Unfortunately, despite some opportunities to cut further into the lead, the offensive ineptitude displayed through most of the game (and season) once again reared its ugly head.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before. UNC plays poorly in a November game, falls behind then rallies to cut the lead to single digits before losing. Said loss doesn’t matter later.

— Brian Barbour (@briancbarbour) November 28, 2019

• In a season already filled with free throw struggles, today’s performance at the line was statistically the worst of the year. Carolina shot 10-for-20 (50%). While it’s difficult to expect 100%, missing 10 free throws in a game you lose by nine is a tough pill to swallow.
• One of the biggest issues today was defending screens. Michigan involved Carolina’s bigs in action at the top of the key and then drove at will to the basket. On too few occasions did another defender slide over to provide help defense.

• At the same time, three different Tar Heels drew charges against the Wolverines – Christian Keeling, Andrew Platek, and Cole Anthony.
• Rebounding, which has been an overwhelming advantage for Carolina, was less so today. The Heels won the rebounding category, but just 36-34. That is not enough separation to make up for a poor shooting performance like today’s.
• To that end, Carolina once again failed to score 80 points or shoot 50% from the field.

Two things can simultaneously be true:
1) UNC improves throughout the year and we shouldn’t be surprised by a (rather typical) November loss.
2) UNC’s offensive struggles are unique and our inability to shoot the ball significantly lowers this team’s ceiling.

— UNC Humor (@UNC_Humor) November 28, 2019

• Carolina reduced their number of turnovers from 20 on Wednesday down to just 11 on Thursday. However nine of those came from just three players – three each for Armando Bacot, Garrison Brooks, and Cole Anthony.
• Carolina got off to a hot start, going on a 13-2 run after Michigan scored the first basket of the game. Four different Tar Heels scored on the first four possessions – Garrison Brooks, Brandon Robinson, Cole Anthony, and Armando Bacot. In fact, all five starters scored in the first seven minutes.
• The Tar Heels fouled out Michigan’s dynamic playmaker Zavier Simpson with 5:11 left in the game. Simpson was limited to 17 minutes of action. Sadly, Carolina couldn’t take advantage of the senior point guard’s absence, because his back-up David DeJulius filled in more than admirably.
• On the flip side, Carolina did a good job not fouling. They only committed one through the first 15:00 minutes of the second half. The flip side is that that number might be a by-product of not playing tough enough defense.
• Similar to Coby White last year, Cole Anthony is learning his way as Carolina’s point guard. When to push. When to hunt his shot. When to get others involved. The same will be true next season when another freshman (Caleb Love) is likely the starting point guard. Patience.
• No rest for the weary. The loss to Michigan precedes an extremely difficult five game gauntlet (Oregon, Ohio State, Virginia, Wofford, Gonzaga). If you take out the game against Wofford (3-4 record), that’s games against teams currently ranked #7, #8, #10, and #11 whose combined record is 27-1.

https://twitter.com/tarheelhoopblog/status/1200276997903179776

https://twitter.com/tarheelhoopblog/status/1200218564071956480

Roy Williams postgame press conference:

Remember to check in for Quick Hitters after every North Carolina basketball game. Next up is the consolation game of the Battle 4 Atlantis against Oregon on Friday, November 29. Tip is at 11:30am ET on ESPN.

https://twitter.com/tarheelhoopblog/status/1200212962826506245

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Quick Hitters – UNC vs. Elon

Quick Hitters from North Carolina’s 75-61 home win over Elon on Wednesday night in the Smith Center.

Condensed Game:

Shorter Highlights:

• Elon led this game 32-33 at halftime. Carolina opened up the second half with an 8-0 run which extended to a 16-2 run, and eventually 21-5 for a 53-38 lead. At that point it appeared the Tar Heels would run away with the game; building as big as a 16-point lead with 5:50 remaining. But Elon stripped the lead to seven in the waning minutes, before Carolina pushed back to the final 14-point cushion. This type of “cruise control” down the stretch is not an option for the 2019-20 iteration of the Tar Heels.
• The schedule is about to get much more difficult. Next up is Alabama. Then Iowa State or Michigan. Then Gonzaga (#8), Southern Miss, Seton Hall (#13) or Oregon (#11). Then Ohio State (#10). Then at Virginia (#7). After a (hopeful) breather at home against Wofford is at Gonzaga (#8) and UCLA. Yikes. That means four of the next seven games could be against top 10 teams.
• The Tar Heels had some obscene numbers in the frontcourt categories. Carolina outrebounded Elon by 31 (THIRTY-ONE!). The tally was 56-25. Additionally, Carolina held a 46-14 advantage on points in the paint.
• With Cole Anthony struggling to score tonight (which was bound to happen eventually), another player had to step up offensively. What a perfect time for Armando Bacot’s breakout game. The freshman big man finished with a career high in points (22) and rebounds (14). He now has back-to-back double-doubles. The Tar Heels will need this consistency in the aforementioned upcoming stretch against higher-level competition.

• It seemed like Elon was going to set the world on fire after hitting their first five shots (four of which were three-pointers), the Phoenix went just 5-for-22 the rest of the half; including not making a field goal from 9:42-2:03.
• Elon’s shooting woes caused them to be the latest victim against Carolina’s defense. Get this: no opponent has shot 40% or better on field goals in a single half so far this season. Here are the numbers to prove it:
  • Notre Dame (11-34 | 32.2% and 13-34 | 38.2%)
  • UNC-Wilmington (12-34 | 35.3% and 13-38 | 34.2%)
  • Gardner-Webb (10-27 | 37.0% and 11-30 | 36.7%)
  • Elon (10-27 | 37.0% and 10-36 | 27.8%)
• An anomaly to the early season: Carolina has not yet hit the 80-point mark in a game (76, 78, 77, 75). Conversely, none of Carolina’s opponents have scored more than 65 (65, 62, 61, 61).

https://twitter.com/tarheelhoopblog/status/1197406740473634816

• Free throw shooting still needs work. Tonight Carolina was 14-for-23, 60.9%
• Bacot teamed with his frontcourt counterpart Garrison Brooks to score nearly half (36) of Carolina’s 75 points. No other Tar Heels scored in double-figures.

• Cole Anthony came ever-so-close to recording just the third triple-double in Carolina history. He finished with nine points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. For the record, Jason Capel and Brendan Haywood were the others to do it, and both happened within 13 days of each other in the 2000-01 season.

Cole Anthony

Bounce pass

😍 pic.twitter.com/RcrL791oPZ

— chris (@dadgumboxscores) November 21, 2019

• The Cole Anthony “rebound-and-run” is a great fast break and should pay dividends all season long. A couple examples from tonight’s game were a pitch ahead to a streaking Andrew Platek for a lay-up and a dish to Christian Keeling for a three.
• The team is still learning to play defense together, but they are quite obviously buying-in on the defensive end. Some first half examples: Platek rebound in traffic with 13:00 remaining, block and save by Anthony at 10:30 left, keeping the dribbler in front and blocking his shot by Keeling at 5:30, nice footwork by Bacot after getting switched onto a guard with 4:39 left, and Cole Anthony drew an incredible charge on a one-on-one fast break with 4:21 before halftime. Here is the charge:

3 yards and a cloud of dust pic.twitter.com/2g1xtVPvEz

— chris (@dadgumboxscores) November 21, 2019

• Kenny Smith, Jr. entered the game with 1:30 remaining and Carolina holding a nine-point lead. An interesting move from Coach Williams to get the point guard some “game pressure” action. Certainly a forward-looking move.
• Still no Brandon Robinson. Coach Williams mentioned in his radio show this week that he would love to get Robinson some game action before the Bahamas trip, but it wasn’t meant to be. The depleted Tar Heels’ line-up could certainly use his presence for the three-games-in-three-days slate during Thanksgiving week.

Roy Williams postgame press conference:

Remember to check in for Quick Hitters after every North Carolina basketball game. Next up is the Battle 4 Atlantis, in the Bahamas. First game is against Alabama on Wednesday at 2:30ET on either ESPN or ESPN 2.

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Who’s in and who’s out? The 2019 NBA Draft Early Entry List

Updated: March 31, 2019 | 1:00pm

The end of the college basketball season carries with it the beginning of underclassmen declaring their NBA Draft intentions.

With the ability of underclassmen to go through the pre-draft process and combine, gaining valuable insight from NBA scouts without relinquishing their college eligibility, the list of those declaring for the NBA Draft grows by the year. Note that NCAA players can declare and withdraw from the draft twice without forfeiting their college eligibility.

Players have until 11:59 pm ET on April 21 to declare for the 2019 NBA Draft. Players who hire an agent immediately forfeit their remaining collegiate eligibility (although plans are in the works and waiting to be ratified by the NBA and NBPA which would allow undrafted players to retain college eligibility after going through an Undergraduate Advisory Committee evaluation). Players who don’t hire an agent have until May 29 (10 days after the NBA Draft Combine ends) to withdraw and return to college.

Players are divided into one of the following four lists and will be updated regularly as new information becomes available:

1. Those who are IN THE DRAFT (have declared for the draft and signed [or intend to sign] with an agent)
2. Those who are TESTING THE WATERS (have declared for the draft but not signed with an agent)
3. Those who are RETURNING TO COLLEGE (have declared their intention to return to school and not enter the draft)
4. Those who we are still WAITING TO HEAR FROM (have NBA potential but have not announced a decision one way or the other)

Each declaration is painstakingly researched to make sure you are supplied with the most up-to-date and accurate player information. You won’t find any “according to a source” in this article. Accompanying each player, you’ll find a hyperlink to his declaration, a press release from the school or other official announcement.

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IN THE DRAFT
** = Hiring agent while maintaining college eligibility

1. Bol Bol | Oregon | Freshman | C | 7’2” | 235lb | Link 1 | Link 2
2. Ky Bowman | Boston College | Junior | G | 6’1” | 188lb | Link
3. Yoeli Childs | BYU | Junior | F | 6’8” | 225lb | Link
4. **CJ Elleby | Washington State | Freshman | F | 6’6” | 200lb | Link
5. Daniel Gafford | Arkansas | Sophomore | F | 6’11” | 233lb | Link
6. Darius Garland | Vanderbilt | Freshman | G | 6’2” | 175lb | Link 1| Link 2
7. Dewan Hernandez | Miami | Junior | F | 6’11” | 236lb | Link 1| Link 2
8. Amir Hinton | Shaw (D2) | Junior | G | 6’5” | 190lb | Link 
9. Romeo Langford | Indiana | Freshman | G | 6’6” | 215lb | Link
10. Nassir Little | North Carolina | Freshman | F | 6’6” | 220lb | Link 1 | Link 2
11. Skylar Mays | LSU | Junior | G | 6’4” | 200lb | Link 1 | Link 2
12. Jalen McDaniels | San Diego State | RS Sophomore | G | 5’9” | 160lb | Link
13. Ja Morant | Murray State | Sophomore | G | 6’3” | 175lb | Link 1 | Link 2
14. Miye Oni | Yale | Junior | G | 6’6” | 210lb | Link 1| Link 2
15. Shamorie Ponds | St. John’s | Junior | G | 6’1” | 180lb | Link 1| Link 2
16. Isaiah Reese | Canisius | Junior | G | 6’5” | 185lb | Link
17. Naz Reid | LSU | Freshman | F | 6’10” | 250lb | Link 1 | Link 2
18. Simi Shittu | Vanderbilt | Freshman | F/C | 6’10” | 240lb | Link 1 | Link 2
19. Tremont Waters | LSU | Sophomore | G | 5’11” | 175lb | Link 1 | Link 2
20. Coby White | North Carolina | Freshman | G | 6’5” | 185lb | Link 1 | Link 2
21. Lindell Wigginton | Iowa State | Sophomore | G | 6’2” | 189lb | Link 1 | Link 2
22. Kris Wilkes | UCLA | Sophomore | G | 6’8” | 215lb | Link 1| Link 2

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TESTING THE WATERS
* = Waiting on confirmation of declaration

1. Bryce Aiken | Harvard | Junior | G | 6’0” | 175lb | Link
2. *Tyus Battle | Syracuse | Junior | G | 6’6” | 205lb
3. Jordan Bone | Tennessee | Junior | G | 6’3” | 180lb | Link 1 | Link 2
4. Oshae Brissett | Syracuse | Sophomore | F | 6’8” | 210lb | Link
5. Charlie Brown, Jr. | Saint Joseph’s | RS Sophomore | F | 6’7” | 199lb | Link
6. Steven Enoch | Louisville | RS Junior | C | 6’10” | 260lb | Link 1| Link 2
7. Talen Horton-Tucker | Iowa State | Freshman | G | 6’4” | 233lb | Link 1 | Link 2
8. Nathan Knight | William & Mary | Junior | F/C | 6’10” | 245lb | Link 1| Link 2
9. Sagaba Konate | West Virginia | Junior | F | 6’8” | 250lb | Link
10. Jaylen Nowell | Washington | Sophomore | G | 6’4” | 200lb | Link 1 | Link 2
11. Jordan Nwora | Louisville | Sophomore | F | 6’7” | 225lb | Link
12. Reggie Perry | Mississippi State | Freshman | F | 6’10” | 245lb | Link 1 | Link 2 
13. *Jontay Porter | Missouri | Sophomore | F | 6’11” | 240lb
14. Myles Powell | Seton Hall | Junior | G | 6’2” | 195lb | Link 1 | Link 2
15. Samir Sehic | Tulane | RS Junior | F | 6’9” | 235lb | Link
16. Derrik Smits | Valparaiso (Transfer) | RS Junior | C | 7’1” | 240lb | Link 1| Link 2
17. Jimmy Whitt, Jr. | SMU | Junior | G | 6’3” | 175lb | Link

https://www.instagram.com/p/BsjvyY-gstj/

RETURNING TO COLLEGE

1. John Petty | Alabama | Sophomore | G | 6’5” | 197lb | Link
2. LaMont West | West Virginia (transferring to Missouri State) | Junior | F | 6’8” | 222lb | Link

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bty1jsLgEEP/

WAITING TO HEAR FROM

1. Nickeil Alexander-Walker | Virginia Tech | Sophomore | G | 6’5” | 205lb
2. Udoka Azubuike | Kansas | Junior | C | 7’0” | 270lb
3. Geo Baker | Rutgers | Sophomore | G | 6’4” | 180lb
4. RJ Barrett | Duke | Freshman | F | 6’7” | 202lb
5. Charles Bassey | Western Kentucky | Freshman | F | 6’11” | 245lb
6. Darius Bazley | 1 year removed from high school | F | 6’9” | 200lb
7. Marques Bolden | Duke | Junior | C | 6’11” | 250lb
8. Brian Bowen | Sydney Kings (Australia) | F | 6’7” | 190lb
9. Ignas Brazdeikis | Michigan | Freshman | F | 6’7” | 215lb
10. Jordan Brown | Nevada | Freshman | F | 6’11” | 210lb
11. Moses Brown | UCLA | Freshman | C | 7’1” | 245lb
12. Taeshon Cherry | Arizona State | Freshman | F | 6’8” | 210lb
13. Brandon Clarke | Gonzaga | RS Junior | F | 6’8” | 215lb
14. Tyler Cook | Iowa | Junior | F | 6’9” | 250lb
15. Jarrett Culver | Texas Tech | Sophomore | G | 6’6” | 195lb
16. Silvio De Sousa | Kansas | Sophomore | F | 6’9” | 245lb
17. Luguentz Dort | Arizona State | Freshman | G | 6’4” | 215lb
18. Ayo Dosunmu | Illinois | Freshman | G | 6’5” | 185lb
19. Devon Dotson | Kansas | Freshman | G | 6’2” | 185lb
20. Carsen Edwards | Purdue | Junior | G | 6’1” | 200lb
21. Bruno Fernando | Maryland | Sophomore | F | 6’10” | 240lb
22. Quade Green | Kentucky | Freshman | G | 6’1” | 170lb
23. Quentin Grimes | Kansas | Freshman | G | 6’5” | 210lb
24. Kyle Guy | Virginia | Junior | G | 6’2” | 175lb
25. Rui Hachimura | Gonzaga | Junior | F | 6’8” | 230lb
26. Ashton Hagans | Kentucky | Freshman | G | 6’3” | 192lb
27. Jaxson Hayes | Texas | Freshman | F | 6’11” | 220lb
28. Tyler Herro | Kentucky | Freshman | G | 6’5” | 195lb
29. Jaylen Hoard | Wake Forest | Freshman | F | 6’8” | 215lb
30. Daulton Hommes | Point Loma (D2) | Junior | G | 6’8” | 215lb
31. Markus Howard | Marquette | Junior | G | 5’11” | 175lb
32. De’Andre Hunter | Virginia | RS Sophomore | G | 6’7” | 225lb
33. Ty Jerome | Virginia | Junior | G | 6’5” | 195lb
34. Keldon Johnson | Kentucky | Freshman | G | 6’6” | 211lb
35. Herbert Jones | Alabama | Sophomore | G | 6’7” | 206lb
36. Tre Jones | Duke | Freshman | G | 6’2” | 183lb
37. Braxton Key | Virginia | Junior | G | 6’8” | 225lb
38. Louis King | Oregon | Freshman | F | 6’9” | 205lb
39. VJ King | Louisville | Junior | G/F | 6’6” | 215lb
40. Joshua Langford | Michigan State | Junior | G | 6’5” | 210lb
41. Dedric Lawson | Kansas | RS Junior | F | 6’9” | 235lb
42. Jalen Lecque | High School (5^th Year Senior) | G | 6’4” | 190lb
43. Kalob Ledoux | Louisiana Tech | Junior | G | 6’3” | 190lb
44. EJ Montgomery | Kentucky | Freshman | F | 6’10” | 225lb
45. Zach Norvell, Jr. | Gonzaga | RS Sophomore | G | 6’5” | 205lb
46. Chuma Okeke | Auburn | Sophomore | F | 6’8” | 230lb
47. KZ Okpala | Stanford | Sophomore | F | 6’9” | 215lb
48. Lamar Peters | Mississippi State | Junior | G | 6’0” | 185lb
49. Jordan Poole | Michigan | Sophomore | G | 6’5” | 195lb
50. Kevin Porter, Jr. | USC | Freshman | G | 6’6” | 218lb
51. Payton Pritchard Oregon | Junior | G | 6’2” | 195lb
52. Danjel Purifoy | Auburn | Junior | F | 6’7” | 230lb
53. Neemias Queta | Utah State | Freshman | C | 6’11” | 240lb
54. Cam Reddish | Duke | Freshman | F | 6’8” | 218lb
55. Paul Reed | DePaul | Sophomore | F | 6’9” | 210lb
56. AJ Reeves | Providence | Freshman | G | 6’6” | 210lb
57. Nick Richards | Kentucky | Sophomore | F | 6’11” | 244lb
58. Isaiah Roby | Nebraska | Junior | F | 6’8” | 230lb
59. Javonte Smart | LSU | Freshman | G | 6’4” | 200lb
60. Jalen Smith | Maryland | Freshman | F | 6’10” | 215lb
61. Xavier Sneed | Kansas State | Junior | F | 6’5” | 220lb
62. Killian Tillie | Gonzaga | Junior | F | 6’10” | 220lb
63. Nick Ward | Michigan State | Junior | F | 6’9” | 245lb
64. PJ Washington | Kentucky | Sophomore | F | 6’8” | 228lb
65. Nick Weatherspoon | Mississippi State | Sophomore | G | 6’2” | 195lb
66. Austin Wiley | Auburn | Junior | C | 6’11” | 260lb
67. Grant Williams | Tennessee | Junior | F | 6’7” | 236lb
68. Zion Williamson | Duke | Freshman | F | 6’7” | 285lb
69. Cassius Winston | Michigan State | G | 6’1” | 185lb
70. Kenny Wooten | Oregon | Sophomore | F | 6’9” | 235lb
71. Omer Yurtseven | Georgetown | Junior | C | 7’0” | 275lb

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Remember to check back regularly as this article will be updated with each player announcement.

If you have updated information, please contact Isaac Schade (@isaacschade | isaacschade@gmail.com).

Quick Hitters – UNC @ Duke

Quick Hitters from North Carolina’s 88-72 road win over Duke on Wednesday night.

Highlights:

• How absolutely sublime that in a year when all anyone can talk about is Duke’s freshmen, it was Carolina’s senior leadership that won this game. Luke Maye finished with 30 points (his first 20-point game against Duke), 15 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two turnovers. Cameron Johnson had 26 points, seven rebounds, four assists, one steal and zero turnovers. And while Kenny Williams didn’t have the scoring numbers, he drew three charges, had five rebounds, four assists, one steal and zero turnovers. Maye has scored 20+ in four of the last six games, while Johnson has 27 and 26 points in the last two.

• While the seniors had really strong games, the freshmen unfortunately struggled. Coby White finished with six turnovers and nine points, but on 3-for-14 shooting. He did corral five rebounds, dish out three assists and have two blocks. Nassir Little was essentially a non-factor and Leaky Black is still in street clothes.
• With the freshmen struggling, it was up to the juniors and sophomores to help out. With White struggling, Seventh Woods provided 12 strong minutes. He scored five points, drew a charge, passed out three assists and had two steals. One of those steals led to the vicious Garrison Brooks dunk right before halftime. Speaking of Brooks, he was the other unexpected scoring contributor – 14 points on 6-for-7 shooting to go along with eight rebounds and two steals.

• The aforementioned Brooks dunk right before halftime was part of the most important sequence of the game. With 1:30 remaining before halftime, Duke cut the Carolina lead to five. Over the next 90 seconds, the Heels went on a 5-0 run to rebuild a double-digit lead. On two occasions early in the second half, Duke cut the lead back to nine, but the Heels led by double-digits for the remaining 18 minutes of the game. A week after Duke’s impressive comeback against Louisville, Carolina knew they had to keep playing. Every time Duke made a push, the Heels responded right back.
• If you told me before the game that Carolina was going to shoot 2-for-20 from three and that Coby White was going to shoot 3-for-14 and have six turnovers, I would have thought there was no way Carolina wins. This team has been so dependent upon the outside shot this year.
• Carolina wasn’t the only team to struggle from deep. The two teams combined to shoot 3-for-34 from three in the first half. Duke wound up shooting 8-for-39 for the game.
• Part of the reason Carolina was able to overcome those shooting woes was their points in the paint. The Heels scored 30 of their first 32 points in the paint (12 of which were second chance buckets). Duke allows 30.0 points in the paint per game this season. Carolina more than doubled that number, finishing with a whopping 62.
• And part of the reason Carolina was able to get those inside points was a knee injury to Zion Williamson less than a minute into the game. It’s unfortunate for the young man, who is a transcendent athlete. Hopefully he’ll be okay. It was obvious (with apologies to Tre Jones) that Williamson is the one who sets the defensive tone for Duke. Without him, the Blue Devils are extremely vulnerable defensively; particularly in the paint. The Williamson-less Blue Devils we saw tonight reminded me more of last year’s poor defensive team than the unit I’ve seen this year in Durham.

• An important factor in Williamson’s absence was the freedom it allowed Luke Maye. Maye, who would have had a much more difficult time navigating Williamson’s defense, quickly scored six points against the replacement (Jack White) and was then off and running to a 30-point game.
• Duke fans will say the injury cost Duke the game (and it certainly had a great impact), but the same could be said for Carolina’s game against Virginia last week. A game in which Carolina came much closer to winning than Duke did tonight. Even without Zion, Duke still has three of the top 10 freshmen (and two of the presumptive top-five NBA Draft picks) in the country. Plus, the game was played at Cameron (a.k.a. Hansbrough) Indoor Stadium.
• It’s so vitally important to get off to a good start on the road (see Carolina’s 18-0 opening against Wake on Saturday). The Tar Heels jumped on top early, never trailed and built a double-digit lead seven-and-a-half minutes into the game.
• 160 total points were scored in the game. Only 44 of those points (27.5 percent) were scored by someone not named Luke Maye, Cam Johnson, RJ Barrett or Cam Reddish.
• Carolina is now 7-0 in the ACC in road games. The remaining two are at Clemson and at Boston College. Only one team has ever gone 9-0 on the road in ACC play – Virginia in 2017-18.
• This was the 11^th time in the Roy Williams / Mike Krzyzewski era that Carolina and Duke have met as top-10 opponents. After tonight’s win, Carolina now holds a 6-5 advantage in those games.

Our Locker Room >>>>>>#CarolinaSZN #BeatDuke pic.twitter.com/S9I2fteYTz

— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) February 21, 2019

• With the win (and given the tiebreaker over NC State), Carolina is now guaranteed no worse than the seventh seed in the ACC Tournament, including a first round bye.
• The Heels are tied for first in the ACC with Virginia and Duke. Carolina’s next two games are against Florida State and Syracuse, the teams tied for fourth (and two games back in the loss column). The results of those two games will go a long way to determining who winds up with the top four seeds in the ACC Tournament (which comes with a first and second round bye). Carolina has the scheduling advantage of playing both these games in the Dean Dome.
• Carolina now has victories over two of the four current projected number one seeds (Duke and Gonzaga) and came a few plays away from a third (Virginia). Duke has two wins over Virginia, but, outside of that, the Tar Heels arguably own the best pair of wins in the country.
• Something to keep your eye on: Cam Johnson can’t seem to catch a break on the nagging injury front. This was the third game he’s missed part of because of an injury. Tonight he hurt his left ankle when stepping on a photographer four minutes into the second half. He came back in a couple minutes later and promptly hit a mid-range shot and later drew a charge. However, he appeared to re-tweak the ankle in the last minute of the game. Hopefully Cam will be okay for the quick turnaround against Florida State on Saturday.
• Many celebrities were on hand for the game. Most notably was President Obama. Others included Spike Lee, Todd Gurley, Greg Olsen and Ken Griffey Jr.

Obama is probably the real reason Duke-UNC tickets were selling for 2k pic.twitter.com/oFVBtyRa6b

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 21, 2019

 

Roy Williams postgame press conference:

Remember to check in for Quick Hitters after every North Carolina basketball game. Next up is a home game against Florida State on Saturday, February 23. Tip is at 3:45ET on CBS.

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