By R.L. Bynum
In Hubert Davis’ 2½ seasons as North Carolina’s head coach, he’s always had a couple of schools of thought about how he uses his bench.
One is that players earn minutes by practicing well and following that up with good play during the games. The other is that every player must be ready because their chance will come; Davis just can’t say when that will happen.
Those chances are happening much more often than in his first two seasons.
It appears to have everything to do with Davis trusting his reserves more this season. Unlike previous seasons, he doesn’t hesitate to sub out a regular when they have a bad stretch.
The numbers prove the difference, and RJ Davis agreed that the league-leading No. 4 Tar Heels (13–3, 5–0 ACC) are the deepest team he’s played on in his 3½ seasons in Chapel Hill.
“One hundred percent, just in terms of this season until now,” RJ Davis said. “The bench contribution and bench points we get and just the impact that each and every one comes down to the floor and plays with.”
Carolina has gone from averaging 42.7 minutes and 11.4 points from its bench last season to 58.8 minutes and 21.4 points this season.
Only three reserves averaged more than eight minutes per game last season: current Penn State players Puff Johnson (15.9 minutes per game when he didn’t start) and D’Marco Dunn (10.3), as well as Seth Trimble (9.8 when he didn’t start). Johnson (20.5 minutes per game) and Dunn (16.8) are playing more for the Nittany Lions.
This season, there are four playing more than eight minutes per game: Trimble (17.4 when he doesn’t start), Jae’Lyn Withers (12.9 when he doesn’t start), Jalen Washington (9.3), and Paxson Wojcik (8.2 when he doesn’t start).
“It’s also about the energy,” RJ Davis said. “I think this team does a great job of uplifting each other and bringing that infectious energy. The bench does a really good job of when their number calls, they’re ready.”
Against the Orange, Washington (11 points and six rebounds) and Withers (10 points and six rebounds) combined for 21 points and 12 rebounds.
“J-Wash and J-Wit really hit the offensive boards and were aggressive,” RJ Davis said. “Just to have their energy and their ways to contribute toward the game, that’s really neat for us and also for them because we see the potential; we see the talent. They’re really great players.”
Coach Davis played reserves a season-high 85 minutes in Saturday’s 103–67 home win over Syracuse, and they scored 39 points. That was second only to the 43 bench points in the 105–60 home win on Dec. 29 against Charleston Southern.
“That gives people that didn’t really get many minutes at the beginning of the year more confidence whenever they’re coming in,” said Withers, who has come off the bench in all but three consecutive games (Villanova, Arkansas and Tennessee). “[They also get] more game reps; that’s very beneficial.”
Those blowouts obviously can skew the numbers.
The lightest bench usage was 38 minutes and four points in the 87–76 loss on Dec. 5 in New York to No. 1 UConn. Somewhat like in the 2022 national championship game against Kansas, the Tar Heels looked tired in the final minutes.
“It takes the relief off our starters for sure,” Washington said. “They are able to trust us with minutes when we get in the game. Those guys get their breath, and we’re able to sustain a lead, build a lead, and they come back in, and they seal the deal for us.
For the three other games (besides UConn) against teams currently ranked in the AP poll (a 100–92 home win over No. 6 Tennessee on Nov. 29, an 87–83 loss in Atlanta to No. 8 Kentucky on Dec. 16 and an 81–69 win in Charlotte over No. 15 Oklahoma on Dec. 20), the averages of 47.3 minutes and 17.2 points from the bench are still higher than the averages for all games last season.
“With this team, everybody just wants to celebrate others’ success,” said Armando Bacot, who is averaging 28.6 minutes per game compared 35.7 last season. “And I think all year, we’ve done a good job of that.”
All of that has appeared to give this season’s team better chemistry than a year ago and is a big reason that Carolina will take a five-game win streak into this week’s games at home Wednesday at 9 p.m. (ACC Network) against Louisville (6–10, 1–4) and Saturday’s 2:15 game (The CW) at Boston College (11–6, 2–4).
So far this season, Carolina is finding there’s no substitute for talented depth.
UNC season statistics
| Team | League | Overall | NET* |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 4 Duke | 9–0 | 20–1 | 2 |
| No. 20 Clemson | 8–1 | 18–4 | 31 |
| No. 18 Virginia | 7–2 | 18–3 | 18 |
| N.C. State | 7–2 | 16–6 | 26 |
| No. 14 North Carolina | 6–3 | 18–4 | 25 |
| Miami | 6–3 | 17–5 | 39 |
| No. 24 Louisville | 5–4 | 15–6 | 17 |
| Virginia Tech | 5–5 | 16–7 | 56 |
| SMU | 4–4 | 15–6 | 34 |
| California | 4–5 | 16–6 | 51 |
| Syracuse | 4–6 | 13–10 | 78 |
| Stanford | 3–6 | 14–8 | 77 |
| Florida State | 3–6 | 10–12 | 102 |
| Boston College | 2–6 | 9–12 | 152 |
| Georgia Tech | 2–7 | 11–11 | 143 |
| Notre Dame | 2–7 | 11–11 | 85 |
| Wake Forest | 2–7 | 11–11 | 70 |
| Pittsburgh | 2–7 | 9–13 | 114 |
* — Through Saturday games
Saturday’s games
No. 14 North Carolina 91, Georgia Tech 75
No. 4 Duke 72, Virginia Tech 58
N.C. State 96, Wake Forest 78
No. 20 Clemson 63, Pittsburgh 52
No. 18 Virginia 73, Boston College 66
No. 24 Louisville 88, SMU 74
California 86, Miami 81
Florida State 88, Stanford 80
Syracuse 86, Notre Dame 72
Monday’s game
No. 14 North Carolina 87, Syracuse 77
Tuesday’s games
Boston College at No. 4 Duke, 7 p.m., ACC Network
Pittsburgh at No. 18 Virginia, 9 p.m., ACC Network
N.C. State at SMU, 9 p.m, ESPN2
Wednesday’s games
Notre Dame at No. 24 Louisville, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Georgia Tech at California, 8 p.m., ACC Network
No. 20 Clemson at Stanford, 10 p.m., ACC Network
Saturday’s games
Virginia Tech at N.C. State, noon, The CW
Syracuse at No. 18 Virginia, noon, ESPN
No. 24 Louisville at Wake Forest, noon, ACC Network
Miami at Boston College, 2 p.m., ACC Network
SMU at Pittsburgh, 2 p.m., The CW
Florida State at Notre Dame, 4 p.m., The CW
No. 4 Duke at No. 14 North Carolina, 6:30, ESPN
No. 20 Clemson at California, 8 p.m., ACC Network
Georgia Tech at Stanford, 8 p.m., ESPNU
| Date | Month/day | Time | Opponent/event (current ranks) | TV/ record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | ||||
| 24 | Friday | L, 78–76 | vs. No. 16 BYU in SLC | Exhib. |
| 29 | Wednesday | W, 95–53 | vs. Winston-Salem St. | Exhib. |
| November | ||||
| 3 | Monday | W, 94–54 | vs. Central Arkansas | 1–0 |
| 7 | Friday | W, 87–74 | vs. No. 11 Kansas | 2–0 |
| 11 | Tuesday | W, 89–74 | vs. Radford | 3–0 |
| 14 | Friday | W, 97–53 | vs. N.C. Central | 4–0 |
| 18 | Tuesday | W, 73–61 | vs. Navy | 5–0 |
| Fort Myers Tip-Off | ||||
| 25 | Tuesday | W, 85–70 | vs. St. Bonaventure | 6–0 |
| 27 | Thursday | L, 74–58 | vs. No. 10 Michigan State | 6–1 |
| December | ACC/SEC Men’s Challenge | |||
| 2 | Tuesday | W, 67–64 | at Kentucky | 7–1 |
| ————————— | ||||
| 7 | Sunday | W, 81–61 | vs. Georgetown | 8–1 |
| 13 | Saturday | W, 80–62 | vs. USC Upstate | 9–1 |
| 16 | Tuesday | W, 77–58 | vs. ETSU | 10–1 |
| CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta | ||||
| 20 | Saturday | W, 71–70 | vs. Ohio State | 11–1 |
| ————————— | ||||
| 22 | Monday | W, 99–51 | vs. East Carolina | 12–1 |
| 30 | Tuesday | W, 79–66 | vs. Florida State | 13–1, 1–0 ACC |
| January | ||||
| 3 | Saturday | L, 97–83 | at SMU | 13–2, 1–1 |
| 10 | Saturday | W, 87–84 | vs. Wake Forest | 14–2, 2–1 |
| 14 | Wednesday | L, 95–90 | at Stanford | 14–3, 2–2 |
| 17 | Saturday | L, 84–78 | at California | 14–4, 2–3 |
| 21 | Wednesday | W, 91–69 | vs. Notre Dame | 15–4, 3–3 |
| 24 | Saturday | W, 85–80 | at No. 18 Virginia | 16–4, 4–3 |
| 31 | Saturday | W, 91–75 | at Georgia Tech | 17–4, 5–3 |
| February | ||||
| 2 | Monday | W, 87–77 | vs. Syracuse | 18–4, 6–3 |
| 7 | Saturday | 6:30 | vs. No. 4 Duke | ESPN |
| 10 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | at Miami | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 14 | Saturday | 2 p.m. | vs. Pittsburgh | ESPN |
| 17 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | at N.C. State | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 21 | Saturday | 1 p.m. | at Syracuse | ABC |
| 23 | Monday | 7 p.m. | vs. No. 24 Louisville | ESPN |
| 28 | Saturday | 6:30 or 8:30 | vs. Virginia Tech | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| March | ||||
| 3 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | vs. No. 20 Clemson | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 7 | Saturday | 6:30 | at No. 4 Duke | ESPN |
| 10–14 | Tues.-Sat. | ACC tournament | Spectrum Center, Charlotte |
Photo by Smith Hardy
tarheeltribune.com 