By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — With veteran guards and quick players throughout the lineup, Coach Hubert Davis’ fourth Carolina team will play faster and push for good shots and transition buckets.
How fast? If the offensive team fails to get the ball over halfcourt in three seconds during practice, his whistle blows, and he declares it a turnover.
Friday’s practice on Media Day started with the team doing fast-break drills back and forth, and Coach Davis yelled many times, “Our pace!” The players may have thought they were going fast, but he wanted them to go faster.
Gone is the stalwart center and leader Armando Bacot, which leaves plenty of questions inside. But with reigning All-America and ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis, guards Elliott Cadeau and Seth Trimble leading a talented backcourt, goals are as high for the Tar Heels as the tempo will be.
“It’s definitely great for me,” RJ Davis said. “I feel like it complements my play style. It just makes me a lot better. I’m a really fast player, so playing with other fast players in the fast pace will just be great for me.”
Entering his fifth season, RJ Davis said that the Tar Heels will play at the fastest tempo since he arrived in Chapel Hill.
“Get the ball out quick after a made or missed basket, and get up and down the floor,” RJ Davis said. “He’s always talking about getting the best shot available, whether it’s a layup or a wide-open three. We’ve been really intentional on doing that.”
There is a pace that Coach Davis has in mind. During practice so far, he said that the team “isn’t there yet,” suggesting that excellent conditioning will get the Tar Heels there.
“I’ve been straightforward and direct that I want to be the fastest team in the country from free-throw line to free-throw line,” said Coach Davis, who shaved off the offseason beard that he still had when practice started. “To do that, you’ve got to be in the best shape of your life, and there needs to be a full commitment in regards to how we’re going to play that way.”
If any Carolina players aren’t in “the best shape” of their lives, Davis said that they’ll watch the running game from the bench. To play, Coach Davis has to see a player sprinting back on both ends of the court.
“I think we have the personnel that can really take advantage of early offense,” Coach Davis said, pointing out his players’ speed, athleticism and versatility. “It’s a real huge emphasis for us to be in great shape so that we can play at the pace we want to play this year.”
Throwing in sharpshooting 6–7 junior Belmont transfer wing Cade Tyson (who didn’t appear to miss a jump shot during the portion of practice that the media could watch) and 6–6 likely one-and-done freshman wing Drake Powell into the mix also allows Carolina to turn up the tempo.
Trimble said that last season’s team was fast but that this season’s team is much faster.
“We’re more athletic this year,” he said. “I think we have more guys that can put it on the floor, and more guys that can get out and go without having an outlet to somebody this year. You’ll see it.”
RJ Davis said that the fast pace is also creating more open space.
“I think with the athleticism and talent we have, it allows us guards to get downhill, make a play for ourselves or our teammates,” he said. “The floor is spread out a lot, and we’re able to get downhill and just play our brand of basketball.”
Their brand is going to be fast. If Coach Davis has to yell and scream in practice every day to get there, it will be fast. And then faster.
| No. | Class | Player | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Freshman | Caleb Wilson (5 star) | 4 | 6–10 | 215 |
| 5 | Freshman | Isaiah Denis (4 star) | CG | 6–4 | 180 |
| 3 | Freshman | Derek Dixon (4 star) | CG | 6–5 | 200 |
| 40 | Sophomore | Ivan Matlekovic | 5 | 7–0 | 255 |
| 11 | Sophomore | Jonathan Powell | G | 6–6 | 190 |
| 2 | Sophomore | James Brown | 5 | 6–10 | 240 |
| 1 | Sophomore | Zayden High | 4 | 6–10 | 230 |
| 44 | Junior | Luca Bogavac (BO-guh-VAHTS) | W | 6–6 | 215 |
| 4 | Junior | Jaydon Young | 2 | 6–4 | 200 |
| 13 | RS junior | Henri Veesaar (VEH-sar) | 5 | 7–0 | 225 |
| 0 | Junior | Kyan Evans | 1 | 6–2 | 175 |
| 15 | Junior | Jarin Stevenson | 4 | 6–10 | 215 |
| 7 | Senior | Seth Trimble | 2 | 6–3 | 200 |
| Walk-ons | |||||
| 25 | Sophomore | John Holbrook | 4 | 6–8 | 230 |
| 32 | Junior | Evan Smith | 2 | 6–1 | 195 |
| 6 | RS senior | Elijah Davis | 2 | 6–3 | 205 |
Former UNC players who transferred
| Player | Class next season | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt | Next school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elliot Cadeau | Junior | PG | 6–1 | 180 | Michigan |
| Jalen Washington | Senior | C | 6–10 | 235 | Vanderbilt |
| Ian Jackson | Sophomore | G | 6–4 | 190 | St. John’s |
| Cade Tyson | Senior | F | 6–7 | 200 | Minnesota |
| Ven-Allen Lubin | Senior | C | 6–8 | 230 | N.C. State |
| Date | Month/day | Time | Opponent/event (current ranks) | TV/ record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | ||||
| 24 | Friday | L, 78–76 | vs. No. 13 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. 19 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 | 7 p.m. | vs. Notre Dame | ESPN2 |
| 24 | Saturday | 2 p.m. | at No. 14 Virginia | ESPN |
| 31 | Saturday | 2 p.m. | at Georgia Tech | ACCN |
| February | ||||
| 2 | Monday | 7 p.m. | vs. Syracuse | ESPN |
| 7 | Saturday | 6:30 | vs. No. 5 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. 23 Louisville | ESPN |
| 28 | Saturday | 6:30 or 8:30 | vs. Virginia Tech | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| March | ||||
| 3 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | vs. No. 18 Clemson | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 7 | Saturday | 6:30 | at No. 5 Duke | ESPN |
| 10–14 | Tues.-Sat. | ACC tournament | Spectrum Center, Charlotte |
Photo via @UNC_Basketball
tarheeltribune.com 