By R.L. Bynum
CHARLOTTE — Despite the program’s best efforts, North Carolina couldn’t lure any of the top centers in the transfer portal and must find a way to replace the numbers Armando Bacot and Harrison Ingram put up last season.
The duo, now NBA rookies, combined to average 24 points and 19.1 rebounds per game, and it will undoubtedly take several players to fill that void.
The focus will be on the big men, but 6–3 junior guard Seth Trimble says the onus will be on everybody, including 6–0 fifth-year guard RJ Davis, 6–1 sophomore guard Elliot Cadeau and 6–6 freshman wing Drake Powell.
“Everybody’s touching the paint more,” Trimble said Thursday at ACC Tipoff. “I’m touching the paint more. RJ is, Elliot, Drake, the bigs are. Everybody’s touching the paint more. I think, as a team, we’re making up for it. But rebounding, we’re going to be missing them. It’s been missed this summer, so we have to make sure that everybody’s giving their full effort, 100% effort, to crash the glass on the offensive and defensive end.”
RJ Davis said it would be important for everybody on the team to contribute under the boards to help Carolina hold its own there.
“I think it’s going to be a collective, team effort from everybody — from the guards to the bigs,” RJ Davis said of finding a way to compensate for the loss of the production from Bacot and Ingram. “It allows other guys to step up. It allows other guys to show their full potential. But it’s going to be a full team effort to box out and to get those rebounds so we go have fun on the offensive end.”
Coach Hubert Davis reiterated that UNC has to be a great defensive and rebounding team to succeed and that other players must fill the step up.
Junior 6–10 center Jalen Washington figures to start in Bacot’s spot, but to fill the rebounding void, the Tar Heels are going to need production from 6–9 graduate Jae’Lyn Withers, 6–8 junior Vanderbilt transfer Ven-Allen Lubin, 6–7 graduate Georgia Tech transfer Ty Claude.
“I’m really excited about this group, the versatility, the depth, the athleticism that allow us and put us in a position to continue to be good in terms of rebounding the basketball,” Coach Davis said.
RJ Davis has also been impressed by the presence of Washington and Withers, as well as Lubin, on both ends of the floor.
“Obviously, having Mondo last year on defense as the anchor,” RJ Davis said. “And I think J-Wash and J-Wit and Ven have really taken a big step in terms of using their voice, being a presence under the rim, on both ends of the floor. I’ve been really impressed by their play thus far.”
Trimble said that Withers has stood out the most for him.
“I’ve been impressed with J-Wit the most,” Trimble said. “J-Wit hasn’t really had a bad day this summer. He’s really done everything right this summer. He’ll go up, but he’ll never go down. He’s been complete this summer. It’s been fun to watch.”
Coach Davis believes that the frontcourt pieces will work to give him the production he needs, but he’s unsure how he will allocate the minutes.
“I don’t know,” Davis said. “You can see many different lineups. I think with the group that we have — we could go big, we could go small, and those are things that we’ll look at continue to develop and use throughout the entire season.”
Coach Davis said that he’s seen plenty of growth and leadership since last season from Washington and Withers with their ability to defend, rebound, finish around the basket, run the floor and attack the basket.
“One of the things that’s been really huge for us is dominating points in the paint and being able to score from the free throw line,” Coach Davis said. “So, living in the paint, living at the free-throw line, those are two guys in two different ways, who can put max pressure on the rim, and that’s something that we need from them this year.”
One newcomer who could see time at the four spot in a smaller lineup is 6–7 Belmont transfer Cade Tyson, known for his excellent 3-point shooting (44.6% last season), but Davis says he brings so much more than that.
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“He’s a basketball player, and I know that sounds generic, but it’s the highest of compliments to call him that,” Coach Davis said. “With his size, he can rebound on both ends, he can handle the ball, he can facilitate, he can defend. So, it allows us to move him around a number of different spots to be able to utilize his ability to be able to score, and I think that’s going to be impactful for us.”
Trimble said he expects Tyson and 6–6 freshman wing Drake Powell to play some at the four spot.
“You never know, maybe I can play the four,” Trimble said.
It will undoubtedly be a fluid frontcourt lineup as the season progresses as Coach Davis balances the desire to play fast with the ability to rebound.
Roster assuming all players with eligibility other than Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar and the seven players who entered the transfer portal return, which would put UNC one under the 15-player limit. The class for next season is listed.
| No./ Stars | Class | Player | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 star | Freshman | Maximo Adams | SF | 6–7 | 205 |
| 3 star | Freshman | Malloy Smith | CG | 6–5 | 190 |
| 5 star | Freshman | Sayon Keita | C | 7–0 | 215 |
| 4 star | Freshman | Kevin Thomas | W | 6–7 | 190 |
| Freshman | Alexandros Samodurov | C | 6–11 | 212 | |
| RS freshman | Cade Bennerman — W | C | 7–0 | 205 | |
| Sophomore | Neoklis Avdalas — X | G | 6–9 | 215 | |
| Sophomore | Isaiah Denis | G | 6–4 | 180 | |
| Sophomore | Matt Able — Y | G | 6–5 | 196 | |
| 1 | Senior | Terrence Brown — Z | G | 6–3 | 174 |
| 4 | Senior | Jaydon Young | G | 6–4 | 200 |
| 15 | Senior | Jarin Stevenson | 4 | 6–10 | 215 |
| Walk-ons | |||||
| 25 | Junior | John Holbrook | 4 | 6–8 | 230 |
| 32 | Senior | Evan Smith | 2 | 6–1 | 195 |
W — Northwestern transfer. X — Virginia Tech transfer; Y — N.C. State transfer; Z — Utah transfer
Michael Malone’s coaching staff: Chuck Martin, Bryan Tibaldi, Sean May and Pat Sullivan; Deon Thompson will be a graduate assistant, and Brandon Robinson will reportedly have a support staff position.
Players who left for the transfer portal
| Player | Class next season | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt | Next school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luka Bogavac | Senior | W | 6–6 | 215 | Oklahoma State |
| James Brown | Senior | C | 6–10 | 240 | Howard |
| Derek Dixon | Sophomore | G | 6–5 | 200 | Arizona |
| Kyan Evans | Senior | G | 6–2 | 175 | Minnesota |
| Zayden High | Junior | C | 6–10 | 230 | South Florida |
| Jonathan Powell | Junior | G | 6–6 | 190 | Pittsburgh |
| Ivan Matlekovic | Junior | C | 7–0 | 255 |
Schedule so far
(Other than the ACC/SEC Challenge, games without links revealed from reporting by Alex Rosinski or Rocco Miller)
(11 of 14 games)
Oct. 18 — exhibition game vs. Indiana at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis
Nov. 2 — vs. Western Carolina
Nov. 6 — vs. Wofford
Nov. 10 — vs. Wyoming
Nov. 13 — vs. Georgia
Nov. 20 — vs. Marshall
Nov. 27 — vs. West Virginia at the Dick Vitale Invitational at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center
Dec. 1 — vs. Arkansas in ACC/SEC Challenge
Dec. 6 — vs. Butler
Dec. 12 — at Georgetown
Dec. 19 — vs. Kentucky in CBS Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden, 2:30 p.m.
Dec. 21 — vs. The Citadel
ACC games
Home and away: Duke, Louisville
Home only: California, Georgia Tech, Miami, N.C. State, SMU, Stanford, Virginia
Away only: Boston College, Florida State, Notre Dame, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
Photo by Nell Redmond/theACC.com
