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CHAPEL HILL — Sometimes, it takes freshmen a while to learn the importance of playing good defense, and turning that realization into action in games takes even longer. You could check off both those boxes for freshman guard Seth Trimble before he even arrived on Carolina’s campus earlier this year, and he only turned 18 in August.
Cameron Johnson had one of those nights players dream about in the NBA — he was at the top of his game at both ends of the court. With star teammate Devin Booker struggling with his shot and in late foul trouble, Johnson led Phoenix to a 116–107 home victory Tuesday over Minnesota. The 6–8 Johnson, in his fourth NBA season but first as a starter, also took on the challenge of guarding 7–0 Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns.
There might be pressure on Hubert Davis this season with four returning starters from a Final Four team, but Jay Bilas said he doesn’t think that will faze his former ESPN colleague. During ESPN press availability on Tuesday, Bilas said that Davis should have no trouble handling the expectations of being preseason No. 1 and the favorite to win the ACC.
Like so many times last season, the Phoenix Suns rolled and Cameron Johnson kept pouring in the 3-pointers. Johnson scored 19 points, including five 3-pointers, and pulled down seven rebounds, all three season-highs, as the Suns rolled to a 124–109 home victory Sunday night over the Houston Rockets.
There was good and bad for former UNC point guards Coby White and Cole Anthony on Friday, and it was all good for Cameron Johnson. Although his Chicago Bulls (3–3) lost on Friday night, White had his best game of the season. While Cole Anthony didn’t play because of an injury, he had a good day off the court because the Orlando Magic extended his contract through the 2023–24 season. Johnson scored a season-high 16 points as the 4–1 Phoenix Suns rolled to a win.
By R.L. Bynum CHAPEL HILL — There aren’t many questions about top-ranked North Carolina, but one is how big Coach … More
Harrison Barnes nearly equaled his point total from the first three games with 20 points on Thursday night, the second-best total by a UNC alum this season, to shake out of his early-season offensive struggles. That wasn’t enough, though, to keep Sacramento Kings from falling to 0–4 as the Kings lost at home to the Memphis Grizzlies 125–110.
CHAPEL HILL — All that surprises Coach Hubert Davis about graduate transfer Pete Nance is that he’s not in the NBA already. Now that the versatile 6–11 player is at Carolina and a part of the program for one season, the second-year coach says it feels like the 22-year-old has been in Chapel Hill for four years even though it’s only been about 3½ months.
Several former UNC players have begun the season struggling with their shots, and that continued this week for Cole Anthony, Reggie Bullock and Cameron Johnson, while others simply aren’t getting off many shots. Harrison Barnes gets a chance Thursday to shake off his tough start. Anthony’s poor shooting continued as Orlando fell to an NBA-worst 0–5 with a 99–89 loss at Cleveland. He was 2 of 10 from the floor and 1 of 5 on 3-point attempts, finishing with nine points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals.
Leaky Black on Wednesday joined Caleb Love on 20-player watchlists for national awards, with Armando Bacot sure to join them later this week. Black made the watchlist for the Julius Erving Award, which goes to the nation’s top small forward.
North Carolina, already preseason No. 1 in the AP Top 25, added Tuesday the top ranking in the preseason USA Today Coaches Poll. The Tar Heels earned a lower percentage of first-place votes (71.8%) than in the AP poll (79%), 23 of 32 first-place votes, followed by No. 2 Gonzaga with five, No. 4 Kentucky with three and No. 3 Houston with 1. In the AP poll, UNC got 49 of 62 first-place votes, with No. 2 Gonzaga getting 12, No. 4 Kentucky two and No. 3 Houston 1.
If you can’t make it to the Smith Center for top-ranked Carolina’s exhibition Friday night against Johnson C. Smith, the only way to watch at home is to stream the broadcast. The television broadcast of the 7:30 game will stream on this ACC Network Extra (ESPN3) link, with Kyle Straub on the play-by-play and Marcus Ginyard as the color analyst.
Justin Jackson finally made his season debut for the Boston Celtics on Monday night and showed that he’s still got the same sweet shooting stroke. Jackson scored six points in five minutes, making both 3-point attempts as the Celtics moved to 3–1 with a 120–102 road victory over the Chicago Bulls.
The Associated Press named Carolina senior Armando Bacot to its Preseason All-America team on Monday, the first Tar Heel to earn the honor since Luke Maye before the 2018–19 season. Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe, the reigning national player of the year, and Gonzaga center Drew Timme were unanimous selections. Also on the team are Houston guard Marcus Sasser and Indiana forward Tayce Jackson-Davis.
Cameron Johnson shook off a right hip contusion to have his best game of the season Sunday night. In 23 minutes, Johnson collected 11 points, three 3-pointers, five rebounds, two assists and a steal as the Phoenix Suns (2–1) easily won on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers 112–95.
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