The Tar Heels concluded their preseason action ahead of the 2024-25 regu;lar season in dominant fashion, routing Division II, Johnson C. Smith, 127-63 in the Smith Center, with the help of seven players scoring in double figures. Freshman Ian Jackson led the way with 21 points off the bench, showing the type of offensive talent, that might elevate the Tar Heels to national title status come the month of March. Carolina shot 63% from the field, scored 26 points in the paint, and totaled 72 points in the paint, to help rout the overmatched opponent.
It was a 25-23 game early in the first half, before Carolina turned up the intensity on the defensive end, and got their offense out in the open floor. Jackson led the way, but it was an all-around balanced attack for UNC, RJ David made his return to the lineup after missing the Memphis exhibition, and scored 15 points, on 4-9 shooting. Seth Trimble continued his dominant preseason, adding 15 points, on 6-7 shooting. To round out the starting lineup, Elliot Cadeau (12), Cade Tyson (10), and Jalen Washington (12), all reached double figures. With the margin so lopsided, Hubert Davis was able to use his bench extensively throughout the game, and they rewarded him with 63 points, led by Ian Jackson’s 21 points, and a double-double from Ven-Allen Lubin.
Given the level of competition, the score would suggest that Carolina didn’t learn a lot about itself today, but that is not the case. With the regular season just over a week away, Davis was able to tinker with different lineups, all while coaching his team to a standard, even with the game all but decided in the first half. Here’s what to take away from a fun Sunday afternoon in the Smith Center:
3 Guard Lineup in PLace to Start: Hubert Davis started 3 guards today, in RJ Davis, Elliot Cadeau, and Seth Trimble, paving the way for that to be the starting lineup in the season opener next Monday. After the way Trimble played against Memphis in the exhibition, and his dominance in the Blue/White game, it was trending towards this result, but it was unknown after Jae’Lyn Withers got the start against Memphis. Right now Carolina’s best lineup is the lineup that started, and it brings Hubert’s vision to life, of starting 3 guards, to have multiple ball handlers on the floor at the same. With Tirmble’s ability to get to the rim, it puts more pressure on the defense, and opens up the floor for both RJ and Cade Tyson, making Carolina quicker, and hard to guard. With this lineup, expect a lot of fireworks offensively, while also being able to pressure the ball defensively, making this as fun a lineup that Hubert Davis will have at his disposal this season.
The Freshmen Talent is Ready: After shaky performances against Memphis, you saw what Ian Jackson and Drake Powell will bring to this team this season. Jackson lived at the foul line and tried multiple soul-snatching dunks while throwing down a windmill in the open floor. His offense won’t be as consistent given that he’s a volume shooter, but when he gets to cooking, he’ll fill it up as well as any freshman since Coby White. As for Drake Powell, his all-around defensive activity was on display, contesting shots, being in the passing lanes, and being aggressive on offense. With them both being McDonald’s All-Americans the expectation should be for them both to contribute, and they have looked the part this preseason, raising the ceiling for this team.
Defense: After allowing the Golden Bulls to start 4-8 from the perimeter, and hang around until the under-12 timeout of the first half, Carolina got after it defensively, holding them to 4-15 shooting from deep for the rest of the game, as they shot 26% from the field for the entire game. UNC also forced 15 turnovers, which they turned into 26 points, picking up where they left off from the Memphis exhibition.
Transfers Turn Up: Both Ven-Allen Lubin, and Cade Tyson wanted to play better against Memphis, and both looked to rebound today, and they did. Tyson scored 10 points, knocked down a couple of triples, and looked more comfortable and confident than he did a few weeks ago. Lubin meanwhile was the more impressive of the two, recording an 18-point, 12-rebound, double-double, while splashing in a couple of three-pointers himself. With Ty Claude still needing to get eligible to play, Carolina needs to maximize the most out of Tyson and Lubin, and both look prime to contribute starting next week.
Complimentary Basketball: Carolina had the talent and the depth advantage, but they were able to win the game by the margin that they did, by doing all the little things well. Carolina was 30-37 from the foul line. Won the rebounding margin 54-26, including 41-19 on the defensive glass. They got 63 points from the bench, 72 points in the paint, and scored 34 points in transition. This time of the year is all about building habits that will translate into the regular season, and if this style of basketball carries over, the Tar Heels will be tough to beat every time on the floor.
Up Next: The next time the Tar Heels take the floor, it matters, as they’ll host Elon, on Monday, November 4th at 9 PM on the ACC Network.
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