The Tar Heels return to the hardwood this afternoon, for their final preseason exhibition matchup, as they’ll host Johnson C. Smith in the Smith Center later today. This will be Carolina’s second preseason exhibition after they beat Memphis in a charity exhibition almost two weeks ago. Like UNC did so many times under Roy Williams, Carolina is hosting a small in-state school, to help them out financially.
Usually, this is the first time that the team will have played in front of a crowd, but with Carolina having already played on the road at Memphis, expectations are a little different this time around. With the regular season just over a week away and a date with #1 Kansas looming, you want to see Carolina build off the things they did well against Memphis, and clean up some other areas like turnovers and missed free throws. Here’s what to watch four later this afternoon against Johnson C. Smith:
Should RJ Davis Play?: The Tar Heels opted not to play RJ in the charity exhibition against Memphis, after the preseason ACC Player of the Year, suffered a back contusion in the Blue/White game. The program confirmed that had it been a regular season game, Davis would’ve been able to play, and they held him out for precautionary reasons. Obviously Carolina doesn’t need to play him today to win the game, but with the regular season around the corner, Hubert Davis may want to get his best player some action with his new teammates and tinker with some different lineups. Also, we know the connection that RJ has with the fan base, and today will be the only time some fans are in the arena to watch the team play, RJ may want to play so that they can see him on the floor at the Smith Center.
Continued Progression: That’s the theme for both Seth Trimble and Elliot Cadeau. Let’s start with Trimble, who scored 19 points in the Blue/White game, and then exploded for 33 against Memphis, taking full advantage of the absence of RJ Davis. After entering the portal earlier this off-season, Trimble has had the type of summer he needed to have, to help elevate Carolina’s backcourt to arguably the best in the sport. He’s been the best perimeter defended since he arrived on campus, but has taken his game to another level offensively. Suppose Trimble continues to show the type of growth on the offensive end of the floor, with or without RJ Davis playing today. In that case, Hubert Davis will have to strongly consider starting him, when the regular season gets underway. Something I don’t think we thought was possible when he decided to come back to UNC. As for Cadeau, who recorded a double-double against Memphis, he needs to be aggressive today, putting pressure on the rim, and drawing double teams, while living in the painted area. He’ll be the fastest player on the court by far this afternoon and needs to show the confidence to attack the basket and create offense for himself, and his teammates.
Getting Comfortable: Cade Tyson eventually settled into the game against Memphis, but you could tell he was overwhelmed at first, by their size, and their physicality. As for the two McDonald’s All-Americans, Drake Powell showed the defensive versatility that’ll make him valuable, while Ian Jackson was 0-4 from the field, with all of his attempts coming from behind the arc. All three of these players are highly important to the success of the team this season, and today is a great chance for them to build some confidence in themselves before the regular season gets underway. You’d like to see Tyson’s ability to shoot the ball from the outside on display, in addition to Ian Jackson finding other ways to score, other than just from the perimeter, and Drake Powell doing all the little things, that make him the player that he is.
The Frontcourt: Carolina’s frontcourt was inconsistent against Memphis, getting pushed around on the board for the first 10 minutes of the game, before settling in. Jalen Washington looked the part offensively but was taken advantage of defensively. Ven-Allen Lubin failed to record an offensive rebound, and James Brown showed you why he’s going to need at least a year to develop. We learned on Friday that the program is attempting to get Tyzhaun Claude eligible to play after he transferred in from Georgia Tech, so he won’t be available today. With that in mind, there’s not a single reason why Carolina shouldn’t dominate points in the paint, the rebounding margin, and protect the rim. This is a game where we should see the best this frontcourt has to offer and provide more clarity in terms of minutes and expectations.
TV Info: Today’s exhibition will start at 2 PM, and will be televised on ACC Network Extra Plus or ESPN+
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