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It was just an exhibition game. It was just an exhibition game. It was just an exhibition game.
But if it’s any consolation, Hubert Davis had the exact same reaction to watching Carolina’s extremely encouraging display during Friday night’s 117-53 win over Saint Augustine’s.
“Even in the huddle during the game, I was telling the team that I liked what I was seeing,” the Tar Heel head coach said on the Tar Heel Sports Network after the game. “It wasn’t just being successful in this game.”
That’s the key. Carolina should be better than the Falcons. No offense to Chucky Brown’s squad, but we suspected that before the game started.
It was nice to see RJ Davis’ red-hot start (17 points in the first 5:45) and another Armando Bacot double-double (13 points and 10 rebounds). But we’ve seen that before.
It was even more encouraging to see the way Carolina shared the ball, handing out 22 assists. And even when it didn’t end in an officially credited assist, there were multiple examples of a Tar Heel giving up a good shot to create a great shot for a teammate.
Bacot fed Harrison Ingram from the free throw line on a good look in the first half. Davis found Paxson Wojcik open in the corner through traffic for an open three-pointer a couple of minutes later. Ingram found Zayden High around a couple of defenders. Elliot Cadeau led Jalen Washington on a second half pass that was perfectly thrown to a spot that would take Washington to the rim and unguardable by his defender.
Again: these are the passes that did not lead directly to a basket. Carolina looked more like a veteran team than you might expect for a squad that is breaking in two freshmen and five transfers (Jae’Lyn Withers sat out with an upper body injury). They looked like a group that has played together for more than just a couple months.
Probably because they are.
“When I was at Carolina, you rarely saw Coach Smith until October 15,” Hubert Davis said. “That’s not the case anymore. We have practices, we have individual workouts, we spend time together all summer and all fall. The relationships we have on the court and, more importantly, off the court, have been built and have grown. That plays a factor in our team’s success.”
Also playing a factor: the new additions. They are uniformly savvy. Wojcik threw himself across the court to attempt to secure a loose ball (in a blowout). James Okonkwo rejected a shot with extreme prejudice. Cormac Ryan sat out the second half as a precautionary measure but has been one of the most intense Tar Heels during preseason. You didn’t get to see Withers on Friday, but you’re going to love the versatile, athletic element he adds on both offense and defense.
And Ingram, well, you need no greater endorsement than this: new member of the coaching staff Marcus Paige has been telling anyone who will listen how much he loves the way Ingram plays.
You saw why on Friday night, when Ingram grabbed nine rebounds to go with his 16 points and also had three blocks. He will be a better offensive rebounder than he showed against the Falcons, as he has been one of the peskiest Tar Heels in that department during the preseason. When he checked the postgame box score, he didn’t even notice his scoring.
“I don’t even look at points,” Ingram said. “I look at rebounds, blocks, assists and steals. I try to impact the game other ways than scoring. To get to the next level, you’re going to play with other good players. So when your shot isn’t falling, how can you help the team and stay on the floor?”
That was an encouraging development from Friday night: there are multiple Tar Heels who showed ways they can stay on the floor. And they made it fun to watch. The ball moved. The open man was located.
You are entitled to your skepticism. You are allowed to remind everyone that the Tar Heels had 23 assists in the exhibition game last year and won by 61 points and nine players saw double digit minutes in that game even without RJ Davis or Puff Johnson available.
Those are all facts. But this just, well, it just looked different. There isn’t one overriding statistic that tells the story of the game. Watching inside the Smith Center, it just felt like Carolina basketball.
“What we did in this game translates,” Hubert Davis said. “Defensively, we were really good finishing the possession, getting the rebound and running. We were making the extra pass. We were passing up good shots to get great shots, and that unselfishness is fun to watch.”
2023-10-28 04:02:09
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