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It must be a slow news day when Carolina basketball numbers are the lead story.
The bigger story, of course, is that the NCAA will now allow players to wear No. 0-99, which also includes No. 00 that Eric Montross wore. But no team can have a No. 0 AND a No. 00, good because Montross is one of a kind.
Actually, the news about numbers was buried in a bunch of altered NCAA rules, many regarding officiating. They now think refs can do better calling a block or a charge based on the defender being in a legal guarding position when the offensive player has one foot planted going airborne. Not sure how that affects flopping, which was the reason for the rule change.
But, locally, there are the most Carolina number changes from one season to another because of so many players transferring or graduating (9) and new ones coming in (7). So, let’s start at the beginning.
No. 1, which Leaky Black wore for five seasons, will now be worn by freshman Zayden High in his first. Both players are also 6-9, so the jersey should still fit. Caleb Love’s No. 2 will be worn by reclassified freshman Elliot Cadeau, who if as good as advertised may be wearing it for only one season.
The No. 3 worn by Dontrez Styles for two years will belong to sixth-year senior Cormac Ryan for one, since he is definitely done with college this spring.
R.J. Davis and Armando Bacot will retain No. 4 and 5, for their fourth and fifth seasons, but the No. 6 remains unclaimed for the first year since Bill Russell wore it at San Francisco, because the NCAA is now allowing 6-9. Jalen Washington (13) and Duwe Farris (34) retain their old numbers.
This seems like a good place to explain this way-before-March Madness. It has to do with officials having trouble signaling a foul being committed with both hands without it possibly being confused with a two-digit number. For some reason, that is why the Nos. 16-19, 26-29 and 36-39 are still off the table. Not sure about 56-59, 66-69, 76-79, 86-89 or 96-98, since No. 99 is good to go.
Back to the Tar Heels, Seth Trimble is going from “0” to “7” and is the first UNC player to wear that digit since Simon Terrell from 1948-50. Terrell was the former head of the NC High School Athletic Association, and his wife Betsy was Dean Smith’s first secretary. Fifth-year transfer Paxson Wojcik brings No. 8 out of mothballs since 1949. Of the other transfers, Jae’Lyn Withers will wear No. 24, James Okonkwo gets Pete Nance’s No. 32 and Harrison Ingram will break out the No. 55.
Returning players switching digits are Creighton Lebo from No. 25 to No. 14, worn by his father, Jeff, a UNC assistant coach, as a Tar Heel from 1985-89. Rob Landry will switch from No. 15 to No. 22, the number his dad, Pearce, wore as a Tar Heel from 1993-95. Maybe the numerical magic will wear off from their more-famous fathers.
Featured image via UNC Basketball on Twitter
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