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How will Hubert Davis use his bench this coming season?

Davis says he never looks at social media, so he is not aware of what alumni and fans he doesn’t know personally are saying publicly about his program. He probably has figured out that the burning question about the 2023-24 Tar Heels is their bench, depth, rotation – call it whatever you want.

Obviously, Davis knows he did not play his bench very much his first two seasons as head coach. In fact, a roster that was supposed to be deeper in raw talent actually saw fewer minutes than the bench behind the Iron 5 two years ago. He now has a new cast to figure out who plays and how much.

“My philosophy is the same,” he said at Friday’s media day. “If you prepare and practice and play well, you’ll play. That’s always been my philosophy. I don’t have a philosophy of having a five-man rotation or do I only want to play eight guys. If you prepare, you practice and play well, you’ll play.”

The top five last season played between 30 and 36 minutes, the top sixth man averaged 16 minutes, Nos. 7 and 8 played about 10. The rest of the scholarship roster averaged about 6 minutes per game. As we know, seven of those players transferred and two used up their eligibility.

With open arms, Davis welcomes five transfers with 17 seasons of college experience. Plus, two freshmen, guard Elliot Cadeau who is expected to start, and 6-9 Zayden High, who has impressed leader Armando Bacot so far.

Besides grad senior Bacot, true senior R.J. Davis and Cadeau, the other two players with reportedly the best chance to start are sixth-year 6-5 grad transfer Cormac Ryan and 6-7 junior transfer Harrison Ingram, based on early practices.

Then there are the two other returners, 6-10 Jalen Washington and 6-3 Seth Trimble, who have been working on their conditioning and shooting, respectively, since last season ended in disappointment.

So if that is your eight-man rotation, what about grad transfers 6-5 Paxson Wojcik and 6-9 Jae’Lyn Withers and 6-8 junior transfer James Okonkwo?

Davis said, “I want to play faster, whether it’s a make or miss, I want us to go. Number one, there needs to be a commitment to play this way. And two, you gotta be in shape. And I feel like we’ve checked both of those boxes.”

Those two changes would seem necessary, especially by turning up the running game and forcing turnovers that lead to easier baskets and better looks for a program that was 13 of 15 in the ACC in field goal percentage, and dead last in 3-point percentage. Who will do that remains the question heading into Year 3.

 

Featured image via Todd Melet

Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has written and worked for WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” column runs weekly on Chapelboro.

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