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Carolina is building the perfect storm of a basketball team.
As the suddenly resurgent Tar Heels go after their eighth straight victory and fourth on the road Saturday at Boston College, it is apparent that Hubert Davis has put together what might be termed the ideal roster in response to last year.
Each of the top eight players has a story to tell that, together, is one of the most compelling in the country so far this season.
Armando Bacot needed more room to operate like he had as a junior in 2022 with Brady Manek stretching the defense out to the 3-point line. He has rediscovered that, and it is far more of a team effort making Mondo great again.
R.J. Davis is also benefiting from the changes to become the leader for ACC Player of the Year and first-team All-American as a combo guard who leads the Power 6 in free throw percentage and the ACC in scoring. He also has 59 assists to 27 turnovers while setting up Bacot and the new guys on the block.
Harrison Ingram and Cormac Ryan look different but they have this in common: Both started their college careers at football schools and have become household names to people tuning back into the Tar Heels. That has happened in 17 games where it didn’t in seven seasons at their old schools.
Both are swing men. Ingram starts at power forward but also moves out to the “3 spot” when Hubert goes to a big lineup in the paint. Ryan starts at that position and also plays big guard when Ingram joins him on the perimeter.
Ingram went to a prestigious prep school in Texas and Ryan hails from a basketball-crazy family from a wealthy neighborhood in Manhattan. They seem less interested in NIL money than playing hard and, most of all, winning.
Elliot Cadeau should be a senior in high school, and the 6-foot beep-beeper also has 59 assists and is not afraid to attack the basket. Cadeau was a heralded high school star but he, too, is now known by millions more fans than only recruiting enthusiasts. And he is at least a two-year college player.
Sophomore Seth Trimble has rebuilt his body and improved parts of his game that were in question as a freshman. He is taller than Elliot and R.J. and as a tenacious defender can help match up with bigger backcourts.
The Heels can also “show us their J’s” with Jae’Lyn Withers and Jalen Washington playing alongside Bacot and subbing in to give AB some rest. Withers had his first double-double in a Carolina uniform against Louisville, his old school. Washington is seeing more minutes with Withers and Bacot.
This is a team that has restored pride to a big brand and plays like it has a single mission. Just win, baby!
Featured image via Todd Melet
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