Art Chansky’s Sports Notebook is presented by The Casual Pint. YOUR place for delicious pub food paired with local beer. Choose among 35 rotating taps and 200+ beers in the cooler.
Big-time scorer, double-double point guard and a presence in the paint. So what else is new?
Well, quite a bit. What used to be a secret scrimmage with no spectators turned into a raucous nationally televised doubleheader.
Carolina and Memphis were the prelim to the top-ranked South Carolina and Memphis women in the nightcap at the FedExForum, site of one of the Tar Heels greatest buzzer-beaters (can you say Luuuuke Maye).
It was an exhibition that doesn’t count in the won-lost record, but it will be a game people talk about for a long time.
Without their super senior All-American, returning and preseason ACC Player of the Year, R.J. Davis, the Tar Heels put on a pretty good show in a sloppy but athletic 84-76 win over the Tigers who have seven transfers including the leading freshman scorer in the country last season.
Junior Seth Trimble, who has improved steadily ever since he arrived, left and returned to Carolina, took over the shooting guard spot for the injured Davis and played perhaps his career game. The one-time defensive specialist scored 33 points and missed only eight shots of the 25 he took, including three-pointers and free throws.
Sophomore Elliot Cadeau began with a double-double of 11 points and 12 assists and a bunch of UNC’s 13 steals. He triggered Carolina taking control of the game early in the second half with a drive to the hole, a 3-pointer and an assist to Trimble that turned a three-point halftime deficit into a seven-point lead that Carolina never lost.
As for that presence in the paint, junior Jalen Washington looks like he has finally arrived after a season of rehab and a season as a reserve. Showing off for Armando Bacot, now a member of the NBA Memphis Grizzlies who was at the game, J-Wash made six of seven from the floor, three of five from the foul line and both 3-point attempts with smooth and soft jumpers beyond the arc.
He had six points in the run that broke open the game midway through the second half as Carolina held on for the victory while Memphis sophomore PJ Haggerty recorded 24 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists. Haggerty, a 6-3 guard, led all major college freshmen in scoring last year at Tulsa after transferring there from TCU.
UNC transfers, new and old, combined for 21 of the team’s 40 rebounds. Jae’Lyn Withers and Cade Tyson started and shot 5-of-17 and 1-of-8 from outside but were big on the boards. Ven-Allen Lubin had 6 points and 4 rebounds in limited minutes.
Deferring to their upperclassmen, touted freshmen Ian Jackson and Drake Powell broke into major college basketball by combining for four points and five rebounds in sub roles.
“It was nothing like it looked last year,” said Hubert Davis, referring mostly to Trimble. “I am proud of them all and without RJ” — who is out with a sore back but should be back soon.
Featured image via UNC Athletics Communications/Maggie Hobson.
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 contributed to 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” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
Comments on Chapelboro are moderated according to our Community Guidelines