UNC basketball is getting an oddly low-key start to the season.
Hubert Davis’ first Tar Heel team is working out in small groups, according to NCAA rules, and will begin full practices on September 28. That’s a lot earlier than the old October 15 date, and it varies among schools based on when they start playing games.
Junior Armando Bacot and sophomore R.J. Davis began a weekly round of ZOOM calls on Wednesday, and although it seemed like Carolina basketball in most ways there are some differences, particularly with the revamped roster that will employ a different style of play.
Bacot used the terms “5 out” and “4 out and 1 in,” which were never part of Roy Williams’ public coaching vocabulary.
The first means having five men on the court who can all play outside the 3-point line, creating driving lanes to the basket and capable of making jump shots. The other is a version of the “4 around 1” offense that Duke has used for much of Mike Krzyzewski’s 41 years, one player who starts a possession at the high or low post and four teammates outside who feed the big man, screen and cut off him.
Bacot said this is a product of having fifth-year grad student Brady Manek and sophomore transfer Dawson Garcia joining the front court. Manek, a 3-point marksman at Oklahoma, and Garcia from Marquette, are inside-outside players whom Davis wants to spread the floor, drive to the basket and take open shots when there.
Junior transfer forward Justin McKoy from Virginia can also score but is potentially the best defender on the team after having played two seasons for demanding fundamentalist coach Tony Bennett.
R.J. Davis said he and fellow soph Caleb Love have worked over the summer to improve their shooting and cut down on team-leading turnovers, and 2021 starters Leaky Black and Kerwin Walton, sophomore Anthony Harris and freshmen wing players D’Marco Dunn and Dontrez Styles will provide depth and backcourt options.
The Tar Heels will be picked in the top half of the ACC but will be rare unknowns until they take the court and show us what they have.
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