UNC’s freshmen debut trips up College of Charleston, 79-60
North Carolina’s freshmen class shook off an uneasy stretch in the second half and helped defeat College of Charleston 79-60 before a crowd limited to an smattering of family and friends Wednesday at Dean E. Smith Center.
Guards Caleb Love and R.J. Davis started in the backcourt marking the first time that happened since the 2006-07 season when Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington teamed up for the Tar Heels. The duo didn’t disappoint, as Love led the Heels with 17 points and four assists. Davis also reached double figures scoring with 11 points. They were interchangeable at both guard positions playing alongside each other, sometimes moving off the ball or playing the lead guard, depending on the lineup.
UNC coach Roy Williams used plenty of combinations, too, which could partially explain why the Heels squandered a 39-32 lead at halftime and allowed the Cougars to rally at the start of the second half. Charleston erased its deficit and took its first lead of the game 43-42 on a Dontavius King 3-pointer at the 15:20 mark.
The Heels made sure it was the Cougars’ only lead. Davis answered with a three-point play and UNC reeled off a 19-3 run over the next six minutes to put the game out of reach.
In addition to Davis and Love, the much-anticipated debut of Day’Ron Sharpe showed he lived up to his billing. Sharpe was energetic off the bench, scoring 13 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in just 22 minutes. He actually may have been a little too excited defensively as he also racked up three personal fouls before the first media timeout of the second half.
UNC senior forward Garrison Brooks only had six points but led the team with 11 rebounds.
And One
Carolina took the ball to the basket and its aggressiveness was rewarded by piling up fouls on the Cougars and getting free-throw opportunities. Love led the team with eight attempts, and Davis and Armando Bacot had six each. More importantly, the Tar Heels made 19 of their 24 attempts for 79 percent, coming off a season where they shot 68.2 percent as a team.
Lane Violation
UNC shot just 30.4 percent from 3-point range last season, when it didn’t have many weapons to choose from on the perimeter. Williams said during the Tar Heels’ practices leading up to the opener that they would be a better shooting team than last season. They shot just 4 of 18 or 22 percent against the Cougars. The Heels better hope it’s a case of first-game jitters or their frontcourt players are going to find the lane clogged while opponents dare them to shoot outside.
ICYMI
UNC freshman guard Puff Johnson played just three minutes in the game. But when he entered in the first half, he drilled his first and only shot attempt from 3-point range. The inevitable comparisons to his older brother, Cameron Johnson, are bound to follow. Cameron Johnson shot 45 percent from 3-point range in the 2018-19 season for the Heels and currently plays for the Phoenix Suns.
Making sense of the numbers
9 The amount of field-goal attempts from Andrew Platek, which was one shy of his career-high 10 last season against Clemson. To put it simply, taking that many shots is not his role. The Cougars left him open and unless he starts making them at a higher clip, future opponents will, too. Platek, who finished with five points, has to be a bit more selective on when to shoot and when to pass.
This story was originally published November 25, 2020 at 8:43 PM with the headline "UNC’s freshmen debut trips up College of Charleston, 79-60."