Four Corners: Offseason Training Underway

CHAPEL HILL—The 2018-19 Carolina basketball team has begun some of its offseason conditioning work at the Smith Center, working with strength and conditioning coordinator Jonas Sahratian and assistant James Ayscue to begin early preparations for next season.

The 2017-18 academic year will wrap up soon, with pending graduations next month for Joel Berry II, Kane Ma, Theo Pinson and Aaron Rohlman.

Here's some of the latest news on Tar Heel basketball you may have missed of late.

1. NEWS & NOTES
• The Tar Heels spent some time training with the Tar Heel strength & conditioning staff in the parking lot behind the Smith Center on Thursday afternoon:

On our "finally warm outside" grind. ??

Follow us on IG https://t.co/gqlyTTJxFd pic.twitter.com/BqfkWOmMAI
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) April 19, 2018

• Here's a closer view at some of that training:

Everywhere is a gym ???? #TBT

A post shared by Carolina Basketball (@unc_basketball) on Apr 19, 2018 at 11:12am PDT

• Cameron Johnson underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his hip this week and is expected to make a full recovery in time for the 2018-19 season. Here's a story from new UNC beat writer Jonathan Alexander on the impact of Johnson's injury and how the 2018-19 team is shaping up.

2. LAST WEEK
• Impressive intangibles put Joel Berry II in the running for the Sullivan Award.

• Newsday had a nice feature on Tar Heel letterman Bobby Gersten, who coached Larry Brown and remains impressively active at age 97.

• Who was the real dean of ACC Basketball?

• Berry and Theo Pinson posed at the Old Well in their cap and gowns as they prepare to graduate in a couple of weeks:

This is why I love my job...spending my days at work with young men like this...I will miss Joel's toughness/competitiveness and Theo's gift of humor!!!#coachdavisunc

A post shared by Hubert Davis (@coachdavisunc) on Apr 10, 2018 at 6:01pm PDT

3. 2018-19 SEASON TIDBITS
• Carolina released its 2018-19 non-conference schedule, a slate that includes trips to Chicago and Las Vegas, games against Gonzaga, Kentucky, the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and more:

Carolina announces its 2018-19 non-conference schedule: https://t.co/7reL2xSKy3 pic.twitter.com/3SKHSDcR1y
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) April 16, 2018

• Here's some commentary on the non-conference schedule from Chapelboro and The Herald-Sun.

• Jones Angell and Adam Lucas break down the schedule and recap the team's private awards ceremony in today's Carolina Insider podcast:

4. TAR HEELS IN THE PROS
• The NBA Playoffs are underway, with eight Tar Heels in postseason action:

Good luck to these former ???? players in the #NBAPlayoffs!#CarolinaFamily pic.twitter.com/onB0yEuOhN
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) April 14, 2018

• Ty Lawson made his NBA return with the Wizards and impressed with 14 points, eight assists and three rebounds in 31 minutes.

• Jerry Stackhouse continues to be an NBA head coaching candidate in demand. Here's how Stackhouse crafted himself into a hot candidate. The Charlotte Observer argues Stackhouse's Tar Heel ties shouldn't matter to the Hornets in the team's coaching search.

• Stackhouse's former running partner with the mid-1990s Tar Heels, Rasheed Wallace, gave a fascinating interview with ESPN's Bomani Jones recently:

ladies and gentleman, please click on this and enjoy rasheed wallace on #TheRightTime. i'm geeked. https://t.co/J6NpfML8AS
— El Flaco (@bomani_jones) April 12, 2018

• Kenny Smith, a former Tar Heel point guard and father of current UNC guard K.J. Smith, also may be an NBA head coaching candidate, reportedly set to interview with the Knicks.

Players Mentioned

Joel Berry II

Cameron Johnson

Kane Ma

Theo Pinson

Aaron Rohlman

K.J. Smith

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