University of North Carolina Athletics
Big Men Key To Success?
October 9, 2014 | Men's Basketball
by Emily Fedewa, GoHeels.com
CHAPEL HILL-Head coach Roy Williams believes that the key to success for the 2014-15 North Carolina basketball team lies with its big men.
Williams is calling on one, or all, of them to make the consistent offensive impact the team needs, and so far, while nothing is certain, he's happy with the way they've answered off the court and in practice.
"I think they've all put the work in to get better off the court and now they've got to see that coming into success on the court," Williams said. "Our practices right now are pretty vicious inside. That part I really like, the competition is pretty heated."
Junior forward Brice Johnson and sophomore forwards Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks all agree with Williams. They think that the heated competition for a starting spot and playing time among the forwards has not only made practices more intense, but has also made all of them better.
"It's been a great experience, we all make each other better any type of way we can," Johnson said of the battle in the post. "In the games, we know how to guard big men because we go at each other so hard, it's just second nature to us."
Although Williams said he hasn't seen anyone prove that they are the big time player inside that the team needs, Johnson, Meeks and Hicks all have momentum from last season and the off season that got them closer to being the impact player Williams is looking for.
Meeks blossomed near the end of his freshman season, going out on a high note in the NCAA tournament with 12 points and five rebounds against Providence and 15 points and a career high 13 rebounds against Iowa State.
After the season was over, Meeks lost 20 pounds to increase his impact and quickness on the court, and while he's proud of his improved physique and ready to show what he can do with it, he knows that there's still more work ahead.
"I've really been working the hardest I have ever been in my life," Meeks said of his summer weight loss. "So I'm very proud of myself, but I can't be content. I've got to do some more work."
A big focus for Meeks, who has dropped nearly 50 pounds since enrolling at UNC in June 2013, has been on being more explosive in the post, something Williams said he wants to see from his big men.
Johnson can't wait to see a more explosive Meeks this season, especially when it comes to dunking the ball - something Meeks didn't do a lot of in his first season.
"(Meeks) and Marcus (Paige) had the same amount of dunks in a season (last year), so I'm really looking forward to him dunking the ball a lot more this year," Johnson said.
Like Meeks, Johnson is also looking to improve on his first two seasons and show that he can be the impact player the Tar Heels need down low.
He spent his sophomore campaign leading Carolina in rebounds as a spark off the bench, but now has the opportunity to earn a starting spot with the departure of James Michael McAdoo. To do that and be more of a scoring threat - something UNC needs to compliment junior guard Marcus Paige - Johnson gained weight and is focusing on his energy.
"(Gaining weight) was the biggest (focus)...it should help a lot more because nobody will be able to move me as much as last year," Johnson said. "The other (focus) was being able to play with a high energy level consistently, not sometimes or half the time."
Hicks also hopes he can increase his impact on the offensive end of the court and provide UNC with a reliable scoring option at forward.
For most of his freshman season, he played at the 3 - a position he wasn't used to, and it showed. But now that he's back in his natural power forward position, he feels more confident and is already showing his ability to help the Tar Heels this season.
He was the leading scorer in both of the team's exhibition games in the Bahamas this summer, and Williams thinks that confidence will help Hicks show what he's capable of more often.
"(Hicks) has more ability than he's comfortable showing, I've got to get him to understand you're pretty doggone good, step out there and be more aggressive," Williams said. "That's one thing with Isaiah, he just hasn't shown yet that he can do it, but he can."
While all three big men have made changes and appear to be ready to take on bigger roles, Williams doesn't think any of them have separated from the group as the go-to weapon down low just yet.
It's still early. But as the start of the season gets closer, one or more of the big men will need to come forward and answer Williams' call to step up and be the difference inside to make UNC's system work.
"It's got to start with inside attack," Paige said. "You've got to have somebody inside that can make the defense collapse and at least make them honor the inside game so that everything else can open up."
"They can do it by committee or one or two of them can do it, but we definitely need (the big men) to step up."
