University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Lucas: Carolina Basketball Notebook
October 19, 2018 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Notes from the Smith Center this week, including practice updates and more.
By Adam Lucas
One of the biggest adjustments required of freshmen making the transition to college basketball is the attention to detail required at the Atlantic Coast Conference level. As Coby White has learned, that's an important factor both on and off the court.
"Even when we're working in the weight room with Jonas (Sahratian), you have to pay attention to detail in order to get better," White said. "In high school, you work out, but you don't have someone standing there critiquing everything you do. You don't have someone making sure you get a full rep every time, and that every rep works every part of your body that the exercise is supposed to work. I love that kind of attention to detail. It means you're getting the maximum out of anything you do, and when you pay attention and work hard, you'll earn that respect."
The exacting nature of the game carries over to practice. In Thursday's session, Leaky Black earned praise for pushing the ball up the court--a broad concept every Tar Heel point guard must quickly learn--but a slight correction for a subtle nuance of exactly how to get the ball to a post man sprinting ahead of the play.
Family: The alumni weekend in August continues to get rave reviews, especially from Tar Heel freshmen who were receiving their first broad exposure to the Carolina family. "There were lots of players there I didn't know, and it was really good for me to be able to meet them and learn more about the program's history," said Nassir Little. "Even though I didn't know every single one of them, they still treated me like family."
"Seeing all those guys was amazing, because they are legends," Black said. "It was incredible for me to be able to sit beside them and realize that they didn't just make a mark on the basketball team, they made a mark on the entire University of North Carolina."
Feeling at home: This time last year, Cameron Johnson was open about the fact that he wasn't yet completely comfortable in Chapel Hill. As a lifelong resident of the Pittsburgh area and as someone whose parents both attended Pitt, he was still getting accustomed to some aspects of being a Tar Heel.
Twelve months later, it feels much more normal. Johnson returned home in August to visit a friend at Pitt and felt like a visitor instead of a local.
"Being around campus there is weird now," Johnson says. "I'm really comfortable at Carolina now. This is home to me now. When I was back at Pitt, it felt more like a vacation, because being in Chapel Hill is home now."
Leadership: Johnson's housemate, senior Kenny Williams, knows he'll have to play a leadership role during the 2018-19 season.
"I do feel like I'll have to be more vocal," Williams said. "Luke, Cam and I have to fill that void left by Joel and Theo. On the court, our body of work will speak for itself. I'm fully confident the three of us won't take shortcuts on the court, so leading by example won't be an issue. Where we'll have to focus is being a leader in the locker room and more vocally on the court."
Notes: Let's be very clear about this: K.J. Smith is not Kenny Smith. This is in no way a basketball comparison. That being said, it's remarkable how similar some of their mannerisms are. Watching K.J. walk down the sideline before practice begins could very easily be Kenny in Carmichael Auditorium in 1984…Two notes to remember: signed team basketballs are on sale now. Proceeds from the sale of the balls goes to a variety of worthy causes, including the program's donation at Late Night to hurricane relief (which was matched by Roy and Wanda Williams). Also, the only public exhibition is just two weeks away. The Tar Heels will host Mount Olive on Nov. 2 and tickets are available, as they are for all single games…
The Johnson/Maye/Williams trio continues to enjoy their shared living arrangements. After both his senior teammates threw him under the bus for some questionable leftover maintenance, Johnson was pressed to describe their home failings. After an eight-second pause, he couldn't come up with anything at all for Maye. As for Kenny Williams, Johnson said he's fanatical about cleaning. "But let's be honest," Johnson said. "That's not even a fault. Evn his flaw isn't really a flaw. It's great for me, because the house is always clean."…Fall break enabled Carolina to practice on Thursday morning before the team went out of town. After sitting out the Late Night scrimmage, Brandon Huffman and Brandon Robinson both participated in the Thursday morning session.
One of the biggest adjustments required of freshmen making the transition to college basketball is the attention to detail required at the Atlantic Coast Conference level. As Coby White has learned, that's an important factor both on and off the court.
"Even when we're working in the weight room with Jonas (Sahratian), you have to pay attention to detail in order to get better," White said. "In high school, you work out, but you don't have someone standing there critiquing everything you do. You don't have someone making sure you get a full rep every time, and that every rep works every part of your body that the exercise is supposed to work. I love that kind of attention to detail. It means you're getting the maximum out of anything you do, and when you pay attention and work hard, you'll earn that respect."
The exacting nature of the game carries over to practice. In Thursday's session, Leaky Black earned praise for pushing the ball up the court--a broad concept every Tar Heel point guard must quickly learn--but a slight correction for a subtle nuance of exactly how to get the ball to a post man sprinting ahead of the play.
Family: The alumni weekend in August continues to get rave reviews, especially from Tar Heel freshmen who were receiving their first broad exposure to the Carolina family. "There were lots of players there I didn't know, and it was really good for me to be able to meet them and learn more about the program's history," said Nassir Little. "Even though I didn't know every single one of them, they still treated me like family."
"Seeing all those guys was amazing, because they are legends," Black said. "It was incredible for me to be able to sit beside them and realize that they didn't just make a mark on the basketball team, they made a mark on the entire University of North Carolina."
Feeling at home: This time last year, Cameron Johnson was open about the fact that he wasn't yet completely comfortable in Chapel Hill. As a lifelong resident of the Pittsburgh area and as someone whose parents both attended Pitt, he was still getting accustomed to some aspects of being a Tar Heel.
Twelve months later, it feels much more normal. Johnson returned home in August to visit a friend at Pitt and felt like a visitor instead of a local.
"Being around campus there is weird now," Johnson says. "I'm really comfortable at Carolina now. This is home to me now. When I was back at Pitt, it felt more like a vacation, because being in Chapel Hill is home now."
Leadership: Johnson's housemate, senior Kenny Williams, knows he'll have to play a leadership role during the 2018-19 season.
"I do feel like I'll have to be more vocal," Williams said. "Luke, Cam and I have to fill that void left by Joel and Theo. On the court, our body of work will speak for itself. I'm fully confident the three of us won't take shortcuts on the court, so leading by example won't be an issue. Where we'll have to focus is being a leader in the locker room and more vocally on the court."
Notes: Let's be very clear about this: K.J. Smith is not Kenny Smith. This is in no way a basketball comparison. That being said, it's remarkable how similar some of their mannerisms are. Watching K.J. walk down the sideline before practice begins could very easily be Kenny in Carmichael Auditorium in 1984…Two notes to remember: signed team basketballs are on sale now. Proceeds from the sale of the balls goes to a variety of worthy causes, including the program's donation at Late Night to hurricane relief (which was matched by Roy and Wanda Williams). Also, the only public exhibition is just two weeks away. The Tar Heels will host Mount Olive on Nov. 2 and tickets are available, as they are for all single games…
The Johnson/Maye/Williams trio continues to enjoy their shared living arrangements. After both his senior teammates threw him under the bus for some questionable leftover maintenance, Johnson was pressed to describe their home failings. After an eight-second pause, he couldn't come up with anything at all for Maye. As for Kenny Williams, Johnson said he's fanatical about cleaning. "But let's be honest," Johnson said. "That's not even a fault. Evn his flaw isn't really a flaw. It's great for me, because the house is always clean."…Fall break enabled Carolina to practice on Thursday morning before the team went out of town. After sitting out the Late Night scrimmage, Brandon Huffman and Brandon Robinson both participated in the Thursday morning session.
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Friday, September 18
Friday, September 18