Rapid Reactions: Mount Olive

By Pat James, GoHeels.com

1. Although the score doesn't reflect it, North Carolina didn't play a pretty basketball game Friday night at the Smith Center, especially in the first half. But the Tar Heels were in control throughout their 107-64 exhibition win over Mount Olive. And most importantly, they'll leave the contest with plenty to focus on between now and Tuesday's season opener at Wofford.

2. Much has been made this offseason about who will start at point guard this season. On Friday, Coby White earned the nod and showed flashes of his potential, finishing with 10 points, six assists and an impressive seven rebounds. He shined when attacking the rim, but he struggled to run UNC's secondary sets at times. He finished with four turnovers.

3. Seventh Woods started slowly, but he had a nice stretch midway through the second half, when he completed a one-handed dunk through contact and blocked a shot moments later. He finished with eight points, three rebounds, two assists and four turnovers.

4. In addition to White, freshmen Leaky Black and Nassir Little had their moments Friday. Black didn't enter the game until the 10:04 mark of the first half, but over the next four minutes, he showed he can do a little bit of everything – making a jumper, assisting on a dunk by Little, recording two rebounds (one offensive and one defensive) and notching two steals. Little looked raw at times, but he finished with 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting. He also had two rebounds and a team-best three blocks. His four fouls were the most by any Tar Heel, though.

5. The Smith Center went silent when Little appeared to bang his knee against a Mount Olive defender while being called for a charge midway through the second half. Little walked off the court gingerly, but he eventually returned and made perhaps the highlight of the night on an alley-oop from Andrew Platek.

6. Williams said Garrison Brooks, who started alongside Luke Maye in the post, has had the best preseason of the sophomore bigs, and that looked like it carried over Friday. Brooks had a game-high 16 points and 16 rebounds.

7. Behind Brooks, Carolina outrebounded Mount Olive 69-36. But Mount Olive had 19 offensive rebounds, and its 25 second-chance points matched UNC's total.

8. Another issue Williams stressed were turnovers. The Tar Heels finished with 22. "If I'm Wofford and get that tape, I'd definitely press us because we looked so ragged about what we were trying to do," Williams said.

9. Carolina shot just 3-for-13 on 3-pointers. Before Kenny Williams' 3-pointer at the 16:58 mark of the second half, the Tar Heels were 0-for-8 from behind the arc.

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University of North Carolina Athletics

Players Mentioned

Leaky Black

Garrison Brooks

Nassir Little

Luke Maye

Andrew Platek

Coby White

Kenny Williams

Seventh Woods

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