University of North Carolina Athletics
Justin Pierce
Photo by: Maggie Hobson
GoHeels Exclusive: Gardner-Webb Notebook
November 14, 2019 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers
By Pat James, GoHeels.com
A week removed from playing its last game, North Carolina returns to the Smith Center on Friday for a 9 p.m. contest against Gardner-Webb.
Before then, Roy Williams and Justin Pierce met with reporters on Thursday. Here are five notes from what they had to say:
Injury updates
Armando Bacot became the latest addition to UNC's injury list when he was struck by an errant elbow about midway through the first half of last Friday's win over UNCW. The freshman forward, who has started the first two games, sat out the rest of the contest as a precaution. But Williams said Bacot will play against Gardner-Webb.
That's great news for the Tar Heels, who will continue to be without Brandon Robinson, Sterling Manley, Jeremiah Francis and Anthony Harris.
"I think Anthony and Jeremiah are progressing, so I think you can say they're getting closer," Williams said. "I think B-Rob is getting closer. But Anthony and Jeremiah, we're having do some halfcourt stuff but nothing fullcourt. B-Rob is not doing anything yet at all, but I'm hopeful it will be sooner rather than later."
Williams said last week that he hopes Robinson, who injured his right ankle in the preseason exhibition against Winston-Salem State, will return for the the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. The Tar Heels will begin play in the Bahamas on Nov. 27.
Manley doesn't appear to be nearing a return. The junior forward, who missed 16 games last season, has not practiced due to recurring left knee soreness following an offseason surgery.
"Sterling is not doing anything five-on-five at all," Williams said.
'Just be Coby'
On Tuesday, Williams flew to Chicago, along with Eric Hoots and Steve Robinson, to watch Coby White and the Chicago Bulls play the New York Knicks. With Williams in attendance, White – who had gone 18 of 62 from the field over the previous five games – set a new franchise record with seven fourth-quarter 3-pointers on his way to 27 points.
"I try to go see every guy play in their rookie year and try to go see them early," Williams said. "Let me make sure we understand one thing: I had nothing to do with him making seven threes. But it made me feel better to just go up and talk to him a little bit, and I had a chance.
"(Bulls coach) Jimmy Boylen got Coby and brought him in his office and Jimmy left. … I just told him, 'Be Coby. Don't stress it. How long do you think you'll play, about 15 years?' He said, 'I hope so.' I said, 'OK, we're 10 games into 1,500. So, come on, quit stressing a little bit and just be Coby.' I think he was really frustrated through the first three quarters, and then that first one went in and it was on then. It was pretty impressive."
A wakeup call
Williams was watching White when Evansville pulled off its upset of No. 1 Kentucky. Although Williams didn't watch that game, Pierce said he and most of his teammates did.
"As soon as the game ended," said the William & Mary grad transfer, "someone sent out a text in our group chat and said, 'Look, we've got to tighten up and we've got to bring it every night because you don't want that to be us.'Â
"Obviously, some of the guys were here when they lost to Wofford a couple of years ago at home. So a lot of the guys here know it's college basketball and at the end of the day, if you don't bring your best no matter who you're playing against, we're all Division I athletes and very capable. I know that being from a mid-major. So, we're not going to take them lightly."
'Welcome to the family'
Pierce has only been in Chapel Hill for a few months. But he's already felt the support of the Carolina Family.
"It's a really special place and you don't really know it until you actually are a part of it," Pierce said. "But I've noticed it just in my short time being here. A lot of former players reached out to me when I committed here and said, 'Welcome to the family.'"
Anthony's immense potential
After averaging 27.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals across UNC's two games last week, Cole Anthony earned NCAA.com National Player of the Week honors and was the ACC Player and Freshman of the Week.
Filling in for Williams on Roy Williams Live on Tuesday, Hubert Davis called Anthony "the best point guard that I've ever been around." Williams said he can't say the same about Anthony just yet. But he does think Anthony "has the ability to be the best point guard I've ever coached because there is no big deficiency in his game."
"Kendall (Marshall) was the best passing point guard, but Kendall didn't have the speed or the shot," Williams said. "Joel Berry had tremendous ability to shoot the ball. Marcus Paige could make big shots, but Marcus physically wasn't like Cole is. Ty Lawson was so quick – it was ridiculous with the ball going down the court – and got to be a really, really good 3-point shooter.
"To me, it's way too early to say something like that, but as I've said, I think he's the most complete and he doesn't have any tremendous weakness. His shot's got to be better, but there's no tremendous weakness out there and we'll wait and see what happens. I'm not ready to say that yet, and I hope 'yet' is the appropriate word because I hope I can get to say that."
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A week removed from playing its last game, North Carolina returns to the Smith Center on Friday for a 9 p.m. contest against Gardner-Webb.
Before then, Roy Williams and Justin Pierce met with reporters on Thursday. Here are five notes from what they had to say:
Injury updates
Armando Bacot became the latest addition to UNC's injury list when he was struck by an errant elbow about midway through the first half of last Friday's win over UNCW. The freshman forward, who has started the first two games, sat out the rest of the contest as a precaution. But Williams said Bacot will play against Gardner-Webb.
That's great news for the Tar Heels, who will continue to be without Brandon Robinson, Sterling Manley, Jeremiah Francis and Anthony Harris.
"I think Anthony and Jeremiah are progressing, so I think you can say they're getting closer," Williams said. "I think B-Rob is getting closer. But Anthony and Jeremiah, we're having do some halfcourt stuff but nothing fullcourt. B-Rob is not doing anything yet at all, but I'm hopeful it will be sooner rather than later."
Williams said last week that he hopes Robinson, who injured his right ankle in the preseason exhibition against Winston-Salem State, will return for the the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. The Tar Heels will begin play in the Bahamas on Nov. 27.
Manley doesn't appear to be nearing a return. The junior forward, who missed 16 games last season, has not practiced due to recurring left knee soreness following an offseason surgery.
"Sterling is not doing anything five-on-five at all," Williams said.
'Just be Coby'
On Tuesday, Williams flew to Chicago, along with Eric Hoots and Steve Robinson, to watch Coby White and the Chicago Bulls play the New York Knicks. With Williams in attendance, White – who had gone 18 of 62 from the field over the previous five games – set a new franchise record with seven fourth-quarter 3-pointers on his way to 27 points.
"I try to go see every guy play in their rookie year and try to go see them early," Williams said. "Let me make sure we understand one thing: I had nothing to do with him making seven threes. But it made me feel better to just go up and talk to him a little bit, and I had a chance.
"(Bulls coach) Jimmy Boylen got Coby and brought him in his office and Jimmy left. … I just told him, 'Be Coby. Don't stress it. How long do you think you'll play, about 15 years?' He said, 'I hope so.' I said, 'OK, we're 10 games into 1,500. So, come on, quit stressing a little bit and just be Coby.' I think he was really frustrated through the first three quarters, and then that first one went in and it was on then. It was pretty impressive."
A wakeup call
Williams was watching White when Evansville pulled off its upset of No. 1 Kentucky. Although Williams didn't watch that game, Pierce said he and most of his teammates did.
"As soon as the game ended," said the William & Mary grad transfer, "someone sent out a text in our group chat and said, 'Look, we've got to tighten up and we've got to bring it every night because you don't want that to be us.'Â
"Obviously, some of the guys were here when they lost to Wofford a couple of years ago at home. So a lot of the guys here know it's college basketball and at the end of the day, if you don't bring your best no matter who you're playing against, we're all Division I athletes and very capable. I know that being from a mid-major. So, we're not going to take them lightly."
'Welcome to the family'
Pierce has only been in Chapel Hill for a few months. But he's already felt the support of the Carolina Family.
"It's a really special place and you don't really know it until you actually are a part of it," Pierce said. "But I've noticed it just in my short time being here. A lot of former players reached out to me when I committed here and said, 'Welcome to the family.'"
Anthony's immense potential
After averaging 27.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals across UNC's two games last week, Cole Anthony earned NCAA.com National Player of the Week honors and was the ACC Player and Freshman of the Week.
Filling in for Williams on Roy Williams Live on Tuesday, Hubert Davis called Anthony "the best point guard that I've ever been around." Williams said he can't say the same about Anthony just yet. But he does think Anthony "has the ability to be the best point guard I've ever coached because there is no big deficiency in his game."
"Kendall (Marshall) was the best passing point guard, but Kendall didn't have the speed or the shot," Williams said. "Joel Berry had tremendous ability to shoot the ball. Marcus Paige could make big shots, but Marcus physically wasn't like Cole is. Ty Lawson was so quick – it was ridiculous with the ball going down the court – and got to be a really, really good 3-point shooter.
"To me, it's way too early to say something like that, but as I've said, I think he's the most complete and he doesn't have any tremendous weakness. His shot's got to be better, but there's no tremendous weakness out there and we'll wait and see what happens. I'm not ready to say that yet, and I hope 'yet' is the appropriate word because I hope I can get to say that."
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