Lucas: Welcome Freshman

By Adam Lucas

Cole Anthony achieved a long line of firsts in his 34-point debut in Carolina's 76-65 win over Notre Dame in the season opener. First Tar Heel to score 34 in his Tar Heel debut. First freshman to go for at least 30 points and ten rebounds in his debut. First ACC freshman with at least 30 points, ten rebounds and five assists in his debut in the last 20 years.

But the even more rare achievement, the one none of us could have foreseen, the one Anthony should cherish for the rest of his basketball career: he's the first Tar Heel in the Roy Williams era to earn the highly coveted "tough little nut" description from Williams after his very first game.

Usually it takes a couple seasons and maybe a couple drawn charges before the head coach is ready to bestow that title. Not for Anthony. After being the team leader or tied for the team lead in points, rebounds and assists (only two Tar Heels have ever recorded a triple-double, and Anthony has a viable chance of being the third at some point this season) in the win over the Irish, he's officially in the same rarefied air normally occupied by the Raymond Feltons and Marcus Paiges of the Tar Heel world.

Here's the incredible news: he thinks he can get better.

"I had four turnovers in that game, and that's terrible," Anthony said. "I felt I could've defended a little better. Overall, I'm happy we could get the win, but there are always areas where I can improve."

Carolina got the win largely because of Anthony's second-half performance, when he scored 23 of his 34 points and shot 8-of-15 from the floor and 5-for-8 from the three-point line. There had been some early indications of his importance to the team—when he left the court for three minutes in the first half, Notre Dame went on a 12-2 run.

Unfortunately for Mike Brey's team, Anthony didn't come out of the game in the second half. With the Irish up three, Anthony scored seven straight points and ten of Carolina's next 15 to give the Tar Heels an 11-point lead.

Most impressive during that stretch, which featured jumper after Anthony jumper even when Notre Dame knew what was coming and still couldn't stop it, wasn't even a basket he made. Instead, it was a pass, which came—with Anthony's shooting hand smoking, from a player who is going to get national attention in the days to come—to a wide open Andrew Platek, who knocked down a three-pointer.

Could Anthony have been forgiven for hoisting another jumper? Absolutely. He had earned it by that point--in more ways than one, since remember that Anthony stayed late after Friday's exhibition game working on his jumper. He was setting records. It was a justifiable time for a Danny Green-style heat check. But he was more interested in finding an open teammate.

"It's a matter of knowing the game," Anthony said. "If I have the shot in a situation like that, I'll let it fly. But if someone is butt naked and I know he can make a shot, why would I not give it to him?"

And there is perhaps the most unusual aspect of Anthony's first few months in Chapel Hill—to this point, it hasn't been about him. When the basketball program held an open practice for the student body, the players walked up to the concourse to sign autographs and take pictures with everyone who attended.

One of the biggest lines, of course, was for Anthony. The players had another obligation after practice and Eric Hoots was trying to run interference for the freshman soon-to-be star. "Hang on," Anthony told him. "I really want to take all of these pictures." When he eventually did have to leave or run the risk of being late, Anthony told the students who were still waiting, "Let's take a group picture for everybody who didn't already get one," and smiled for the camera.

Wednesday night, after scoring the most points ever by an Atlantic Coast Conference freshman in his debut, Anthony was wrapping up a postgame interview on the Tar Heel Sports Network. The interviewer began to send the broadcast back courtside, but Anthony stopped him.

"Hang on a second," the freshman said. "I want to give a shout-out to every student who was here tonight. That's the best student section in the country. Love y'all."

It is a very safe bet that they now love him, too. And Anthony will now be the bar by which all future first games are measured. Sure, those of us who were there when Cole Anthony happened will say, Jawad Williams Jr. had a great first performance…but was it as good as Cole Anthony?

Probably not. Anthony is now firmly etched in the Carolina record books in some very impressive categories. The hype machine will now grind into action, and there's a chance that over the next six months you'll see more images of Anthony's father than your own father.

"It's an honor to be in the record books," the freshman said. "I was already a part of that legacy by playing here, and to see my name in there is awesome. But it's a long season. We have a lot more work to do."

Players Mentioned

Cole Anthony

Andrew Platek

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