Lucas: Basketball Practice Notebook

By Adam Lucas

Turnovers have been a consistent point of emphasis for Hubert Davis during the preseason, and the head coach has taken every opportunity to remind his squad they ranked last in the Atlantic Coast Conference in that category.

The problem has not been completely eliminated. There are still missteps, as on Monday when a Tar Heel threw a behind the back pass through the lane, sparking a vocal Davis lesson on the need to make the simple pass instead of the fancy pass.

But overall, Carolina has taken better care of the ball in the last week or two, and turnovers were not an overwhelming issue in the scrimmage at Florida. What's changed?

"We're moving the ball and making the easy pass," Brady Manek says. "We're not trying to force anything. We're focused on playing smart basketball. When you're playing as a team and moving the ball, those easy shots and layups come naturally. We don't have to do anything out of ordinary to get open shots when we're playing that way."

And what happened the next possession after that Davis lesson about the behind the back passes? That same player threw a perfect bounce pass to Armando Bacot for a slam dunk.

Davis again stopped practice. "That play wasn't fancy, but does that play get on SportsCenter?" he asked. "Yes. Because it's the kind of play that wins championships."

Notes: Hubert Davis has stated his willingness to play two point guards at the same time, meaning RJ Davis and Caleb Love have seen significant reps playing together. Of course, that also means Carolina would need a third point guard to rotate in on the rare occasions that both Love and Davis are on the bench simultaneously. A leading candidate to fill that role: Anthony Harris, who saw plenty of work at point guard this week…Single-game tickets and packages are on sale now for what should be a fun team to watch. There will also be some enhancements to the in-game experience that will make being in the Smith Center even more fun...

Numerous NBA personnel have observed practice in Chapel Hill in the past week, including some big-name front office honchos…The trailing big man knocking down a jumper has been a staple of the Carolina secondary break for decades. Manek provides a further twist on that shot, as he's comfortable turning what used to be a foul line jumper for previous Tar Heel post players into a three-pointer from the top of the key…

Interesting wrinkle to practice on Wednesday, as Hubert Davis put his team through multiple scrimmage sessions interspersed with five minutes of intense dummy offense periods. The seven minutes of scrimmage/five minutes of offense accomplished Davis' intent of keeping the tempo of practice high while also giving the Tar Heels concrete plays to focus on, practice and then run in a live game situation…If you're looking for basketball insight, subscribe now to the Carolina Insider podcast and plan to download tomorrow's episode. Assistant coach Jeff Lebo will be the guest for an extended conversation on his playing career, his path back to Chapel Hill, and his experience on Davis' staff over the last several months...

John Kuester stopped by practice on Wednesday. The former Detroit Pistons head coach, who played for Carolina from 1973-77, addressed the team after practice.

"Something he talked about, and something everyone who comes back talks about, is how much they loved it here," said Manek. "It's a family feel and they're always coming back. That's one of the coolest things, because it's always an open door. It doesn't matter who the coach is or who is here or that I was only here for one year. I can always come back and the door is always open. I'm always going to have that family feel where I'm always wanted. That's unique and it's unreal."

It's safe to say that the isolation of last season, when the Tar Heels were forced by the pandemic into being near-hermits, has diminished. That's enabled players like R.J. Davis, who spent his entire freshman season attending classes on his computer instead of with his peers, to develop an even deeper understanding of what it means to be a Carolina basketball player.

"This place is special," he said. "Every day you come onto this court is a blessing. That's something I take pride in. Being able to walk through that tunnel and put on this jersey is a blessing, and I'll cherish it forever."...

A reminder that previous practice notebooks are available from Oct. 21, Oct. 14 and Sept. 29. Check back early next week for more on Carolina's defensive points of emphasis this week.

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University of North Carolina Athletics

Players Mentioned

Armando Bacot

RJ Davis

Anthony Harris

Caleb Love

Brady Manek

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