Lucas: Day One

By Adam Lucas

Dean Smith would have liked this.

At the conclusion of Wednesday's full team practice—the first of four such sessions the Tar Heels will hold this summer—several players lingered around the Smith Center court. A cross-section of Smith-era and Roy Williams-era players were in attendance, and 1993 national champion George Lynch and former William & Mary head coach Tony Shaver had addressed the team after the practice.

Twenty minutes after practice, Lynch was still on the court, holding a lengthy conversation with Brady Manek. The prototypical power forward of the late Smith era, Lynch, chatting with the prototypical four of, well, at least the first year of the Hubert Davis era. Smith, always a proponent of evolving the game, would love to see the ways Davis plans to use Manek and the rest of the roster in previously unexplored ways. It was the perfect end to an afternoon that had the right balance of the Carolina basketball history to which you're accustomed along with some new elements that might require some adjustments.

Take the Thought for the Day at the top of Wednesday's practice plan: "It's amazing what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit.—RW"

Yes, it was Williams' favorite first practice Thought headlining the summer's first workout. But the early periods of Wednesday's practice were conducted with music thumping from the Smith Center speakers. It's a change Williams tried for a couple days after making an in-season visit to Texas Tech two years ago, but quickly shelved when he decided it simply didn't fit him.

And that's going to be a frequent refrain during these next few months—it's simply a different fit. There will be a rush every time Davis does something different to proclaim that he's broken with Williams' preferences. That's not the case. But there are going to be some differences. After all, if Roy Williams wanted to run practice the way Roy Williams always ran practice, he would still be the head coach.

He's not, and there is room for Davis to implement his own ideas while still staying in the image of the Carolina Basketball we've all known for so many years.

"Remember what Coach Williams always said last year?" Davis asked his team at one point after an offensive rebound. "Make them pay." But Davis then went on to outline how the ways the Tar Heels make teams pay in 2022 may be different than the previous 18 seasons.

The first year head coach told his team he wants quick post-ups, and if the ball isn't delivered, vacate the area and keep moving. Movement was at a premium, with quick decisions and constant ball movement.

Wednesday was interesting as a first opportunity to see Davis' staff on the court working together for the first time. Watching Sean May finally able to contribute on the court during practice, it's clear he's a natural. The overall tone felt intense but a little lighter; of course, keep in mind it's June 30. Being five months away from a game tends to decrease the stress level.

Another new element of Wednesday's practice plan—with no upcoming opponent to prepare for, the session was all about the Tar Heels. With that in mind, the team held two ten-minute scrimmages (there was some information on recent pickup games in the June 25 edition of the Carolina Insider, and there will be more information on practice in the next episode, so now is a good time to subscribe), mixing up the veterans and the newcomers and the potential starters with reserves.

Some of the game flow looked and felt different, but there were some comforting familiarities—the first three-pointer of the day was made by Kerwin Walton. And the deciding basket was scored on—what else?—an offensive rebound.

It's going to be a different year. There will be times the Williams era will feel like a very long time ago and times you miss it just a little. But no matter what kind of day it is, remember this: the program is under the direction of a head coach who choked up when addressing his team early in Wednesday's practice, as he recounted his gratitude to the program for choosing to trust him with the future. And Davis, the head coach told his players, plans to choose them every day, to keep them in the forefront of his mind with everything he does.

The music is louder. The drills are run a little differently. But after one practice, with new freshmen and impact transfers and a new staff, it's still Carolina Basketball.

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Kerwin Walton

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