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University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Maggie Hobson
Lucas: Oct. 11 Practice Notebook
October 11, 2023 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
The Tar Heels will be on public display for the first time Friday night.
By Adam Lucas
You probably already know that Hubert Davis has expressed an intention to increase Carolina's pace this season. You might not know how he plans to do that.
"He wants to get back to the way Carolina has run the primary and secondary break in the past," said RJ Davis. "The 3, 4 and 5 get to the glass and get the ball out and run. His emphasis with us has always been on running. This year it's a little bit more. I think that's because he can see the talent and potential we have. Team success for Carolina has always been running and controlling the pace we want, and we need to get back to that."
According to Ken Pomeroy, Carolina's adjusted tempo ranked just 99th in the country last season, after being 39th the season before. That's partially because there was too much standing around and holding the ball waiting for a ball screen last year.
Already in practice, it's noticeable how crisply the ball moves without a dribble, which inherently speeds up the pace. Hubert Davis has reemphasized the Carolina tradition of thanking the passer, but the even better news is there are actually some passers to be thanked. Armando Bacot found Jae'Lyn Withers across the lane for an easy hoop on Monday; Withers returned the favor by firing it cross-court to Paxson Wojcik for a three-pointer on Tuesday.
The head coach immediately stopped his team. "Who made that play?" he asked. "Jae'Lyn Withers. Because he went from a good shot to a great shot. That's a great job."
Tempo is also about more than just dribbling quickly up the court. Hubert Davis has constantly reminded his team to have "purpose and pace," even when running 5-on-0 offense. "Cut every time like you're going to get the ball," he told them during one session.
Notes: There's deservedly been plenty of attention paid to the addition of Marcus Paige to the Carolina coaching staff. Keep in mind that an NCAA rule change this summer has also increased the number of voices that can be heard at practice, which means more input for Pat Sullivan. A member of the 1993 national champions with extensive NBA experience on a variety of coaching staffs, Sullivan is an energetic practice presence who isn't afraid to make either a technical point or an intangible one—as when earlier this week he exhorted the Blue team to "Have some pride" on defense after they were scored on multiple times in a row…Jalen Washington has spent more time operating around the basket in the early part of preseason. It's a physical test for the sophomore under the rim, as he's battling one of the best big men in the nation, Armando Bacot, plus West Virginia transfer James Okonkwo, who is not averse to contact. But Washington has had his moments, including sealing Bacot behind him and receiving a bullet pass from Zayden High for a layup on Monday. Being able to make plays like that one consistently will ultimately determine Washington's playing time.
The Tar Heels scrimmaged with officials on Tuesday in preparation for Friday night's Live Action activities. The festivities fall later in the practice calendar this season, which means fans should expect to see more advanced basketball than when the event happens on the first weekend of practice. In addition to the flashy player introductions, there will be a heavy basketball component to the time devoted to the men's team. Doors open at the Smith Center at 5:30 and the event begins at 7 p.m…Offensive rebounding continues to be an emphasis for Hubert Davis. Most of the contributions last year in that category came from Armando Bacot, who ranked 16th nationally in offensive rebound percentage. Look for him to get more help this year, especially from Withers and Harrison Ingram, who have consistently been pests on the offensive glass—partially from athleticism and partially from savvy about understanding where the ball is going when it comes off the rim.
You probably already know that Hubert Davis has expressed an intention to increase Carolina's pace this season. You might not know how he plans to do that.
"He wants to get back to the way Carolina has run the primary and secondary break in the past," said RJ Davis. "The 3, 4 and 5 get to the glass and get the ball out and run. His emphasis with us has always been on running. This year it's a little bit more. I think that's because he can see the talent and potential we have. Team success for Carolina has always been running and controlling the pace we want, and we need to get back to that."
According to Ken Pomeroy, Carolina's adjusted tempo ranked just 99th in the country last season, after being 39th the season before. That's partially because there was too much standing around and holding the ball waiting for a ball screen last year.
Already in practice, it's noticeable how crisply the ball moves without a dribble, which inherently speeds up the pace. Hubert Davis has reemphasized the Carolina tradition of thanking the passer, but the even better news is there are actually some passers to be thanked. Armando Bacot found Jae'Lyn Withers across the lane for an easy hoop on Monday; Withers returned the favor by firing it cross-court to Paxson Wojcik for a three-pointer on Tuesday.
The head coach immediately stopped his team. "Who made that play?" he asked. "Jae'Lyn Withers. Because he went from a good shot to a great shot. That's a great job."
Tempo is also about more than just dribbling quickly up the court. Hubert Davis has constantly reminded his team to have "purpose and pace," even when running 5-on-0 offense. "Cut every time like you're going to get the ball," he told them during one session.
Notes: There's deservedly been plenty of attention paid to the addition of Marcus Paige to the Carolina coaching staff. Keep in mind that an NCAA rule change this summer has also increased the number of voices that can be heard at practice, which means more input for Pat Sullivan. A member of the 1993 national champions with extensive NBA experience on a variety of coaching staffs, Sullivan is an energetic practice presence who isn't afraid to make either a technical point or an intangible one—as when earlier this week he exhorted the Blue team to "Have some pride" on defense after they were scored on multiple times in a row…Jalen Washington has spent more time operating around the basket in the early part of preseason. It's a physical test for the sophomore under the rim, as he's battling one of the best big men in the nation, Armando Bacot, plus West Virginia transfer James Okonkwo, who is not averse to contact. But Washington has had his moments, including sealing Bacot behind him and receiving a bullet pass from Zayden High for a layup on Monday. Being able to make plays like that one consistently will ultimately determine Washington's playing time.
The Tar Heels scrimmaged with officials on Tuesday in preparation for Friday night's Live Action activities. The festivities fall later in the practice calendar this season, which means fans should expect to see more advanced basketball than when the event happens on the first weekend of practice. In addition to the flashy player introductions, there will be a heavy basketball component to the time devoted to the men's team. Doors open at the Smith Center at 5:30 and the event begins at 7 p.m…Offensive rebounding continues to be an emphasis for Hubert Davis. Most of the contributions last year in that category came from Armando Bacot, who ranked 16th nationally in offensive rebound percentage. Look for him to get more help this year, especially from Withers and Harrison Ingram, who have consistently been pests on the offensive glass—partially from athleticism and partially from savvy about understanding where the ball is going when it comes off the rim.
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