University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Maggie Hobson
Lucas: Nov. 21 Carolina Basketball Notebook
November 21, 2023 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
An important week on the court awaits the Tar Heels.
By Adam Lucas
Carolina can't cement an NCAA Tournament bid this week in the Battle 4 Atlantis. The Tar Heels can't lock up a preferential seed or even make any progress in the Atlantic Coast Conference race.
But they can do something very important: they can win something.
Other than the 2022 East Region, Carolina hasn't won a multi-game event—be that a Thanksgiving tournament, the ACC regular season or the ACC Tournament—since the 2017 NCAA Tournnament. That season also marked the last non-Asheville Thanksgiving event won by the Tar Heels, as they swept the Maui Invitational against Chaminade, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin.
The holiday marquee events aren't the main measuring stick of a season, of course. But they do provide a nice early season reputation boost, along with some valuable NET metrics.
"We have guys in our locker room who have been to the national title game and guys who haven't been in the tournament," says Cormac Ryan. "Everyone in there is hungry. That means winning the ACC regular season, winning the ACC Tournament, winning the Battle 4 Atlantis. We want to win everything. That's the measure of success: how many wins do we have and how many rings are we getting. That's not coming from a place of arrogance. That's our goal and it's what we desire the most. We start from collectively wanting to win."
Notes: As the athleticism steps up this week in Nassau, Jae'Lyn Withers could play an enhanced role. He simply brings a presence that Carolina will need against some opponents. You saw it on Friday night against UC Riverside when he had a game-high three blocks—one of which ignited the most spectacular play of the game, the Seth Trimble dunk—and he flashes it regularly in practice. In one sequence last week, Elliot Cadeau beat the defense and got into the lane, then left a beautiful feed for Zayden High directly at the rim. It looked like a perfect setup for an easy basket—until Withers flew into the play and swatted the ball away. Withers has just one turnover this season, which had been an occasional issue for him at Louisville, and has displayed good shot selection. He is an important piece of the rotation…With Withers, Trimble and Jalen Washington, the Tar Heels have three players who could still contend for a starting spot at some point this year. Add Elliot Cadeau, who will continue to develop as the season progresses, and Hubert Davis has some enviable flexibility with his lineups…
Carolina will need to locate its three-point stroke this week. The three Tar Heels who have attempted the most three-pointers and have had the vast majority of UNC's attempts—RJ Davis, Cormac Ryan and Harrison Ingram—are a combined 12-for-44 from the arc…Ryan is one of two Tar Heels who have already played in this event. He participated in the 2018 Battle 4 Atlantis with Stanford. Armando Bacot played in the 2019 tournament with the Tar Heels, as he had double-doubles in wins over Alabama and Oregon…
Speaking of past trips to the Bahamas, Carolina practiced at Sir Kendal Isaacs Gym on Monday morning. That's better known as the site of perhaps the only time in program history when the opposing team has arrived in a pickup truck. It happened in a 2006 summer exhibition trip. The Tar Heels, as you might have expected, won the game…The Tar Heels did get an hour of practice on Tuesday morning on the game floor where they will play tomorrow's game against Northern Iowa. That practice matters for the newcomers to the event. The Battle 4 Atlantis is a different environment, with the court constructed in a hotel conference center/ballroom...Earlier this week, you likely read about the Tar Heels' visit to a Bahamas children's home. The program isn't done making an impact just yet, and has plans to send even more supplies to the facility...Tuesday's early practice time presented the best option for the Tar Heel players to enjoy Atlantis in the afternoon. Following practice, they'll have some free time at the resort until dinner, and then it's all basketball until Friday after the third and final game. As has been the case ever since some of the exotic Thanksgiving tournaments began, the more wins you get, the more fun the trip becomes.
Carolina can't cement an NCAA Tournament bid this week in the Battle 4 Atlantis. The Tar Heels can't lock up a preferential seed or even make any progress in the Atlantic Coast Conference race.
But they can do something very important: they can win something.
Other than the 2022 East Region, Carolina hasn't won a multi-game event—be that a Thanksgiving tournament, the ACC regular season or the ACC Tournament—since the 2017 NCAA Tournnament. That season also marked the last non-Asheville Thanksgiving event won by the Tar Heels, as they swept the Maui Invitational against Chaminade, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin.
The holiday marquee events aren't the main measuring stick of a season, of course. But they do provide a nice early season reputation boost, along with some valuable NET metrics.
"We have guys in our locker room who have been to the national title game and guys who haven't been in the tournament," says Cormac Ryan. "Everyone in there is hungry. That means winning the ACC regular season, winning the ACC Tournament, winning the Battle 4 Atlantis. We want to win everything. That's the measure of success: how many wins do we have and how many rings are we getting. That's not coming from a place of arrogance. That's our goal and it's what we desire the most. We start from collectively wanting to win."
Notes: As the athleticism steps up this week in Nassau, Jae'Lyn Withers could play an enhanced role. He simply brings a presence that Carolina will need against some opponents. You saw it on Friday night against UC Riverside when he had a game-high three blocks—one of which ignited the most spectacular play of the game, the Seth Trimble dunk—and he flashes it regularly in practice. In one sequence last week, Elliot Cadeau beat the defense and got into the lane, then left a beautiful feed for Zayden High directly at the rim. It looked like a perfect setup for an easy basket—until Withers flew into the play and swatted the ball away. Withers has just one turnover this season, which had been an occasional issue for him at Louisville, and has displayed good shot selection. He is an important piece of the rotation…With Withers, Trimble and Jalen Washington, the Tar Heels have three players who could still contend for a starting spot at some point this year. Add Elliot Cadeau, who will continue to develop as the season progresses, and Hubert Davis has some enviable flexibility with his lineups…
Carolina will need to locate its three-point stroke this week. The three Tar Heels who have attempted the most three-pointers and have had the vast majority of UNC's attempts—RJ Davis, Cormac Ryan and Harrison Ingram—are a combined 12-for-44 from the arc…Ryan is one of two Tar Heels who have already played in this event. He participated in the 2018 Battle 4 Atlantis with Stanford. Armando Bacot played in the 2019 tournament with the Tar Heels, as he had double-doubles in wins over Alabama and Oregon…
Speaking of past trips to the Bahamas, Carolina practiced at Sir Kendal Isaacs Gym on Monday morning. That's better known as the site of perhaps the only time in program history when the opposing team has arrived in a pickup truck. It happened in a 2006 summer exhibition trip. The Tar Heels, as you might have expected, won the game…The Tar Heels did get an hour of practice on Tuesday morning on the game floor where they will play tomorrow's game against Northern Iowa. That practice matters for the newcomers to the event. The Battle 4 Atlantis is a different environment, with the court constructed in a hotel conference center/ballroom...Earlier this week, you likely read about the Tar Heels' visit to a Bahamas children's home. The program isn't done making an impact just yet, and has plans to send even more supplies to the facility...Tuesday's early practice time presented the best option for the Tar Heel players to enjoy Atlantis in the afternoon. Following practice, they'll have some free time at the resort until dinner, and then it's all basketball until Friday after the third and final game. As has been the case ever since some of the exotic Thanksgiving tournaments began, the more wins you get, the more fun the trip becomes.
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