Lucas: The First Day

Photo by: Maggie Hobson

Photo by: Maggie Hobson

Photo by: Maggie Hobson

Photo by: Maggie Hobson

September 23, 2024 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas

Basketball practice is officially underway.

By Adam Lucas

It's not the first day. Not really.

In name, yes. Today was the first official day of Carolina basketball practice for the 2024-25 season. The practice plan carried the number "1" at the top and it had the traditional first day, "It's amazing what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit" quote at the top, beneath the offensive and defensive emphasis of the day.

In reality, this is a very different "first day" than the one experienced by Vince Carter or Raymond Felton or even Tyler Hansbrough. In those days, the players and coaches had seen very little of each other since the end of the previous season.

But because of (very welcome) NCAA rules changes, this year's team practiced together as recently as last week, with some of the same drills and a similar looking practice plan to what they had on Monday.

The difference is the amount of hours that can now be committed to practice. As of Monday, the Tar Heels are officially into season mode. With NCAA-mandated off days, they're now in full preparation as they get ready for a preseason slate that includes the Blue-White game in Cherokee on Oct. 13 and an exhibition game at Memphis on Oct. 15, plus a home exhibition against Johnson C. Smith on Oct. 27.

Even though they've been together for weeks, Monday did feel a little different. It's still September, yes, but you could finally start to imagine player rotations and matchups and all the fun things that make preseason bearable until we get to the actual games.

There's also the little matter of watching the 2024-25 Tar Heels on the court. There was no easing into practice number one. Within 15 minutes of the start of practice—in which, yes, there was some talk of the ultimate goal of playing in San Antonio on the last weekend of the season—Hubert Davis stopped a drill.

"No!" he barked after a somewhat casual pass following a made basket during a fast break drill. "Take the ball all the way out of bounds! Under no circumstances are we going to follow a made basket by just tossing the ball upcourt. Attention to detail every single time!"

And that's how it will be for the next six months, which is part of why it's so much fun. Monday's session was a more advanced first day than a previous generation, because Davis has spent time with this group of players—even the newcomers—and has a feel for how they need to be coached. So Ven-Allen Lubin could get a compliment during one drill, but have it supplemented with a suggestion of how it could be even better.

The new guys aren't really new guys anymore. Cade Tyson sinks a three-pointer from the corner and you've seen it before. Ian Jackson shakes free for a 17-footer and it's a familiar sight.

That doesn't mean the entire group doesn't still need reminders. Frustrated with the lack of crisp execution in a halfcourt shot, Davis stopped play to emphasize the importance of setting solid screens to get a teammate free. Ty Claude promptly leaned into a defender to create space for a made three-pointer by a teammate.

"Heyyyyy!" Davis shouted. "It works!"

The Tar Heels also spent a full 15 minutes on free throw calls on Monday, repetition they likely won't get or need the rest of the season. How to huddle, when to switch positions on the lane, the various ways Carolina tries to get second chances from offensive rebounds—it all started on Monday, and will probably be impactful in some random win several months from now.

If there was one moment Monday that was a terrific window into what the season might be, it came late during a five-on-five period. Drake Powell made a breathtaking drive from the right wing and looked poised to throw down an easy dunk.

That's when he was met at the rim—or, more appropriately, above the rim—by Jalen Washington, who made a clean, dynamic block.

Powell will convert the vast majority of those plays (and the fact that he's able to make those plays is what makes him such an exciting addition). But Washington is willing to contest those types of plays, and has the athleticism to do it. They aren't what they will eventually be, but they have potential.

This year's team has a different makeup than past Tar Heel squads. And as of Monday night, we're much closer to seeing all of the different possibilities than we were before the first day.