We lost Brooks, Sharpe and Kessler from last year’s squad. No worries though, we reloaded with Garcia, McKoy, and Manek (for a year). Hubert Davis wanted stretch 4s and he went and got them. McKoy could also probably play the 3 spot with a big lineup. Davis wants to spread out the offense and his revamped system will feature a 4 playing out on the perimeter. This will leave Bacot plenty of room in the post, and give the guards plenty of room to drive. Roy’s 2 big system saw Love and Rj Davis struggle to get penetration. Clearing out a big from the lane should give the guards plenty of room to operate. This in turn will open up shots for those stretch 4’s that Davis brought in. Davis has said that a good shot could be a 3 just a couple of passes into a set, so these big guys have the green light to shoot it from beyond the arc. This is a redesigned front court for a redesigned offense. Let’s dive in starting with the leader of the frontcourt, and arguably the team, Armando Bacot.
Armando Bacot 6-10 junior
CAREER STATS: 10.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, 53.4% from the field, 65.1% FT, 23.5 minutes per game
LAST SEASON: 12.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 62.8% from the field, 66.1% FT, 22.8 minutes per game
PRESEASON 1ST TEAM ALL ACC
Bacot has progressively gotten better each year despite a slight dip in minutes last year because of the “loaded” front court. He has averaged double figures in both his freshman and sophomore season and this could be the year that he averages a double double. Bacot went through the draft process to find out what he needed to do better and this was a huge benefit to him and the team as whole. Davis has said Bacot has made 1,000 3’s a week every week this summer. And in Davis’ revamped offense he has more leeway to step out and take jump shots. I’m still not sure I want him taking too many 3’s though, but if that truly is in his arsenal then that makes him even harder to guard. Bacot is probably the only one of the front court that will operate mainly in the post. Bacot has strong post up moves and operates the best on the block. Having Sean May on the staff has been invaluable, and Bacot has been playing a lot of one-on-one with Psycho T this summer. Bacot said that he is getting beat up day in and day out playing Tyler, but that experience is also invaluable. That is also one of the things that makes Carolina so great, but that is a story for another day. Bacot’s free throw shooting could improve as banging in the post means lots of opportunities at the line. He has been inconsistent in his 2 years in Chapel Hill, but I would look for that to improve this year. Bacot provides an experienced presence, and with the departure of Brooks, the team is now his. Bacot averaging 15 points and 10 rebounds is not a far fetched prediction. I predict we will see an even better version of Bacot this year.
LATE NIGHT STATS:
8-11 FG, 18 points, 12 rebounds, 1-1 from 3, 1-2 FT, 3 Assists, 1 Steal
Dawson Garcia 6-11 sophomore transfer
CAREER/LAST SEASON STATS: 13 points, 6.6 rebounds, 48% from the field, 78.3% FT, 35.6% from 3, 29.7 minutes per game
AGAINST US: He had 24 points on 9-13 shooting, and 11 rebounds. He played 37 minutes and shot 69.2% from the field and went 5-5 from the charity strike.
Dawson Garcia was a huge get. Without Kerwin Walton we may not get him, but I will discuss Walton’s value to the team in the backcourt preview. Garcia absolutely torched us when Marquette came into Chapel Hill and left with a victory. He was efficient (9-13 shooting) and had 24 points. He grabbed 11 rebounds for a double double. He wasn’t great behind the arc, but was perfect from the charity strike. Garcia is exactly the type of player Davis wanted for his system. Garcia is tall so he can guard in the post on defense and operate in the post on offense. He is also a good shooter and shot 35.6% from 3 in his only season with Marquette. We need a big guy that can make free throws and Garcia is pretty good at the charity strike at 78.3%. He was a guy that we recruited pretty heavily out of high school, but the commitments of both Sharpe and Kessler pretty much ended any chances of us getting him. But those guys are gone and we have him now. Garcia is the quiet type per say, but is a great communicator on defense which is something we desperately need. Davis has put an emphasis on defense and Garcia provides some rim protection as well as someone that has the ability to guard the perimeter. Garcia is used to playing a lot of minutes, so I don’t foresee conditioning or being in shape being a factor at all. I see Garcia being the guy that could flourish in our secondary break whether it's cutting down the lane or getting open 3’s. This guy's upside is just so high, and he is definitely an NBA caliber player. Garcia will most likely operate on the perimeter on offense as a stretch 4, but he could see time at the 5 when Bacot is getting a breather. When that happens, we may have 5 guys out on the perimeter, but again Garcia has the size to operate inside. I also don’t know how many opposing team’s big guys are going to be able to guard a 6’11” guy out on the perimeter. Our guys definitely couldn’t last year. He has the ability to shake his defender and he can rise up for a shot over most guys. Garcia is going to be used in a variety of ways. Double double average isn’t out of the question for him either. I see him being the other starting post next to Bacot.
LATE NIGHT STATS:
5-9 FG, 12 points, 1-3 from 3, 6 rebounds, 1-2 FT, 1 Assist, 1 TO
Justin Mckoy 6-8 Junior transfer
CAREER STATS: 2.5 points a game, 2.3 rebounds, 46.5% from the field, 75% FT, 33.3% from 3, 9.48 minutes per game
LAST SEASON: 3.5 points a game, 3.2 rebounds a game, 48.3% from the field, 80% FT, 33.3% from 3, 11 minutes per game
Justin Mckoy is back home. Mckoy went to high school in Cary (I have a joke for what Cary stands for, but I will leave it alone). He chose Virginia over UNC, but after 2 seasons with the cavs, he is back in NC. Mckoy made small improvements from year 1 to 2 with UVA, but never really saw his role increase very much. Mckoy said he wasn’t a very good defender out of high school, and spent his time with UVA getting better on that side of the ball. We need good defenders, so this should be music to every Tar Heels fan’s ear out there. Teammates have said Mckoy is one of the most competitive people they have ever met, and Mckoy has personally said that he prides himself on competing. This is another guy that communicates well on defense. Mckoy is confident in his offense game, but never felt like he had the opportunity to showcase it at Virginia. Davis’ new offense will give him an opportunity to do just that. Mckoy has a pretty sweet shot despite his 3 point percentage not being all that high. Mckoy will be another stretch 4, but I would expect him to operate exclusively on the perimeter. He isn’t quite as big as his front court teammates. On the defensive end though he has the ability to guard the opposing team’s wing players. Mckoy can guard the 3 or the 4 spot. I could also see him getting some time at the 3 spot with a big lineup. I could see Mckoy averaging 7 or 8 points this season. I think most of his contributions may be things that aren’t necessarily on the stat sheet. I kind of see him like a Jackie Manuel or a Brandon Robinson or Theo Pinson. And yes I know all of those guys could put up points. Those were energy guys though and I don’t think you will ever have to question if Mckoy is competing at 100%. He is a versatile multiple year player and his role could evolve from game to game.
LATE NIGHT STATS:
3-6 FG, 7 points, 1-2 from 3, 0-1 FT, 6 rebounds, 1 Assist, 1 TO
Brady Manek 6-9 grad transfer
CAREER: 11.9 points, 5.575 rebounds, 45.25% from the field, 72.75% FT, 37.4% from 3, 26.77 minutes per game
LAST SEASON: 10.8 points, 5 rebounds, 42.2% from the field, 76.7% FT, 37.5% from 3, 25.1 minutes per game
Manek was a 4 year starter at Oklahoma where he was the 14th leading scorer in Sooner history. He started 111 of 122 games. He made 235 three-pointers which is fifth-most in OU history. He became the tallest player in Big 12 history to make 200 3’s and the first with 200 3’s and 100 blocks. He is the only Sooner to compile 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 200 3’s, and 11 blocks.
BIG SEXY! We only get Manek for one year, but it will be great to have a player that has the experience that Manek has. This year seems like a pivotal year in the program and Manek is a great guy for Davis to have around in his first season as head coach. Manek is a mature player who has played big time basketball. He comes with a good mindset and NCAA tournament experience. His career stats and achievements at Oklahoma speak for themselves, the guy can ball. And he can shoot. His 3 point percentage has been steady throughout his 4 years at Oklahoma and he averaged double figures every year. He started 111 of 122 games. You can’t overestimate the amount of experience this guy brings to the court. You just can’t. Manek is known as a shooter. His stats back it up, and so does Caleb Love. Love stated that Manek just doesn’t miss. Well Caleb I hope you are right. Manek spent most of his Sooner career out on the perimeter and I expect the same in his lone season in Chapel Hill. Manek is another stretch 4, but he has some size. He has been working on his post moves this summer and could see time at the 5 with a small lineup. He can guard in the post on defense, and his teammates rave about how vocal he is on the defensive end of the floor. He is also no stranger to a lot of minutes and he could also benefit greatly from the secondary break as a cutter or a 3 point shooter. I think it's a safe bet that Manek continues his streak of averaging double digits this season. Manek is probably the player that I am most excited about and that has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he showed up in Chapel Hill with a Bass Pro Shop hat on or that he blasted country music the first day of practice (except it kinda does).
LATE NIGHT STATS: 5-9 FG, 11 points, 1-3 from 3, 6 rebounds, 2 Assists, 1 TO, 1 steal
Duwe Farris 6-6 junior
CAREER/LAST SEASON: 0 points, .3 rebounds, 0% from the field, 0% FT, 1.5 minutes per game, has appeared in 6 total games
First congrats to Farris for making the team. Hopefully with a better season, he will find the floor a little more in garbage minutes. Maybe he will be the guy to get us (well there are no bojangles in Delaware) biscuits. His contributions in practice are also vital to the success of the team.
Ryan McAdoo 6-5 Redshirt Senior
CAREER: 0.1 points, 0.1 rebounds, 0% from the field, 50% FT, 1.6 minutes per game, has appeared in 17 total games
McAdoo is another bench guy that makes vital contributions in practice. He has appeared in 17 games throughout his time at Carolina. Again hopefully this season he can see more minutes as hopefully we blow more teams out.
LATE NIGHT STATS: 1-1 FG, 2 points
Quick Thought
In the past UNC has consistently been one of the best in the ACC and the country in offensive rebounds. Now that was in the Roy Williams era of 2 down low post players. We also were not a great outside shooting team. There are plenty of opportunities to rebound when there are alot of missed shots. I think this year’s team will be a much better outside shooting team and I expect the guards to have more room to operate in the paint. How many people does Hubie send to the glass? We can't make every shot and the more opportunities to score the better, so how does this new offense affect our dominance on the offensive boards
LINK TO LATE NIGHT STATS:
It is worth noting that every big man hit a 3 during the late night scrimmage.
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