#18 UNC Basketball 2023-2024

Key Departures: Caleb Love, Tyler Nickel, Dontrez Styles, Pete Nance, Leaky Black, D’Marco Dunn, Justin McKoy, Puff Johnson, Will Shaver

Projected Starting Lineup:

PG: Elliot Cadeau (Fr.)

PG: R.J. Davis (Sr.)

SF: Harrison Ingram (Jr.)

PF: Jae’Lyn Withers (GS.)

C: Armando Bacot Jr. (RS Sr.)

Key Reserve Players:

SG: Cormac Ryan (GS.), SG: Paxson Wojcik (GS.), PF/C: Jalen Washington (So.), PG: Seth Trimble (So.), PF: Zayden High (Fr.), PF: James Okonkwo (RS So.)

Discussion:

From preseason number one to missing March Madness, UNC had one of the most disappointing seasons that we have seen in college basketball. Aside from their hot stretch of play in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, the Hubert Davis era has been extremely underwhelming. Although this is just his third season, I think this is a big year for Coach Davis to prove that he is the right guy to be leading this program.

The two most important pieces are back in R.J. Davis and Armando Bacot. With Caleb Love gone, this should give Davis more breathing room in the backcourt. Davis had his best season as a junior, averaging 16.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. Although Bacot was not as good this past year as he was in 2021-2022, he still averaged a double-double with 15.9 points and 10.4 rebounds. Whenever you bring back two of the top players in the entire ACC, that is a damn good place to start.

Elliot Cadeau’s decision to reclassify was a major offseason move. A gifted passer and crafty playmaker, Cadeau should allow Davis to really excel as an off-ball scorer. This is a small backcourt, but I think people are really excited to watch Cadeau a year early. It is important to note that UNC did lose a commitment from Simeon Wilcher.

Harrison Ingram leads a group of five incoming transfers, so Davis was really busy in the portal. Ingram averaged 10.5 points in his two seasons at Stanford, but he never really popped off like many NBA draft gurus had hoped. Perhaps a change in scenery could open things up for the former McDonald’s All-American, who was seriously considering the Tar Heels out of high school. UNC brings in two ACC transfers in Jae’Lyn Withers from Louisville and Cormac Ryan from Notre Dame. They both have plenty of experience as starters, it will just depend on what kind of lineup Davis will want to use to open up games. I don’t think Ingram, Withers and Ryan will all start, but two of them should. And then additionally, Paxson Wojcik comes in from Brown and James Okonkwo from West Virginia.

Sophomores Jalen Washington and Seth Trimble are back. Both played in under ten minutes per game as freshmen. Washington still has a ways to catch up to speed, he had dealt with injuries prior to coming to UNC. Trimble showed some promise on the defensive end of the floor and is a good athlete, but did not offer much on the offensive side. In addition to Cadeau, the Tar Heels add four-star freshman power forward Zayden High. Washington and High are two potential bigs that could help to stretch out the floor if they become consistent shooting threats.

Plain and simple, this is a big year for Hubert Davis to show that he can get this program back to playing at a very high level.

#3 UNC Basketball 2022-2023

Key Departures: Brady Manek, Anthony Harris, Kerwin Walton Jr.

Projected Starting Lineup:

PG: R.J. Davis (Jr.)

PG: Caleb Love (Jr.)

SF: Leaky Black (RS Sr.)

PF: Pete Nance (GS.)

C: Armando Bacot Jr. (Sr.)

Key Reserve Players:

SF: Puff Johnson (Jr.), PG: Seth Trimble (Fr.), SF: Dontrez Styles (So.), PF/C: Jalen Washington (Fr.), SF/PF: Tyler Nickel (Fr.), SG: D’Marco Dunn (So.), SF/PF: Justin McKoy (Sr.), C: Will Shaver (RS Fr.)

Discussion:

What a rollercoaster of a season for the Tar Heels. North Carolina went from possibly not making it into the tournament, to getting in as an eight seed, ultimately making it all the way to the national championship game, and even had a 15 point lead at the half. I was not sure if Hubert Davis was the guy for the job, but I was completely wrong. Once Davis was able to get the chemistry established and able to get the guys to play together, North Carolina started cooking on all cylinders, winning 11 of their final 13 games. You know that it probably still stings that they did not finish the job, but UNC returns almost everyone, giving them an experienced core heading into 2022-2023. Many people will compare this UNC team to the UCLA team that returned this past season after a final four run in 2020-2021. But that UCLA team did not have a dominant force inside like Armando Bacot, who is going to have a monster senior season and is likely the favorite for ACC Player of the Year. It is still mind blowing how Hubert Davis was able to turn last year’s UNC team around from losing 85-57 against Miami and 98-76 to Wake Forest in back to back games in January, to making it all the way to the national title game in April. It is safe to say that he knows what it takes and is clearly a good fit at his alma mater.

R.J. Davis and Caleb Love are both back to run the backcourt. Davis will probably be the second best player on this team after Bacot. He had an awesome sophomore season and was really good in the tournament, which included a 30-point performance in the OT win over Baylor. I get that Caleb Love is the more electric shot maker, but I trust Davis a lot more. Although he did improve as a sophomore as well and was second on the team in scoring, Love’s shot selection and decision making still needs improvement. He did increase his 3-point percentage to 36 percent, but he only shot 37 percent from the field (he can struggle finishing at the rim at times). When he feels like he is in a zone, he loves to launch from deep. And although he did have 30 points and 28 points against UCLA and Duke respectively in the tournament, you also have to deal with stretches where he goes 4-17, 2-10 and 3-17 from the field. He also committed 2.7 turnovers per game. If he takes smart shots and makes them consistently and also takes care of the ball, he is one of the best guards in the country. It just comes down to whether he does those things or not. To me, he is the x-factor for this team.

Leaky Black returns for one more season and will once again be one of the best perimeter defenders in the country. He is not a shooter or scorer, but his defensive abilities are very important for this team. At the four will be Pete Nance, who comes over as a grad transfer from Northwestern. Nance had his best season this past year as a senior, averaging 14.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists. Losing Brady Manek cannot be overstated enough. Manek was such a special shooter last season and was so important to the team’s success. His ability to stretch the floor was superb and he fit really well with Bacot. Nance is not nearly the sniper that Manek is, although he did shoot 45.2 percent from 3-point range last season. However, Nance will be able to do more things and will provide more versatility especially when it comes to passing and defending. Grabbing Nance to fill the four spot was huge, but he will have big shoes to fill. Now to Bacot. You could make the argument that Bacot was robbed of ACC Player of the Year last season with his stat line of 16.3 points, 13.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. As I mentioned earlier, he is going to have a monster season and will likely win that award as a senior. When it comes to the boards, he is unbelievable.

Now, we get to the reserves. Puff Johnson probably would have been the fifth starter if UNC did not get Pete Nance. Johnson had three double figure scoring games last season, with two of them being in the tournament (Marquette and Kansas). He will probably be the first option of the bench and could play at the three or the four. Dontrez Styles would probably be the next option to play the three or the four, depending on the lineup, with Justin McKoy and Tyler Nickel also being options. Styles’ best game of the season came against Baylor in the tournament where he had nine points in 25 minutes.

Seth Trimble should be the first guard off the bench and should get quality minutes as a freshman behind Davis and Love. Trimble has a lot of potential on both ends of the floor. He is a really good athlete for the point guard position and shows that ability when getting into the paint. Get excited for the future backcourt of Trimble and Simeon Wilcher (2023). D’Marco Dunn will also be a guard off the bench and he will look to increase his playing time as a sophomore. He saw minimal action as a freshman, averaging 4.1 minutes in 23 game appearances. The Tar Heels will need shooting off the bench, so we will see if that can be unlocked in Dunn.

Bacot did not have much depth behind him last season. Plus, he was so productive when he was on the court, it was hard for Coach Davis to take him out of the game. We will see how many minutes Jalen Washington will get. He did deal with an ACL injury in high school. We could possibly see him playing with Bacot at times as well depending on the opponent. If they are on the court together, it will be very tough for teams to get through the length of Washington and the strength of Bacot. Will Shaver will add insurance as well. He enrolled at UNC early last season to practice with the team and was a redshirt.

This is a veteran heavy team with experience. I think losing Manek is huge, but the addition of Pete Nance will definitely help to fill that spot. Shooting will be a key factor for this team with Manek gone. Guys like Nance, Washington and Puff Johnson will need to be able to help spread out the floor. R.J. Davis and Caleb Love will also need to be consistent shooters. Many people have this team as their preseason number one and although I think you can make that argument, I have them sitting at number three.

#17 UNC Basketball 2021-2022

Key Departures: Garrison Brooks, Day’Ron Sharpe, Walker Kessler, Andrew Platek

Projected Starting Lineup:

PG: Caleb Love (So.)

SG: Kerwin Walton Jr. (So.)

SF: Leaky Black (Sr.)

PF: Dawson Garcia (So.)

C: Armando Bacot Jr. (Jr.)

Key Reserve Players:

PG: R.J. Davis (So.), SG: Anthony Harris (RS So.), PF: Brady Manek (GS.), SF: Justin McKoy (Jr.), SG/SF: Puff Johnson (So.), SF: Dontrez Styles (Fr.), SG: D’Marco Dunn (Fr.)

Discussion:

The Hubert Davis era begins in Chapel Hill. The hall of fame career for Roy Williams comes to an end and it is now time for Davis to lead his alma mater.

Caleb Love is back for his sophomore season after a rough freshman year campaign. Love struggled with decision making throughout the entire year and was extremely inconsistent. He averaged 3.1 turnovers per game and shot just 31.6 percent from the field. Love will be the key for UNC’s success this year much like Jeremy Roach will be for Duke. On a positive note, he does return as their second leading scorer. Kerwin Walton was sort of the forgotten man in last year’s recruiting class, but he definitely surprised some people in a positive way, especially with his shooting. He started in 20 games and had a 42.0 percent clip from downtown. R.J. Davis started the season in the backcourt with Love, but Coach Williams elected to go with Walton for the remainder of the season. Expect Davis to come off the bench in 2021-2022, but he should still have a major role. Davis and Anthony Harris should be the first two guards off the bench. Hopefully we can get a fully healthy season of Harris.

Leaky Black, now a senior, will be a key leader for this team. His game never really took off like many had hoped it would at some point, but he will be a nice veteran to have in the lineup. He has started in 59 total games in the last two seasons. Hubert Davis was able to add three transfers this offseason, with the biggest get being Dawson Garcia from Marquette. The former McDonald’s All-American spent one season in Milwaukee before deciding to enter the transfer portal. He is a skilled lefty who can score in the post, can step out in midrange, and has an improving three-point stroke. He averaged 13.0 points and 6.6 rebounds as a freshman. Pretty crazy, but if you look at the 2020 class, five McDonald’s All Americans will have played in a Tar Heel uniform. UNC typically has two starting bigs and that will continue this year. Garcia will start next to Armando Bacot, who returns as the leading scorer and rebounder on last year’s team. He averaged 12.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per contest. He will be another important leader for Hubert Davis. Brady Manek and Justin McKoy are the two other transfers coming to Chapel Hill. Manek was a four-year starter at Oklahoma and shot over 35 percent from 3-point range in all four seasons. He is known as a big who can stretch out the defense and should be a nice complement to Garcia and Bacot in the big rotation. McKoy was a role player at UVA the past two seasons, but did see a bigger role as a sophomore, starting in four games.

Puff Johnson got kind of lost in the rotation last season, only averaging 4.1 minutes per game in 14 appearances. He does have a sweet lefty stroke, but will need to compete for minutes with the two incoming four-stars, D’Marco Dunn and Dontrez Styles.

It is not like Roy Williams left Hubert Davis nothing. This is a deep team with plenty of talent across the roster. Davis has enough to compete at the top of the ACC in year one.

#21 UNC Basketball 2020-2021

Key Departures: Cole Anthony, Brandon Robinson, Christian Keeling, Justin Pierce, Jeremiah Francis, Brandon Huffman

Projected Starting Lineup:

PG: Caleb Love (Fr.)

SG: Anthony Harris (RS Fr.)

SF: Leaky Black (Jr.)

PF: Garrison Brooks (Sr.)

C: Armando Bacot Jr. (So.)

Key Reserve Players:

PG: R.J. Davis (Fr.), C: Day’Ron Sharpe (Fr.), C: Walker Kessler (Fr.), SG/SF: Puff Johnson (Fr.), SG: Kerwin Walton Jr. (Fr.), SG: Andrew Platek (Sr.), C: Sterling Manley (RS Jr.)

Discussion:

What a disaster season it was for the Tar Heels in 2019-2020. We even saw Roy Williams say that it was the least gifted team he has coached since his return to Chapel Hill. The last time Williams had less than 20 wins in a season as the head coach at UNC was his first year at the helm in 2003-2004. There were injuries and chemistry issues throughout the season, but it is safe to say that last year was the worst of Williams’ career. On the positive side, when you have a brand name like North Carolina, you are going to attract big time recruits to your program, regardless of having a poor season. A top two recruiting class has arrived in Chapel Hill, headlined by four McDonald’s All-Americans.

Cole Anthony is gone, but insert Caleb Love into that starting point guard spot. Love, one of the four incoming McDonald’s All-Americans, will take the reigns at the point. The Saint Louis native is capable of playing on or off ball and should form a nice tandem with fellow McDonald’s All-American, R.J. Davis. With Love and Davis both able to play either guard spot, you will probably see them together on the court fairly often. Davis can really score the basketball. Hopefully, Anthony Harris will be fully healthy when the season begins, but if not, expect Love and Davis to start for the Tar Heels. Harris is another combo guard who has been extremely unlucky with knee injuries dating back since high school. He had a left knee injury that carried over from high school, which forced him to miss the first eight games of his freshman season. He was then limited to only five total games due to a torn right ACL, forcing him to redshirt.

I expected Leaky Black to make a big leap as a sophomore, but that never really happened. He really struggled to shoot it last season. He has talent and size at 6’8″ and shows flashes of being able to make plays for others, but he can never seem to put all of the piece to his game together. I am interested to see what his role will be as a junior with all of this incoming talent around him.

When it comes to shooting, the Tar Heels will have guys like Puff Johnson (younger brother of Cam Johnson), Kerwin Walton, and Andrew Platek to fill that role (although Platek did not shoot it well at all as a junior). These guys should hopefully be a nice punch off the bench. The 3-point shooting was a real struggle for North Carolina last season, the consistency was never there.

What may be the most interesting decision for Roy Williams is how he plays his bigs. Garrison Brooks and Armando Bacot return as starters, but two McDonald’s All-Americans enter the picture as well. Brooks had a sensational junior season, averaging 16.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, while earning ACC Most-Improved Player. He figures to be the leader of this group and will contend for ACC Player of the Year. As far as the other three, I am curious to see how the minutes are distributed. Walker Kessler is one of my favorite incoming recruits in college basketball because I love his skill level for his size. And Sharpe is expected to be an absolute force. Not to mention, Sterling Manley will be back, after redshirting last season due to left knee surgery. It will be fascinating to see how Roy Williams finds time for all of these guys.

North Carolina is going to be young, especially their bench. After a disappointing season in 2019-2020, Roy Williams and company will look to have a huge bounce back year and get back to battling it out at the top of the ACC. I don’t expect the Tar Heels to find themselves at the bottom of the conference for two straight seasons.

#8 UNC Basketball 2019-2020

Key Departures: Coby White, Luke Maye, Nassir Little, Cam Johnson, Kenny Williams III, Seventh Woods

Projected Starting Lineup:

PG: Cole Anthony (Fr.)

SG: Christian Keeling (GS.)

SF: Justin Pierce (GS.)

PF: Garrison Brooks (Jr.)

C: Armando Bacot Jr. (Fr.)

Key Reserve Players:

SG: Brandon Robinson (Sr.), SF: Leaky Black (So.), C: Sterling Manley (Jr.), PG: Anthony Harris (Fr.), SG: Andrew Platek (Jr.), C: Brandon Huffman (Jr.), PG: Jeremiah Francis (Fr.)

Discussion: 

Considering their talent level, last year’s season had a disappointing ending for North Carolina, falling to Auburn in the Sweet 16, 97-80.

They lose a ton of production, including their top five scorers (four starters). Garrison Brooks will be the only returning starter for the Tar Heels. Despite losing so many key guys, I think Roy Williams did a sensational job in the offseason. He brought in a terrific recruiting class and did a great job on the grad transfer market. As always, UNC will be right there at the top of the ACC.

What a luxury for Roy Williams. You lose Coby White to the NBA draft, but replace him with the top point guard in the 2019 recruiting class. Not a bad deal. Cole Anthony is athletic, he’s a dynamic scorer, and wired to make winning plays for his team. I actually think Anthony is a better player than Coby White. Now, I don’t know if he will have as good of a freshman season as White did, but he will be must watch TV because he is such a special talent.

As mentioned earlier, Coach Williams put a lot of work into the grad transfer market, adding Christian Keeling and Justin Pierce. Both guys were top ten grad transfers according to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello. Keeling is a big time scoring guard from Charleston Southern (18.7 ppg last season) and Pierce is a versatile, multi-purpose forward from William and Mary. Two huge pickups for the Tar Heels.

I think Coach Williams will go back to his traditional two-big starting lineup that we used to see with Kennedy Meeks and Brice Johnson/Isaiah Hicks. Brooks will join Armando Bacot to form a very good duo down low. UNC is known for their rebounding, and this upcoming season will definitely display that.

I think the bench is going to be solid as well. Brandon Robinson will be a seasoned veteran off the bench, capable of providing a shooting spark. Leaky Black has all the makings of becoming a breakout player if he can stay healthy. Sterling Manley will be a great third big in the rotation, again, if he can stay healthy. And Coach Williams was able to add former Hokie commit Anthony Harris, a top-100 guy from Paul VI High School. Harris tore his ACL back in December of 2018. He is a tough, pitbull-like point guard, and should serve as the backup to Cole Anthony.

Getting deeper into the rotation, guys who will see minutes here and there are Brandon Huffman, Andrew Platek, and Jeremiah Francis. Huffman fell behind Brooks and Manley in the pecking order early in his career and hasn’t seen consistent minutes for two years now. Platek is a decent role player, but there are a lot of guys in front of him. Jeremiah Francis has a similar situation with Cole Anthony and Anthony Harris ahead of him. It doesn’t hurt to have depth though, and I think Roy Williams has that this year.

Whenever you lose your top five scorers, including four starters, it is tough to bounce back the next season. However, Williams did a great job reloading, adding two McDonald’s All-Americans and two top grad transfers. This will be an interesting UNC team, but I expect Cole Anthony to lead a fast, high-powered offense and expect them to dominate on the boards. UNC should be just fine.

 

Keion Brooks Jr. Announces Decision Date

Keion Brooks Jr., a 6’7″ forward from Fort Wayne, Indiana, announced on Twitter that he will make his college decision on Friday, March 15th. Brooks is ranked as the 38th overall recruit in 2019 according to ESPN.

Brooks cut his list to six back in September. The schools to make the cut were Indiana, Michigan State, Kentucky, UNC, UCLA, and Purdue.

Being from the state of Indiana, the Hoosiers have been a heavy contender, but Kentucky has come on as of late. The Wildcats leads the Crystal Ball Predictions at 46%, Indiana is second at 31%, and the Spartans are third at 15%.

Trayce Jackson-Davis decided to stay home, will Brooks do the same? If not, Kentucky seems to be the biggest threat to land him. If Brooks ends up in Lexington, you will probably see him slide up to the four, with Kahlil Whitney playing the three.

Brooks will announce at 8pm on the 15th.

I will be announcing my college decision Friday March 15 at 8 pm‼️@EvanDaniels @BSnow247 Location: St. Paul’s Lutheran School 1125 Barr St, Fort Wayne Indiana

— Keion Brooks Jr. (@KeionB_12) March 4, 2019

Armando Bacot Jr. to UNC

2019 five-star center Armando Bacot Jr. has commmitted to North Carolina. He is ranked as the sixth overall center in the class according to ESPN. Bacot chose the Tar Heels over Duke, Oklahoma State, VCU, and Georgia. He joins four-star point guard Jeremiah Francis as Tar Heel pledges for 2019.

 

I’ll be attending…… pic.twitter.com/q19S3cUUVN

— Armando Bacot Jr. (@iget_buckets35) August 16, 2018

 

#8 UNC Basketball 2018-2019

Key Departures: Joel Berry II, Theo Pinson

Projected Starting Lineup:

PG: Coby White (Fr.)

SG: Kenny Williams III (Sr.)

SF: Nassir Little (Fr.)

SF: Cam Johnson (GS.)

PF: Luke Maye (Sr.)

Key Reserve Players:

PG: Seventh Woods (Jr.), SG: Brandon Robinson (Jr.), PF/C: Garrison Brooks (So.), C: Sterling Manley (So.), SF: Rechon Black (Fr.), SG: Andrew Platek (So.), C: Brandon Huffman (So.)

Discussion:

The Tar Heels are going to have to replace the experience and leadership of Theo Pinson and Joel Berry. Easier said then done. The good news is that they return three starters and have a very talented recruiting class coming in.

Coby White is the biggest question mark for me. The McDonald’s All-American has to replace Joel Berry as the starting point guard for Roy Williams. He oozes with talent and scoring ability, but will he be the floor general that UNC needs? White will share the point guard duties with Seventh Woods, who was sidelined for 17 games last season (foot injury). Kenny Williams really improved his overall game last year. He improved as a two-way player, a perimeter threat, and became a big-shot maker.

Coach Williams hasn’t had a one and done player in quite some time. He has just that in Nassir Little. Little keeps on rising and rising up draft boards. He is an elite athlete with a high-level motor, terrific length, and loves to compete on both ends of the court. Little is physically gifted, which helps him power all the way to the rim and helps him on the defensive end of the floor. He has the potential to become a big-time defender with his physical tools. His perimeter jumper is coming along and once that becomes a consistent part of his arsenal, he will be the perfect small ball player in the NBA. Little was extremely impressive when I watched him on TV against Montverde. He was all over the place. He was extremely active defensively, constantly competed for boards, and was a monster in transition. Little was getting all the way to the rim and was hitting some fall-away jumpers in the mid range game. He is an extremely exciting prospect.

Cam Johnson gave UNC a big boost when he got healthy last season. He was third in scoring for the Tar Heels and is the perfect stretch four guy. Luke Maye returns as the ACC’s most improved player last season. What a jump he had from his sophomore year to his junior year. He was a First-team All-ACC member and a Third-team All-American. Maye averaged 16.9 points and 10.1 rebounds last year and should continue his double-double numbers in his final season. This year’s team is going to be the perfect small ball lineup. It is going to be really tough for teams to defend Little, Johnson, and Maye in the frontcourt. At the five, Maye is a matchup nightmare. He shot 43.1 percent from downtown last season, but he also isn’t afraid to get dirty on the boards. Maye will contend for ACC Player of the Year.

Garrison Brooks, Sterling Manley, and Brandon Huffman all have their first year in Chapel Hill under their belts. Brooks started at the beginning of the season, but was replaced by Cam Johnson once he got healthy. Brooks and Manley showed flashes last season and both could be significant contributors off the bench. Huffman only averaged 3.4 minutes per game last season and found himself near the bottom of the rotation. He is going to have to earn his minutes in practice in order to see more action in games.

Rechon Black is the last piece to the 2018 recruiting class and should receive good minutes as a wing option off the bench. He will bring scoring and size on the perimeter. UNC will also have two shooting guards in Brandon Robinson and Andrew Platek returning.

Roy Williams is going to have the ultimate small ball lineup. Point guard play will be something to monitor, but the combination of returning starters and incoming freshmen should give UNC a super talented team.

Some Saturday CBB Headlines

Michigan State has insane comeback, win 65-60

The Spartans trailed by as many as 27 in the first half and were down by 22 at the midway point. They went on to outscore Northwestern 38-11 in the second half, as the Wildcats shot just 3-26 from the field. Michigan State pulled off the largest comeback in conference history. Northwestern has arguably been the most disappointing team in all of college basketball this season. This game epitomizes that disappointment. Cassius Winston led the way with 17 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. Nick Ward added 15 points and 10 rebounds. Vic Law had 21 points and five assists for the Wildcats. This game was the definition of a tale of two halves. Michigan State has won 10 straight.

Villanova has Xavier’s number 

Since the making of the new Big East, Villanova is 10-1 against Xavier. The Musketeers always seem to have trouble with the Wildcats. In the 95-79 victory on Saturday, Villanova had six players in double figures. Mikal Bridges led the way with 25 points. Donte DiVincenzo had 21 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists. The Wildcats shot 16-34 from 3-point range for the game. When they hit their outside shots, they are extremely difficult to keep up with. Trevon Bluiett had 26 points for Xavier, Quentin Gooden added 10 points and 12 assists.

Baylor takes down the Red Raiders 59-57

The Bears have now won five straight, including wins over Kansas, Texas, and now Texas Tech. Just a few weeks ago, their chances to make the NCAA tournament did not look good, but now, they look really good. Maston had 24 points off the bench for Baylor. Texas Tech’s star point guard Keenan Evans left the game late in the first half because of a foot injury.

South Carolina upsets Auburn 

The Gamecocks took down the Tigers in Columbia 84-75. Auburn shot just 31.7 percent from the field and trailed by 21 points at halftime. Frank Booker had 19 points and Chris Silva added 14 points and 11 rebounds. South Carolina has had a tough season and they won’t be a tournament team, but Frank Martin continues to have his guys compete hard. As for Auburn, the loss definitely hurts, but more importantly, they lose Anfernee McLemore for the season with a dislocated ankle and fractured tibia.

West Virginia falls to Kansas in Lawrence 77-69 

The Jayhawks completed the season sweep of the Mountaineers and Kansas is now tied for first place in the conference with Texas Tech. WVU has now blown a double-digit second half lead in their last three games against Kansas. They lost all three games. The Jayhawks ended today’s game on a 19-3 run. Udoka Azubuike had 21 points for Kansas and Daxter Miles had 22 points for the Mountaineers. West Virginia only show two free throws to the 35 free throws shot by Kansas. Bob Huggins was not happy and saw himself escorted out of Allen Fieldhouse.

Georgia beast Tennessee 73-61 in Athens 

The Bulldogs got a really good win over the Volunteers on Saturday. Now 15-11, Georgia doesn’t seem to be a tournament team, but part of that is due to the fact that they play in an incredible SEC this season. They are a solid basketball team. Yante Maten, one of the better players in the country that isn’t talked about enough, had 19 points for Georgia. Kyle Alexander had 10 points and 13 rebounds for Tennessee.

Arkansas gets big 94-75 win over Texas A&M

Arkansas, a team that is on the bubble, got a big win at home on Saturday. They have won four straight. The Aggies, a bubble team themselves, have dropped two in a row. Jaylen Barford had 21 points, Daryl Macon had 20 points, and Daniel Gafford added 18 points. Robert Williams had 20 points and 14 rebounds for the Aggies and Admon Gilder added 20 points of his own. The SEC has a lot of teams clumped together in the middle of the conference. Games like this are so precious.

Texas takes down Oklahoma in Norman 77-66

Oklahoma has lost five games in a row including eight of their last ten. It looks ugly right now for the Sooners (And they get to go to Lawrence on Monday). Mo Bamba had 10 points and a career-high 18 boards. He also had four blocks. Dylan Osetkowski had 20 points and six rebounds. Trae Young had 26 points on 7-21 shooting from the field (3-10 from 3-point range) for Oklahoma. He looked more frustrated in this game than any other game all season. As for Texas, this win is huge for their chances to make the NCAA tournament.

Syracuse gets big win in Coral Gables 62-55

Syracuse, yet another bubble team, got a much-needed victory on Saturday. They forced Miami to just 33.9 percent shooting from the field for the game. Frank Howard had 18 points and six assists, while Oshae Brissett added 16 points and 12 rebounds. Chris Lykes had 14 points for Miami. The Hurricanes have dropped three in a row.

Butler beats Providence 69-54 at Hinkle

Yes, another game with bubble teams. After recently beating Villanova, the Friars couldn’t get it done in Hinkle on Saturday. Butler got the win and they needed it because they lost their previous three games. Kelan Martin led they way with 19 points for the Bulldogs. I feel pretty comfortable right now with both of these teams making the NCAA tournament.

LSU snaps Missouri’s five-game winning streak, wins 65-63

Like Georgia, LSU is 15-11. They are a fairly solid team, but they just happen to be in a terrific SEC. This was a very good win. Star point guar Tremont Waters had 21 points for LSU. Jordan Barnett had 18 points for Missouri. Missouri needs to be careful because they can’t afford to be in the losing column for an extended period of time.

Kentucky snaps four-game losing streak, defeats Alabama 81-71

The Wildcats had five players in double figures as they got a much-needed victory over the Crimson Tide. Again, the middle of the SEC is insane. There are a bunch of teams grouped together in the middle, making a game like this unbelievably important.

Matt Farrell drops career-high 37 in 84-67 win over BC

Matt Farrell’s career-high 37 points and 10 3-pointers gave the Irish the win over BC on Saturday. Jerome Robinson had 29 points for the Eagles. You have to wonder if Notre Dame has any type of chance to make the tournament. They sure have missed Bonzie.

Vanderbilt beats Florida 71-68

The Commodores are much better than their 11-16 record. Unfortunately, they just haven’t had the season that they had hoped for. Florida is starting to look like a bubble team, now with a 17-10 record. Jeff Roberson had 26 points and seven rebounds for Vanderbilt, while Keith Stone had 20 points and six rebounds for Florida. The Gators better get their act together.

North Carolina beats Louisville 93-76, have won five straight 

The Tar Heels are playing their best basketball of the season right now. Joel Berry recorded 23 points tonight, Luke Maye had 19 points and 13 rebounds, and Theo Pinson added 19 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. The Cardinals got 20 points and six assists from Deng Adel and 18 points and 12 rebounds from Ray Spalding. Louisville really missed out on an opportunity at home to get a big-time win. Their NCAA tournament hopes are definitely up in the air.

 

 

 

 

 

Brad Brownell gets his first win over UNC

Coach Brad Brownell got the 82-78 victory over the Tar Heels on Tuesday night at Littlejohn Coliseum, his first win ever over North Carolina. The Tar Heels haven’t had a three-game skid since January of 2014.

3-pointers were the story for the Tigers in this one. They hit 10 3-pointers in just the first half, finishing with 15 for the game (15-30). Marcquise Reed led the way with 20 points. Reed, Mitchell, and DeVoe combined for 11 of the 15 3-pointers for the Tigers.

Cam Johnson had a career-high 32 points for UNC. He shot 10-18 from the field including 6-10 from 3-point range. Joel Berry added 27 points. Luke Maye had a season-low four points and Theo Pinson left the game just two minutes into the first half with a shoulder injury sustained on a rebound.

North Carolina has major defensive issues, especially on the perimeter. Their young bigs are coming along, but they still need to play with more force and strength. With Theo Pinson injured, they were missing three ball-handlers, along with Seventh Woods and Jalek Felton. Roy Williams has a lot of problems on his plate right now.