Four Non-Conference Trends For UNC As Full ACC Slate Begins’

RJ Davis’ hot streak, bench production and more takeaways for Hubert Davis’ 9-3 Tar Heels

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) – North Carolina’s non-conference schedule is officially complete, leaving 19 ACC games on the schedule.

On Friday, UNC surpassed the century milestone with a 105-60 home victory over Charleston Southern. In front of a sold-out crowd, six players scored in double figures.

After a win against Florida State in early December, the team enters conference play with a 9-3 record and a No. 9 ranking in the AP Top 25. The Tar Heels lead the ACC in scoring with 86.3 points per game.

“I think this group has shown toughness and resilience, and I think going into ACC play, we’re ready,” Davis said. “From the starting five all the way to the bench, everyone finds a way to contribute, and everyone’s always happy for each other’s success.”

During the 2022-23 season, UNC finished eighth in the ACC, and its season ended with a loss to Virginia in the ACC Tournament.

North Carolina last won the ACC regular season in 2019, and the squad last won the conference tournament in 2016.

Here are some patterns to keep an eye on as the team completes its ACC campaign.

RJ DAVIS’ RENAISSANCE

RJ Davis’ recent scoring run — eight straight 20-point games — has improved the Tar Heels’ offence and added a new dimension to it.

Davis is now averaging 21.6 points per game on 44.2% shooting, a career high. He’s making a career-high 38.9% of his 3-point attempts. Friday was his first career double-double with points and assists, and he became the first UNC player to do so since Kendall Marshall in 2012.

“He’s in a really good rhythm,” remarked Hubert Davis. “This year, his leadership has been outstanding.” His defence has been outstanding. There are extremely few offensive players who can score both with the ball in their hands and off the ball, and still be able to distribute, get other people involved, and he can do that.”

Davis ranks first among ACC players in scoring. His season-high was a 30-point effort against Arkansas in the Bahamas, helping North Carolina go on a second-half run to defeat the Razorbacks.

For Davis, a season full of career bests results from a sharper mental approach. His gradual progression across his four years has him leading the team in scoring for the first time.

“I think it’s happened naturally, through my freshman year all the way to now,” RJ Davis said. “There’s been moments in different years from freshman to now, just seeing the game a little bit but also seeing what’s around me. Going into this year, I knew the team we had. I’ve been here for four years, and everyone was new. So just me stepping into that leadership role, being more vocal and knowing myself, knowing who I am. That was big for me.”

TRUE ROAD TESTS COMING

North Carolina returned to the Smith Center after a 27-day on Friday. But next week, the team will leave town once again.

As much as the Tar Heels have been away from Chapel Hill, they have yet to play a true road game.

UNC’s next three games are all taking place in opposing arenas — at Pitt, at Clemson and at N.C. State. This season, the team is 3-3 in neutral-site games. A few of those games still had lopsided fanbases, but nonetheless, North Carolina hasn’t yet played on an opponent’s home court.

“I think Madison Square Garden helped the most,” Seth Trimble said about neutral environments helping the team before the road trip. “I think UConn had the biggest traveling crowd. But games like that definitely can help us. You’re just playing against a sixth man, really.”

North Carolina went 4-7 on the road last year. Its lone non-conference game was a loss against Indiana.

UNC lost its last road matchup to Pittsburgh, 76-74, and a resume to conference play will begin in that environment. The Panthers won both meetings against North Carolina in 2023 by a combined three points.

“I know us four returners, we’re very hungry to play Pitt again,” Trimble said. “They’re a good team. They were a good team last year, but we feel like we let them get away with both games last year. So we need to make sure that we take our business”

MORE CONSISTENCY FROM THE BENCH

North Carolina is finding more production from its second unit this season.

Against Charleston Southern, UNC scored a season-high 43 bench points. The Tar Heels’ bench is averaging 21.5 points per game thus far. Four players off the bench are playing nine or more minutes per game.

“The guys that play, those are the minutes that they have earned through their preparation and through their practice,” Hubert Davis said. “It’s great that you can have guys like Jalen Washington, (Jae’Lyn Withers), Seth and those guys come off the bench and give you such positive play on both ends of the floor.”

Washington and Trimble have been the team’s most reliable second-unit assets so far. Washington scored a career-high 17 points against Charleston Southern to go along with a career-high seven rebounds. Washington said after the game that he’s feeling more confident physically compared to last year.

Washington’s played 10 or more minutes five times so far this season after playing just 5.6 minutes per game in 20 appearances a season ago.

Trimble has continued to provide a lift with his perimeter defense, and his offensive game has stepped up, too. He scored a career-high 12 points against Arkansas, with two corner 3-pointers helping to propel North Carolina in the victory. He tied his career high on Friday

off the bench.

“Just really seeing where we can help the team,” Washington said in reference to UNC’s second unit. “They’re gonna let us know what we need to do coming into the game. So just really been dialed in on that. And then once you get in, you make a couple of good plays and you’re really into the game.”

North Carolina was nearly on the NCAA Tournament borderline last year, with fans becoming pseudo-experts on NET rankings and quadrant wins by the end of the season.

However, this year’s team should not have to worry about making the Big Dance. After 12 games, it is ranked in the top ten by the AP and 20th by the NET. North Carolina is 3-2 against rated opponents. For the first time in programme history, UNC faced five consecutive ranked non-conference opponents.

When UNC dropped out of the AP Top 25 after starting the season at No. 1, each game had a greater impact on its postseason prospects. The team’s conference games will still be important in terms of its place in the league the conference, but the Tar Heels will almost certainly be eligible for the NCAA tournament after completing their ACC schedule.

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