UNC Basketball: 2019 Keys against Louisville in ACC Tournament Quarterfinals
By Trevor Marks
2. Build Kenny Williams’ confidence from deep
For those who have paid attention to the roller coaster that is Kenny Williams’ season-long shooting splits, his alternating stretches of hot and cold play can be maddening. A 40.2 percent three-point shooter only a year ago, the senior guard is shooting an abysmal 30.2 percent from beyond the arc on just over four attempts per game through 31 games of his senior campaign.
His inconsistency is long-chronicled and nothing new, but it’s frustrating nonetheless. And, for a UNC team that thrives upon all-around contributions up and down the roster, getting optimal shooting from its upperclassmen shooting guard would be beneficial for a postseason run, both in the ACC and beyond.
The root of Williams’ inconsistency is hard to peg. At times he takes rushed shots in traffic, sometimes his base is off-balance because of a tendency to swing his legs during his shot, and sometimes the ball just refuses to go through the net no matter how nice his shot looks. This is what makes it so difficult to find an avenue to getting him back on the right track, but still, it’s a worthwhile goal to work toward.
Recently, though, it seems like he may have rediscovered his touch from long-range. Through 29 games, Williams had converted on only 33-of-117 three-point attempts (28.2 3P%). After two strong performances against Boston College and Duke last week, Williams’ three-point percentage took a small jump to 30.2 3P%, thanks to 2-of-5 shooting against the Eagles (10 points) and 4-of-7 shooting (18 points) against the Blue Devils.
It would be innacurate to say that Roy Williams drew up specific plays and schemes to free up his senior shooting guard. If anything, Kenny Williams merely got hot at the right time, confidently hitting the shots created from UNC’s Carolina break and the constant movement it requires. Just because additonal coaching wasn’t needed for Williams’ three-point shooting in the previous two games doesn’t mean it’s not needed for Thursday’s meeting with Louisville.
Through the teams’ two meetings, UNC is shooting a meager 9-of-46 (19.6 3P%) from beyond the arc, abnormally low for the ACC’s second-best shooting team. It’s rare that lightning strikes twice, let alone three times, so it’s hard to imagine the Heels shoot so poorly on Thursday, but nonetheless, creating chances for its perimeter options should be a key focus.
For Kenny Williams, he should especially be granted a green light, not only for the sake of Thursday’s game but for the sake of continuing to build up his confidence as the Heels move deeper into postseason play. If Williams can string together multiple games of good shooting this late in the season, it could be a difference-maker for UNC.