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UNC Basketball: 2019-20 keys to beat Ohio State in ACC/Big Ten Challenge

By Austin Walther

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 15: Cole Anthony #2 of the North Carolina Tar Heels waits to inbound the ball during the first half of their game against the Gardner-Webb Runnin Bulldogs at the Dean Smith Center on November 15, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 15: Cole Anthony #2 of the North Carolina Tar Heels waits to inbound the ball during the first half of their game against the Gardner-Webb Runnin Bulldogs at the Dean Smith Center on November 15, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 06: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 06: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

2. Backcourt help

We touched on this earlier and everyone has been saying this through seven games. North Carolina needs more production from their guards. A freshman guard like Cole Anthony can not be the crutch in every big game. Garrison Brooks and Armando Bacot are obviously doing their part. Brooks is a big body and has put in his time. Bacot is a talented young big. But neither can shoot from the outside.

The game has changed where you need multiple three-point shooters. Duane Washington is averaging exactly 2 triples per game for Ohio State. Three more guys have eight including big man Kaleb Wesson. Anthony has three more total three-pointers than Washington, but the drop off to the next guys are six.

Justin Pierce transferred from William & Mary as a terrific rebounding and pretty solid three-point shooting small forward. He has six this season at 27 percent. Christian Keeling was the other grad transfer and he was supposed to be sharp shooter. He made 81 three-pointers at 38 percent last season for Charleston Southern. He has four at 21 percent.

The key guy that just came back for Battle 4 Atlantis is Brandon Robinson. He returned from an injured ankle and knocked down six three-pointers during a three game, three-day stretch. He’s a former top-75 recruit and is looking to make the most in his senior year with an extreme increase in minutes.

The two transfers and Andrew Platek seem to be in some sort of slump so Robinson chose a nice time to come back and start making shots. It’s kind of like when Cam Johnson returned from injury when UNC needed offense two season’s ago. Leaky Black is shooting 42 percent from the outside, but has only attempted seven three-pointers. If none of those guys seem to be able to help Anthony with the outside shooting, Robinson should carry over what he did in the Bahamas.

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