ACC Basketball: Analyzing each team’s overall offense for 2020-21 season
North Carolina Tar Heels
2019-20: 73.3 ppg in ACC play
The 6-14 record that landed North Carolina Basketball in a three-way tie for last in the ACC was a surprise to many. That result had almost entirely to do with the number of games lost to injuries. Early NBA Draft entrant Cole Anthony missed seven games versus ACC opponents, Anthony Harris, who will start in the backcourt this season with incoming freshman Caleb Love, played just five games all season.
While graduating guard Brandon Robinson (11.8 ppg) missed four ACC games, including the heartbreaking loss to Duke in overtime. Injuries are near impossible to predict, but as long as Coach Roy Williams has better luck than last season, he has the number two recruiting class in the nation to work with.
Coach Williams heavily utilized two four-out sets in his half-court offense. One will start with the ball in Love’s hands on the right slot as he swings to Garrison Brooks (16.8 ppg) up top. From there Love will cut low post as Brooks swings to starting small forward Leaky Black (6.5 ppg). Black gets his points in the paint, if there is no lane he will dump it in the post to starting center Armado Bacot (9.6 ppg). Armado is able to take a power dribble to the basket and dunk, as well as skip pass out the post to a streaking Anthony Harris from the weak-side post.
The second set is designed to get Brooks post position on the block with the two guards on the weak side corner. On Black’s call, Brooks will high-low screen for Bacot and seal the man on the switch as the first scoring option, if there is no entry pass it gets swung back to Leaky as Harris will cut through the key using Bacot’s screen, leaving Love off-ball in the corner for a three.
Next. Latest preseason power rankings for 2020-21. dark
Last season saw the Tar Heels use a lot of ‘small on big screens’ and with the talented frontcourt they have this year with 6’9 No. 12 on the RSCI Day’Ron Sharpe who can end up starting and 7’0 Walker Kessler who ended up No. 18 on RSCI. Andrew Platek who averaged 18 minutes last season will split with freshman Kerwin Walton at shooting guard or Puff Johnson at small forward.
The bench gets younger with No. 43 freshman RJ Davis backing up Love at the point. Coach Williams has a lot of weapons at his disposal and he is sure to find the right combinations.