If Friday night was any indication, Chapel Hill might have to be renamed Dunk City.
The No. 6 North Carolina Tar Heels essentially ran dunking practice on Belmont Abbey, throwing down slam after slam and running the outmatched Crusader’s off the court for a 112-34 win in the final exhibition game of the year.
But that still wasn’t good enough for Coach Roy Williams
“They still look like a Model T. Ford out there compared to the way I want them to run,” Williams said. “It’s nowhere near where I want it to be, but I think we’re going to get there.”
Freshman forward Justin Jackson led the team with 16 points, while sophomore forwards Isaiah Hicks and Kennedy Meeks contributed 14 each. Jackson took another step towards cementing a place in the starting lineup, playing well beyond his years.
“He has a knack for the ball finding his hands,” Williams said. “He’s naturally an instinctive basketball player that makes the right pass.”
Nothing went the Crusader’s way the entire night. They shot a miserable 28 percent from the floor, and only one player scored in double figures. The length and athleticism of the Tar Heels created major problems for them on offense. Junior forward J.P. Tokoto and Jackson both have the skillset to play shooting guard and small forward, and the duo helped UNC record 19 steals on the night.
“We’re pretty long between the two and the three, and both of those guys are quick,” sophomore guard Nate Britt said. “I feel like that does play a big advantage for us.”
The only thing that didn’t go well for the Tar Heels was their outside shooting. The team shot 3-12 from 3-point range, with Paige, Britt and freshman guard Joel Berry making one apiece. The freshmen trio of Berry, Jackson and forward Theo Pinson, expected to give a boost to UNC’s shooting, went 1-6.
