The guards on the North Carolina men’s basketball team took advantage of their opportunity to shine on Friday night without star point guard Marcus Paige.
In an exhibition match to kick off the 2015-16 season, the Tar Heels topped Guilford College 99-49. This was UNC’s first game without Paige, who will be out for three to four weeks after fracturing a bone in his right, non-shooting hand earlier in the week.
With Justin Jackson sitting out due to illness, sophomore Joel Berry and junior Nate Britt started in the backcourt for the Tar Heels and immediately gave onlookers insight into what the next month will look like for UNC.
Both guards came out firing from 3-point distance, combining for seven 3-point attempts in the first half.
The starting backcourt pair did their best to create shots early and often in the game — highlighted by two early possessions where they found sophomore guard Theo Pinson for 3-pointers.
The confidence the three North Carolina guards had from the 3-point line in the early stages of the game had to do with their offseason preparation. Outside shooting aside from Paige has been an area of concern for the Tar Heels for the past few seasons, and the players behind him have worked to alleviate those concerns
“I know I worked a lot on my shot this summer,” Berry said. “So have Theo and Nate.”
Berry finished the game with 12 points and seven assists, while Britt scored 14 points and had nine assists for the Tar Heels — who hope the pair will keep up their high numbers to fill the void left by Paige.
Berry impressed his coaches all preseason and was ready for the opportunity that was handed to him Friday.
