First-years impress in Blue-White scrimmage at Late Night with Roy

Brandon Robinson didn’t hesitate.

After catching the opening tip in the North Carolina men’s basketball team’s Blue-White scrimmage at Late Night With Roy on Friday, the first-year guard didn’t even dribble before floating a pass to fellow first-year Tony Bradley. The center leaped off the floor, caught the ball and calmly slammed it home for the first points of the night.

This was the first time UNC fans got the chance to see the Tar Heels’ trio of scholarship first-years compete, and all three — Robinson, Bradley and Seventh Woods — showed flashes of potential in front of the Smith Center crowd.

“High school is one thing with a little gym, but when you’re in the Dean Smith Center it’s another level ...” junior Theo Pinson said. “I’m really happy for them. They can get that under their belt, and now, next time we’re out there, it’s go time.”

Robinson is expected to help UNC’s 3-point shooting numbers, but he showed more on Friday. On the Blue side’s second possession, the 6-foot-5, 162-pound guard drove past his defender and converted a left-handed layup.

Junior guard Joel Berry expects to see more of the same from Robinson this season.

“He can slash and get to the rim, as you saw tonight, but he can really shoot the ball,” he said. “So I think out of all the freshmen, Brandon is the one that will help us a lot (on the perimeter).”

Bradley, UNC’s top-ranked commit in the first-year class, tallied three more points after his initial basket — including a silky-smooth baseline jumper over Kennedy Meeks that tied the game late.

Of the group of first-years, Head Coach Roy Williams believes Bradley has the ability to make the biggest impact early on.

“We’re a little thin — we only have four big guys, period — so there’s some time there that’s going to be available to someone,” Williams said Tuesday.

Woods struggled to find his shooting touch, but he made up for it with his hustle. After Berry knocked the ball away from a White player midway through the game, Woods dove to the floor and forced a jump ball.

“He told us from day one that he loves to play defense,” Pinson said. “So those are the things we’re going to need from him and that’s the things we expect from him.”

North Carolina kicks off its season Nov. 11 against Tulane. And while the three scholarship first-years — who weren’t available for comment — look ready to contribute, Williams knows there are going to be growing pains.

“Everyone’s got a great attitude the first week — 351 teams, everybody’s all in the first week,” he said. “And (now it’s about) how do you handle adversity, how do you handle mistakes, how do you handle the little aches and pains, the adversity they’re going to handle because of how difficult it is.

“Because freshmen, they were all king of the castle. And they’re not now.”

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