Strengths
Alongside first-year Coby White, Cameron Johnson has been North Carolina’s most steady offensive presence this season. The graduate student averages 16.3 points per game on the back of his prolific 3-point shooting. Johnson’s 47.9 percent rate from beyond the arc is good for second best in the ACC, behind only Ty Outlaw of Virginia Tech.
Johnson has been steady for UNC all season, showing up in big moments from a December win against then-No. 4 Gonzaga, and finishing with 16 points in Monday night’s loss to Virginia, despite missing four minutes near the end of the game.
When Johnson is on the floor, opponents are forced to respect his range. His presence creates space for White and Nassir Little to drive to the basket, and opens up teammate Luke Maye.
Weaknesses
The flip side of that incredible shooting ability is that when Johnson’s deep shot isn’t falling, he can struggle to generate offense. In January’s 21-point loss to Louisville, Johnson went 0-4 from 3-point range and posted only 10 points.
Johnson was even more ineffective against Michigan in a late November matchup. He shot only 1-4 from beyond the arc and finished with five points in an embarrassing 84-67 loss for UNC.
Johnson will be important during Wednesday’s matchup with Duke. North Carolina’s three-man attack of Johnson, Maye and White has dominated the Tar Heel offense thus far this season. In every game but one, one of those three has been the leading scorer.
After Maye’s four-point showing against Virginia Monday, Johnson will need to make his presence felt against the Blue Devils, even if his long shot is not falling.
