Following a tumultuous 1-6 start in conference play, the North Carolina men’s basketball team is showing signs of real improvement over its last two games.
And on the heels of back-to-back wins over ACC foes Miami and N.C. State, a return for first-year guard Cole Anthony against Boston College on Saturday is possible, head coach Roy Williams said in a press conference on Friday.
“Yesterday we allowed him to go five-on-five, and he probably went 25 to 35 percent of practice,” Williams said. "If he feels alright tomorrow when we come in for shootaround, there's a probability that we play him tomorrow."
Anthony’s return would be timely for the Tar Heels, who have clawed their way back to a 10-10 record as they approach a tough stretch of conference games against Florida State, Duke and Louisville in the month of February.
While there could be some speed bumps, there seems to be little doubt in the locker room that Anthony will transition smoothly back into a North Carolina system that has seen improvements since its last loss at Pittsburgh on Jan. 18.
“I think we’ve figured out how to play with each other a lot better,” junior guard Andrew Platek said. “And I think a person as smart and intelligent as Cole is on the court will just pick that up right away. I don’t think we need to defer to him as much as we did before, because we’re all a lot more confident in how we’re playing.”
Anthony’s absence has opened the door for improvements from other North Carolina players, most notably forward Garrison Brooks. The junior has reached double figures in the scoring in all 11 games since Anthony’s last appearance.
“I think that Garrison being able to take that responsibility has been a big thing for us, probably the biggest thing,” Williams said. “We said, 'Hey guys, throw the ball to him. He needs to touch it.' And everybody’s accepted that.”
With Anthony slated to make a full return in the near future and UNC's noticeable improvement on the court in the last two weeks, there seems to be a revitalized energy around North Carolina heading into Saturday’s matchup in Chapel Hill.
