BY JAY SPIVEY
The 2019-20 men’s basketball season for the North Carolina men’s basketball team is one that Coach Roy Williams would like to forget it.
The Tar Heels had one of the worst seasons in program history, finishing 14-19 overall and 6-14 in the ACC. And last season came after the Tar Heels finished 29-7 overall and 16-2 in the ACC. The final game of the 2019-20 season was pretty much a microcosm of how the rest of the season went for the Tar Heels. They defeated Virginia Tech 76-58 in the first round of the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, but the following night, Syracuse pummeled North Carolina 81-53.
What might be lost in how bad of a season North Carolina had was that, even though they weren’t going to the NCAA Tournament, the rest of the ACC Tournament was canceled the afternoon after the Syracuse loss because of COVID-19, and the NCAA eventually canceled the NCAA Tournament.
Despite last season’s foibles and punchlines hope always springs eternal for North Carolina. Recently the ACC media did its preseason projections and picked North Carolina to finish fourth behind Virginia, Duke and last season’s champion Florida State.
COVID-19 is still running rampant all over the United States, but college basketball is slated to start on Wednesday, which could college basketball fans with an early Thanksgiving feast. North Carolina is scheduled to open the season Wednesday with a home game against College of Charleston.
One of the reasons optimism is so high this season despite the uncertainty because of COVID-19 is senior Garrison Brooks. The ACC Media chose Brooks as the conference Player of the Year. Brooks was second-team All-ACC last season after averaging 16.8 points per game and a team-high 8.5 rebounds per game. In addition, Brooks led ACC in scoring during conference play 18.8 ppg and he was second in rebounding (9.0) and field-goal percentage (.535).
Coach Roy Williams will have to find a way to replace last season’s leading scorer — Cole Anthony. Anthony, who was a freshman last season, led the Tar Heels with 18.5 ppg. However, Anthony declared for the NBA Draft and was selected No. 15 overall last week by the Orlando Magic. Also, Christian Keeling, who was a grad transfer from Charleston Southern and averaged 6.4 ppg last season for the Tar Heels, exhausted his eligibility.
The Tar Heels should have an infusion of young talent. That talent is led by freshman Day’Ron Sharpe, a 6-foot-11, 265-pound forward from Greenville, N.C. and Monteverde Academy in Florida. He played his first three seasons of high school basketball at South Central High School in Winterville, N.C. before transferring to Monteverde. At Monteverde he averaged 12.1 ppg and 7.3 rpg.
Freshman Walker Kessler, a 7-1, 245-pound center from Newnan, Ga. and Woodward Academy, averaged 17.8 ppg, 9.8 rpg ad 5.2 blocks per game last season at Woodward Academy. Kessler was named Mr. Basketball in Georgia. Another player named Mr. Basketball in his home state is freshman Caleb Love, who was named Mr. Basketball in Missouri. Love, a 6-4, 195 guard from St. Louis, averaged 26.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg and 3.1 assists per game last season for Christian Brothers Academy. Yet another Mr. Basketball is R.J. Davis, who awarded that honor by the State of New York. Davis, a 6-0, 160-pound guard, set the school-record in scoring for Archbishop Stepinac with 2,446 points. Freshman Puff Johnson, a 6-8, 190-pound forward, is from Moon Township, Pa., but he played his senior season in high school at Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix and was coached by former NBA player Mike Bibby Jr. Johnson averaged 14.4 ppg and 8.2 rpg at Hillcrest Prep. And freshman Kerwin Walton, a 6-5, 205-pound forward from Hopkins High School in Minnetonka, Minn. Walton averaged 26 points and 11 rebounds at Hopkins.
Even though the Tar Heels struggled last season they still have some players who played who could contribute this season. Sophomore Armando Bacot, a 6-10, 295-pound forward/center from Richmond, Va., averaged 9.6 ppg and 8.2 rpg in 32 games. Junior Leaky Black, a 6-8, 195-pound forward from Cox Mill High School in Concord, averaged 6.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 2.6 apg last season. Senior Andrew Platek, a 6-4, 205-pound guard from Guilderland, N.Y., averaged 3.9 ppg and 1.4 apg last season.
North Carolina has a very difficult schedule. Following the season opener with College of Charleston, the Tar Heels play on Monday in the first round of the Maui Invitational, which this year is being played in Asheville because of COVID-19. They will play either Stanford or Alabama on Tuesday and will play an opponent yet to be determined there on Wednesday. North Carolina is at Iowa on Dec. 8 for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, home against Elon on Dec. 12, versus Ohio State on Dec. 19 in the CBS Sports Classic in Cleveland, and it scheduled to start its ACC portion of the schedule on Dec. 22 in Raleigh against rival N.C. State. It continues on the road for a Dec. 30 game in Atlanta against Georgia Tech before playing its first home conference game on Jan. 2 against Syracuse.
North Carolina plays its first game against Duke on Feb. 6 in Durham and finishes the regular season against the Blue Devils on March 6 in Chapel Hill. The ACC Tournament is schedule March 9-13 in Greensboro, NC
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