North Carolina Tar Heels: Do You Know Jack?
The North Carolina Tar Heels are still looking at Tony Bradley insurance plans – this one’s name is Jack Whitman.
The North Carolina Tar Heels have a busy week this week in basketball. The coaches visit Kevin Knox on Wednesday. Joel Berry, Tony Bradley, and Theo Pinson confirmed that they would be exploring the draft process. The same day as the Knox visit, potential transfer Jack Whitman arrives on campus to visit that day and Thursday, according to reports from Evan Daniels of Scout.com.
Whitman is a graduate of William and Mary that is looking to upgrade his basketball experience in his final season of play. Roy Williams and the coaching staff are looking at the 6’9” 235 pound Whitman because of the uncertainty they have at their post position for next season.
To date, the Tar Heels have signed or gotten commitments from three freshmen big men. The last of these was Garrison Brooks. It gave the Tar Heels a number of bodies, but not a lot of experience. Then there is Luke Maye, who is an upcoming junior. The Gonzaga game showed that Maye could not match up with real size in the post. Fortunately not a lot of teams have real size in the post.
More from North Carolina Tar Heels
- NC Colleges Provide Coronavirus Results from Athletic Departments
- UNC Football gets Commitment from Top Cornerback
- Four North Carolina players selected in first round of MLB Draft
- UNC Destroyed by Coach Duggs and Tennessee in NCAA Football 14
- UNC Basketball: Former Tar Heel star calls out Roy Williams
That makes four bodies regardless if Tony Bradley comes back. There would be no experience anchor and no immediately trusted inside scorer without Bradley.
That is where Whitman theoretically comes in. He had a good junior season at William and Mary where he averaged eleven points and five rebounds a game. He shot sixty percent from the field, meaning that he found scoring opportunities up close. As far as fit is concerned, it probably helps that he was coached by former Tar Heel player Tony Shaver. The systems may not be the same, but Shaver can fill any information gaps.
More from Old North Banter
- Carolina Panthers: Secondary battles to watch in training camp 2020
- Carolina Panthers: 2020 training camp kicks off on Tuesday
- NC Colleges Provide Coronavirus Results from Athletic Departments
- Court alleges Zion’s Stepfather received $400k
- UNC Football gets Commitment from Top Cornerback
The question is whether Whitman or the Tar Heels can wait to see what Bradley will do before making a decision. They probably cannot. Whitman has visits scheduled with Clemson and George Washington in the near future. Bradley has until May 24th to make a final decision about staying in the draft. The two events are so inextricably linked that it could be Whitman will wait. After all, he could enroll during second summer session.
The possibility still exists that both Bradley returns and Whitman signs. If that happens, then the Tar Heels have decisions to make on their front line. The Heels like a three man post rotation, but will play four if the fourth guy is good enough. The return of Bradley and coming of Whitman would put six big men in play. Assuming a rotation of Bradley, Whitman, Brooks, and Maye, it brings up the question of what to do with the freshman bigs.
Redshirting is possible, but do you redshirt both of them? That question helps support the idea that Coach Williams will not go into the season with six bigs. He will go in with five, we just don’t know which five. Of those five, four will form the new rotation with the fifth guy being the insurance guy – Desmond Hubert, let’s say. I think Brooks and Maye will be in the rotation, but it is hard to say who else will be there at this point.