North Carolina Tar Heels: The Blue Team May Decide the Season

Sep 24, 2016; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels basketball head coach Roy Williams compares rings with Brice Johnson and Marcus Paige during a timeout in the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 24, 2016; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels basketball head coach Roy Williams compares rings with Brice Johnson and Marcus Paige during a timeout in the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
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The North Carolina Tar Heels will be depending on depth to achieve their goals this season.

The North Carolina Tar Heels basketball team takes the floor for the first official time this season when they face Tulane tomorrow. The Tar Heels are looking to somehow maintain their level of success from last year while having lost their two biggest pieces from last year’s team.

They also have to go about this without Theo Pinson for the early part of the season. The team last year was supposed to go with a big lineup last year before Marcus Paige’s injury. The Pinson at shooting guard experiment will be derailed for another season. Coach Roy Williams opted to go with senior guard Nate Britt against Pembroke instead of any of his talented freshmen or Kenny Williams in the spot.

The result was an interesting blue team that faced the Braves. Guard Seventh Woods manned the point in that unit. Brandon Robinson and Kenny Williams were the wings. Down low was Luke Maye and Tony Bradley. Everyone seemed to offer something for the unit. Woods showed willingness to share the ball. Williams was the three point shooter. Bradley offered some rim protection while Maye was rebounding and scoring when needed.

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The chemistry of this second group will be important since depth is the issue for this team. Ordinarily their experienced starting five (all juniors and seniors, even Pinson) would make them a dangerous team. Their misfortune was to pick the year when Duke decided to put the massive amount of freshmen talent on the court.

If Pembroke is any sign then there is some optimism here. Maye looks like a productive fourth post. The one is looks like he has the most to improve on is Robinson. The group could still benefit from Pinson’s return because that would likely slide Woods over to the two spot as Britt takes over backup point guard duties. Britt will likely see some time at the point in any event.

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It will be interesting to see how the blue team does against a real Division 1 team. Of course that will happen soon enough (Friday, to be exact).