UNC Basketball: Seventh Woods 2016-17 season review

Our UNC basketball player season review continues with freshman point guard Seventh Woods and how his year went

Brandon Robinson | Shea Rush | Tony Bradley Jr.

Freshman Seventh Woods committed to UNC back in November of 2015 and is one of four players in the Tar Heels 2016 class.

He gained some notoriety when his eighth-grade mixtapes of him dunking went viral on YouTube years ago. He worked on his overall game and was eventually touted as a four-star composite recruit.

Woods arrived at UNC as one of four point guards on the roster and still found his minutes, backing up Joel Berry and Nate Britt.

The South Carolina product struggled early in the season but found his way and his minutes increase as the season went on.

Season Breakdown

Woods joined UNC’s primary rotation right away, playing in all 40 of the Tar Heels games for the 2016-17 season.

He logged double-digit minutes in the Tar Heels first five games and scored a season-high 9 points against Radford on December 4th. Woods served primarily as a backup, spelling Berry and giving the junior some rest.

Woods provided valuable minutes off the bench, allowing Roy Williams to keep both Berry and Britt fresh to run the point guard spot.

While Woods may have taken some time to get used to the college game, he eventually settled down and improved his game. At times he looked wild and out of control with the basketball but he found his form for the Tar Heels.

He had a season-high 6 assists against Long Beach State in November but did turnover the ball 3 times in that game. Early on, turnovers plagued the freshman but it’s nothing to panic about.

It takes time for freshmen to find their groove and that’s exactly what Woods did. He cut down on his turnovers, committing just 9 in the Tar Heels final 17 games.

Strengths

What really stands out about Woods’ game is his speed and athleticism. There’s an argument to be made that he’s not only the fastest player on this team but he’s also the most athletic.

Woods showed signs of that speed, helping run the Tar Heels fast break when he was in the game.

He’s got the ideal speed to play in the UNC offense as they like to get down the court and control a fast-paced game. UNC uses that to their advantage and that’s where Woods fits in best.

Then there’s the athleticism.

We saw some flashes of Woods’ athleticism in games but it never really flourished. It’s something to look for in the future as Woods will continue to develop.

He did have one major jaw dropping moment featuring his athleticism and if it’s any indicator as to what to expect for the future of his game, then it’s certainly a bright future:

Peak Performance

Woods was at his best at the end of UNC’s regular season. You could see the improvements he was making and adjusting to the speed of the game.

Towards the end of the year, Woods wasn’t as out of control and came in to handle the backup duties just fine.

The game that really stood out for Woods was against Duke in Durham. Although UNC lost that game, Woods played very well.

The freshman finished with four points, four assists and zero turnovers as he saw eight minutes of action. It was the first UNC-Duke game that Woods played in and he even had a beauty of an assist finding fellow freshman Tony Bradley Jr. under the basket for a layup.

A performance like that builds confidence in a player, despite a loss.

Future

While Bradley declared for the 2017 NBA Draft, Woods will be returning for his sophomore season at UNC.

Depending on what happens with Berry, Woods could find himself as the starter. If Berry leaves, Woods will be the likely replacement for Berry right away even with recruit Jalek Felton coming in.

Williams could play Felton at the shooting guard spot and Woods at the point, giving UNC one of the most athletic backcourts in all of college basketball.

If Berry does return, Woods will be the first point guard off the bench for the Tar Heels and will see  minutes increase either way.

He won’t have to backup both Berry and Britt, giving him a chance to play more in the UNC rotation.

Woods will need to work hard at his game to ensure he’s ready to see an increase of minutes for next season. The hard work has to come on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball.

There’s room for improvement on Woods’ shot, so being a gym rat will be key.

On the defensive side, you’d like to see Woods play a little tighter and be able to face guard opponents. He’s got the speed to keep up with the quick guards in college basketball but moving laterally will be key to his success on the defensive end.

Next: Which UNC players will stay and which will go?

If he puts in the hard work, Woods will see the results. He’s the type of player that can have a very good four-year career in Chapel Hill and help lead a team back to the Final Four as an upperclassman.