UNC Basketball: Coby White shows promise in second half

Freshman Coby White showed some promise in the second half of UNC’s win over Wofford on Tuesday night

Things didn’t start off too hot for freshman point guard Coby White.

In his very first collegiate game, White earned the start at point guard when the North Carolina Tar Heels opened their 2018-19 season at Wofford. Early on it looked like White was having a hard time adjusting to the game but he was able to settle in eventually.

White finished the game with just 8 points and did most of his damage in the second half.

The first half consisted of White getting those jitters out as he attempted two early three-pointers but missed. White also had a play where he tried to draw a foul and tossed up an ugly shot that went out of bounds. He wasn’t rewarded the foul call and it ended up being a turnover for the freshman.

While it was a shaky first half, White started to find a groove in that second half.

The offense began to flow a little better with White in during the second half and he did his damage late.

With the Tar Heels holding a 65-57 lead with just over 4 minutes left, White drained a three-pointer to push UNC’s lead to double-digits. The three-ball came off an offensive rebound from Cam Johnson as UNC was able to get their offense set.

On the next offensive possession, White made a great pass to sophomore Garrison Brooks under the basket which resulted in a dunk. Then after a Johnson steal, White capped off a solid three-possession sequence by making a layup to push the lead to 75-59.

That final four-minute stretch was the best White played in his 24 total minutes, scoring five points and dishing out an important assist.

Following the game, Williams was asked about White settling down. Here’s what he said via Inside Carolina:

“First games in college. Guys, [do you] still remember… no, there’s not anybody in here old enough. Phil Ford’s first game. Guess what the headline said? “Ford turned into an Edsel.” You damn people aren’t even old enough to know what an Edsel is, but so he (Coby White) was a freshman out there playing basketball and did a nice job for us.”

Backup Seventh Woods played 16 minutes, finishing with two points, three assists and two steals, providing a solid option off the bench. With White’s struggles, UNC could turn to Woods as he’s been in this offense before.

The combination of both guards playing well is huge for the Tar Heels moving forward as it gives Williams options depending on what he wants to do with the lineups.

The box score doesn’t look pretty but White showed some promise to remain the starter for UNC’s second game against Elon on Friday.