UNC Basketball: Cole Anthony, Tar Heels shoot Irish out of Smith Center

Freshman point guard Cole Anthony shines for UNC basketball, scoring 34 points against Notre Dame in collegiate debut

North Carolina freshman point guard Cole Anthony scored a game-high 34 points in his debut with the Tar Heels on Wednesday night, beating a 17-year-old UNC record formerly held by Rashad McCants.

Anthony knocked down 12-of-24 shots from the floor, 6-of-11 from three-point range and 4-of-5 from the free throw line. He also pulled down 11 rebounds and dished out five assists in what was one of the most impressive freshman performances in Tar Heels history.

Junior power forward Garrison Brooks was the only other Tar Heel to notch double-figures, scoring 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting and 2-of-3 from the charity stripe. He also recorded nine rebounds, three blocks, two assists and a steal in the Tar Heels 76-65 victory over the Fighting Irish. Freshman center Armando Bacot struggled to find his shot in game one — from the floor or the free throw line — but pulled down eight rebounds to go along with seven points.

The Tar Heels knocked down 10-of-20 attempts from long-range, but just 10-of-17 at the free throw line. They also committed 18 turnovers in 40 minutes of play, a number that UNC head coach Roy Williams will almost undoubtedly be unhappy with.

Notre Dame was led by Prentiss Hubb, who scored 22 points on 8-of-17 shooting and 5-of-9 from three. TJ Gibbs scored 19 points, and hit four three-pointers, while senior big man John Mooney added 10 points and eight rebounds.

Player of the game

Cole Anthony. His poise to take big shots, and ability to knock them down in the face of defenders looked uncanny. There’s a reason why he’s projected to leave North Carolina for the NBA next spring, and get selected really high in the draft. Tonight, he made his first case for No. 1 in the 2020 NBA Draft.

What’s next?

The 1-0 Tar Heels will travel to Trask Coliseum to take on UNC Wilmington on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. EST.