UNC Basketball: Christian Keeling the x-factor for Tar Heels?

The Charleston Southern grad transfer is still working out the kinks since arriving in Chapel Hill, but he could be a major x-factor for UNC basketball.

Christian Keeling is now four games into his UNC basketball career, and you could say that it has been a rocky start for the Charleston Southern graduate transfer. The once 17-plus point-per-game scorer has yet to find his scoring touch for the Tar Heels, but still has a long time to find it.

It was fully expected that the Tar Heels would struggle at times on the offensive end after losing their top five scorers from a season ago, but it’s the first time since Roy Williams returned to North Carolina that the Heels have yet to score 80 points in any of the first four games of the season.

While Cole Anthony has scored 20 or more points in three of the four games this season, including his 34-point outburst in the season opener, it’s quite clear that the Tar Heels are lacking that consistent second option. Both Garrison Brooks and Armando Bacot have proven to be reliable options, but Brooks isn’t typically a player you can count on to score 20-plus points, and Bacot is a freshman who will have his ups and downs, especially during a challenging ACC schedule. So where does that leave the Tar Heels?

With his scoring ability, Keeling quite honestly needs to be that x-factor next to Anthony in order for the Tar Heels to reach their full potential.

Though four games, Keeling is shooting just 38.7 percent from the field and 21.4 percent from deep. As a player who has career percentages of 44.9 and 34.5, respectively, Keeling can be that guy for Carolina. While I’m sure it’s a major adjustment playing for North Carolina and the expectations that it comes with, Keeling needs to remember that shooting is shooting and he should be able to do that anywhere.

Over the course of the last two games, fans have been able to see some of the play-making he provides with his ability to create his own shot. While he has struggled at the rim and from deep early this season, he’s looked confident on dribble pull-up opportunities, cashing in on a couple.

Scoring nine points in each of the last two games, and shooting 44.4 percent in both, Keeling has found other ways to get his game going, whether it be a block or offensive rebound that then translates into making a couple buckets on the offensive end.

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One part of his game that could definitely get him going and oozing with confidence is the foul line. Without a single free throw attempt this season, Keeling needs to be more aggressive and stronger with the ball in the paint. There have been numerous occasions that he has gone up too soft near the rim and either missed, or had his shot blocked.

With Cole Anthony demanding so much attention, having a secondary guard be able to knock down open shots, but also create easy offense will help Carolina drastically, especially with the opponents on the schedule in the near future.

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