UNC Basketball: 3 Takeaways from the Battle 4 Atlantis for the Tar Heels

The Tar Heels spent the previous week in the Bahamas playing in the Battle 4 Atlantis, and it was quite exciting to have the opportunity to see them play against the more competitive competition.

Although the outcome they hoped for wasn’t the outcome they achieved, the last few games were very beneficial for the Heels.

North Carolina finished the Battle 4 Atlantis in 3rd place which is obviously never the goal for a Roy Williams coached Tar Heel team, but they are now battle-tested as conference play is right around the corner.

The blowout loss to Michigan was distressing, but sometimes a wake-up call can help to evolve a basketball team. Clearly, the Heels erased all memory of this defeat as they had a terrific outing Friday morning against the highly talented Oregon Ducks which came as their first defining win of the year.

It was a great opportunity for the Tar Heels as they surely left the Bahamas a better team than how they arrived.

Below are the main takeaways from the Tar Heels action in the Battle 4 Atlantis.

Armando Bacot is ready to become a star

Bacot, who comes equipped with insane length and size was highly praised entering his freshmen season with the Tar Heels but didn’t get off the start we all anticipated.

The Battle 4 Atlantis ended up being great for Armando Bacot. His performance against the Wolverines was something out of a nightmare for, but the way he responded is what showed his true character.

In a quick turnaround, playing that next morning against Oregon, Bacot delivered a masterpiece. By far his best performance of his young Tar Heel career as he totaled 23 points, 12 rebounds, 6 blocks while shooting just over 77 percent from the field.

This outing from Armando Bacot led to Roy Williams saying this post-game:

“I’ve always thought Armando had a chance to be a great player”

I’m with you Roy, and so is the rest of Tar Heel nation as we are all eager to get some more action from Bacot.

Turnovers are an issue for the Heels

In the seven games so far this year that the Heels have competed in, they have managed to account for 96 turnovers. These numbers equate to 13.7 turnovers per game which ranks them in the mid-160s for all of division 1 college basketball.

In years past the Tar Heels could get away with a turnover rate like this, but with the offensive production struggling the way it is, they have no room for error on that side of the ball.

Cole Anthony leads the way for the Heels in the turnover department as he averages nearly 4 of them a game. I understand what’s being asked of Anthony is a lot, but if he manages to lower that number he will only become a more dominant force in college basketball.

Expect Roy Williams to clean this up as I am sure he understands that capitalizing on all possessions will be crucial for this team as conference play begins in what is a brutally talented group of teams.

Brandon Robinson is back!

Robinson, who was sidelined for the beginning of his senior season was gifted his first opportunity to compete last week in the Bahamas.

The shot was their instantly for Robinson who showed no rust from behind the arc as he shot 6-for-13 from deep throughout the tournament.

Robinson is the spark this team needs. He is the perfect piece to play alongside Anthony in the backcourt as Robinson brings the experience factor to the table.

Being a senior makes Robinson extremely battle-tested and equipped for all scenarios that Anthony may be flustered in.

Overall, the return of Robinson allows for the spacing to increase as he demands attention on defense which can hopefully lead to offensive improvements.