Keeping It Heel
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UNC Basketball: 5 Things we learned from Maui Invite

By Zack Pearson

CHAPEL HILL, NC - JANUARY 04: Garrison Brooks #15 of the University of North Carolina shoots a free throw during a game between Georgia Tech and North Carolina at Dean E. Smith Center on January 4, 2020 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Andy Mead/ISI Photos/Getty Images).
CHAPEL HILL, NC - JANUARY 04: Garrison Brooks #15 of the University of North Carolina shoots a free throw during a game between Georgia Tech and North Carolina at Dean E. Smith Center on January 4, 2020 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Andy Mead/ISI Photos/Getty Images). /
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UNC Basketball
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – DECEMBER 07: Garrison Brooks #15 of the North Carolina Tar Heels shoots in the first half during a game against the Virginia Cavaliers at John Paul Jones Arena on December 7, 2019 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /

UNC will dominate in the paint….unless they go away from it

The Tar Heels are really deep in the post bringing back the preseason ACC Player of the Year in Garrison Brooks and sophomore Armando Bacot. But they also welcome in two of the better bigs in the 2020 recruiting class in Sharpe and Kessler.

So far through four games UNC has flexed their muscles in the paint, averaging 49 rebounds per game. They are not only limiting teams to one chance on the defensive end but also giving their offense an extra opportunity on that end of the court.

Let’s look at how the bigs are doing so far per game this year:

Garrison Brooks — 12 points, 8.5 rebounds

Armando Bacot —11 points, 7.8 rebounds

Day’Ron Sharpe — 6.5 points, 7 rebounds

Walker Kessler — 4.3 points, 3 rebounds

That’s some good production early on especially considering that three of the four are playing 18+ minutes a game to start with Kessler the lone exception.

The numbers are going to go up for the bigs this season, I’m confident in that. What I am worried about is if UNC goes away from them like we saw at times in the Maui Invite. UNC hasn’t shown they are a good jump shooting team just yet and their strengths are in the post. They need to go to their strengths and add in the good jump shooting when it comes.

A tough test awaits with National Player of the Year candidate Luka Garza on Tuesday…

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