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UNC Basketball: Grades for Tar Heels’ game against Elon

By Blake Cockrum

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 11: Armando Bacot #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels battles Torrence Watson #5 of the Elon Phoenix for a rebound during the first half of their game at the Dean E. Smith Center on December 11, 2021 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 11: Armando Bacot #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels battles Torrence Watson #5 of the Elon Phoenix for a rebound during the first half of their game at the Dean E. Smith Center on December 11, 2021 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 23: Brady Manek #45 of the North Carolina Tar Heels looks on against the UNC Asheville Bulldogs during their game at the Dean E. Smith Center on November 23, 2021 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

Brady Manek

Manek had his worst game of the season against Elon, as well as his lowest scoring output. He walked away from the Tar Heels’ blowout win with just four points in 18 minutes off the UNC bench. He was ice-cold from the floor, hitting just 2-of-8 shots for the game. and 0-of-6 beyond. the arc. He also managed just four rebounds — two below his season average — and turned the ball over three times.

F

Kerwin Walton

I’m in no way trying to pile on Kerwin Walton; we’ve seen enough of that on social media over the past few weeks. But there’s no way to give him anything other than an “F” at this juncture. We all know what he’s capable of, but that’s simply not happening this season. And he’s also set the bar fairly high, so it’s difficult to grade him any better given the performances we are seeing from him of late.

He didn’t score a single point for the third consecutive game and fourth in the last five. He’s now scored just 10 points in his last 104 minutes on the court, while only contributing eight rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block during that stretch. And although his defensive abilities — or lack there of — may be somewhat exaggerated, he’s still not the plus-defender that Leaky Black and Anthony Harris are. When he’s not scoring, he’s not really impacting the game much.

F

Justin McKoy, D’Marco Dunn and Blue Steel

McKoy and Dunn both got five minutes of playing time in this one, and that was good to see. McKoy hit a couple of free throws and pulled down a rebound, while Dunn dished out the first assist of his career. But neither they nor UNC’s “Blue Steel” squad that came in late in the second half has been able to show us enough to earn an actual grade. We’re looking forward to the time that changes, and we get to see what they’re fully capable of.

Incomplete

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The Tar Heels will take the court again on Tuesday night when they face off with the Furman Paladins in their third-to-last non-conference game of the season. Check back with Keeping It Heel for complete coverage of that game, and everything on the UNC basketball program.

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