Heading into his final season with the UNC basketball program, Leaky Black has been named a “Glue Guy to Monitor” by Jon Rothstein.
Good teams have talent. Great teams have players that understand their roles and do whatever it takes to handle their respective responsibilities.
For the UNC basketball program, the 2022-2023 team features a ton of talent. Coming off a trip to last year’s national championship game, Hubert Davis and company return four starters along with some new additions as they aim to be the last team standing this season.
We hear a ton about the likes of Armando Bacot, Caleb Love, and RJ Davis, but there’s another returning starter who is an essential proponent of the team’s success.
Leaky Black was just as much of an integral part of the team’s run to the Final Four as the aforementioned trio of players. His lockdown defense helped limit the opposing team’s top-scoring threat, which really helped the program in some very crucial spots.
Heading into his fifth and final season in Chapel Hill, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports sees how much Black means to the UNC basketball program. Heading into the 2022-2023 season, Rothstein tabs the Concord, North Carolina native as one of his “10 Glue Guys to Monitor.”
"Leaky Black, North Carolina: He doesn’t get the same ink as R.J. Davis, Caleb Love, and Armando Bacot, but there’s absolutely no way that North Carolina reaches the national title game last spring without Black. The 6-8 wing scored eight points and grabbed nine rebounds in the Final Four against Duke all while holding A.J. Griffin to six points and just seven shot attempts. Black’s versatility, steadiness, and willingness to embrace his role balances all of the blue chip talent in the Tar Heels’ program."
In most cases, Black isn’t going to lead the Tar Heels in scoring, and his stat line probably won’t show just how impactful he is when he’s on the floor. However, his versatility, veteran leadership, and passion for the sport and the program make him a vital piece of this year’s team.
Without a doubt, the Tar Heels will definitely need Black to continue his success if they hope to be cutting down the nets at the end of the season. Given the impact he’s had since he arrived on campus, it’s safe to say that the UNC basketball program is glad to have him back for one more season.
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