UNC Basketball: Time for a Change: The Puff Factor

With the UNC basketball team in desperate need of a spark, a lineup change could be just what the Tar Heels need.

It’s not true that this group of Tar Heels is a bunch of average players that “got lucky” last March on their way to the National Title game.  “Luck” isn’t what beats teams like Duke, Baylor, and UCLA on the biggest stages that college basketball has to offer.

However, there’s clearly a big difference between the team we saw last March and what we’ve seen from Carolina during the other parts of Hubert Davis’ first two seasons as Head Coach.  The obvious answer is Brady Manek.  Of course, Manek isn’t walking through the door, but I along with so many others had high hopes for this season because of hopes that the returning players and newcomers could help fill that role.

Unfortunately, what we’ve seen on the court has not come close to filling the void Manek left.  Pete Nance is a solid player, but it is clear that teams do not respect his outside shot the way they did with Manek, which has resulted in a poor fit for the Carolina offense.  Teams are loading the paint to prevent driving lanes from UNC’s guards and throwing countless double-teams at Armando Bacot and choosing to make Leaky Black and Pete Nance beat them.  As Inside Carolina’s Trevor William Marks points out below, this was clearly the plan for Duke on Saturday night.

The Heels were unable to make Duke pay for this strategy, as Nance went 1-10 from the field and Black missed a critical wide-open three that could have given UNC the lead in the game’s final moments.

I’m not saying all of this to bash Nance as a player whatsoever, but I do feel that for this team to be successful, there is a better option to get the majority of the reps at the power-forward position.

During the “Iron Five” run last March, there was one player off the bench that appeared to earn the trust of Coach Davis.  That player was Puff Johnson.

At 6′ 8″, Johnson is tall enough to be a legit stretch four with his length on defense and smooth three-point stroke offensively.  Johnson has a quick release on his shot, and he is shooting 36.4% from deep on the year so far, in limited attempts.  If Puff is given more time and freedom on the court, he will get more comfortable with his shot, forcing defenses to respect Carolina’s outside game which will help open up the paint for RJ Davis and Caleb Love.

The other impact of Johnson’s game that could provide a major boost to UNC is his ability to make effort plays that can change a game’s momentum.  During last year’s tournament run, Johnson had a knack for making these types of plays, whether it was critical box outs against Duke in the Final Four, or key put-backs and drawn charges against Kansas in the National Title Game.  I was in the Smith Center for the watch party against Kansas, and with the way Johnson played on college basketball’s biggest stage, he appeared to be poised for a breakout junior season.

With an offense and a team that has appeared “stuck” for much of the season, inserting a player into the starting lineup that could space the floor and provide the team with much-needed effort and energy seems like the right decision.  Puff has dealt with injuries throughout his career, but it appears he is back to full strength and a move should be made quickly as March is approaching and the Tar Heels are back on the bubble.

It should also be noted that this is not a one-player problem or solution.  The Tar Heels have much more depth than last year, but they are not using it to their advantage enough so far this season.  Players like Seth Trimble, Dontrez Styles, Tyler Nickel, and Jalen Washington all bring valuable skillsets and energy that Carolina could use down the stretch.  The added depth at center with Nance behind Bacot would also be a huge boost for UNC that they did not have a year ago.

The depth and talent of this year’s edition of the North Carolina basketball team are good enough to not only make the tournament but make another deep run like they did a year ago.  However, the team has not played to that potential for the majority of the season, and changes are needed before it is too late.

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