UNC Basketball: What To Do With Pete Nance

Dec 13, 2022; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis talks to forward Pete Nance (32) in the huddle in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 13, 2022; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis talks to forward Pete Nance (32) in the huddle in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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UNC Basketball got a much-needed win yesterday against a very good Clemson team. Even in victory, Pete Nance struggled.

I am going to make a number of statements that all Tar Heel fans need to keep in mind.

UNC Basketball transfer Pete Nance is a veteran player with a proven ability to play division one basketball.

He is not Brady Manek.

He is currently struggling.

This UNC basketball team needs Pete Nance to contribute. They don’t need him to be great. They don’t need him to be Manek. They need him to be a veteran player with a basketball family history that can contribute. They also need to help him by finding the right role.

Nance struggled again last night in the Clemson win. His final box score shows 19 minutes played, 0-7 from the field, 0-3 from three, 0-0 from the free throw line, 5 rebounds, one assist, and one foul. In a game where the rest of the starting five got healthy, Nance did not.

We have seen a lot of hate thrown his way. His last 3 games have not been great. He missed a number of games this season due to a back injury that possibly could still be bothering him.

So what do the Tar Heels do with Pete Nance? These are my thoughts.

  1. Let’s stop trying to make Nance the replacement for Manek.
  2. Let’s get Nance coming off the bench for a few games.
  3. Let’s give Nance a role where he can get right, and gain confidence.
  4. Let’s remember he hit a HUGE shot versus Ohio State.
  5. Let’s remember that Nance can play and is a veteran.
  6. Let’s count on the fact that Nance will do something before this season is over that will be legendary.
  7. If he’s still injured, let’s get him healthy.

Nance will be important for this team and their goals. The coaching staff has to put him in a position to be successful. That could mean coming off the bench. Nance is struggling but that can be fixed and needs to be fixed.

Next. UNC Basketball: Random Observations Clemson Win. dark

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