Jaydon Young always grew up dreaming of one day being a Tar Heel.
The junior guard from Goldsboro, North Carolina is fulfilling his dream this season, having joined the UNC basketball program as a transfer.
While his minutes have taken a steep hit since arriving in Chapel Hill, Young has stayed ready for when his number is called. That benefited him (and North Carolina) significantly on Saturday night, as Young was the boost the UNC basketball program needed to win the game.
Young made it difficult for Hubert Davis to take him off the floor, as he logged a season-high 19 minutes of action. He put together an impressive first half, scoring eight points, while adding four more points in the second half to provide a scoring output that was desperately needed.
The team's other guards (Kyan Evans, Seth Trimble, Luka Bogavac and Derek Dixon) combined to shoot just 5-22 from the floor, showing just how important Young's ability to put the ball in the basket was in this given contest.
Next man up
It's difficult for a guy like Young, who came from a place where he played significant minutes, to transition into a role like he has now, but that hasn't stopped him from being ready to play. Whether he's on the court for 20 minutes or just a handful of seconds, you know that he's giving you everything he's got on both ends of the floor.
The UNC basketball program needed him to step up, and that's just exactly what he did to help the team he grew up idolizing capture the 500th career victory at the Dean E. Smith Center.
"We don't win the game without him," Hubert Davis said following the game. "He knocked down three's (and) he took good shots. Defensively, he can guard physicality; he can take a bump and still stay in front of the man. And he stepped up and made a free throw for us. Just really happy for him."
For sure, it's a night that Young won't ever forget.