It's not over until it's over.
The UNC men's basketball program is riding a five-game win streak after defeating the Miami Hurricanes inside the Dean Dome by a score of 92-73. Another outstanding team performance by the Tar Heels as six different players entered double figures.
Vanderbilt transfer Ven-Allen Lubin had a season high of 19 points while grabbing five rebounds, adding a block to the stat sheet. But his shooting percentage was off the chart — logging in a 90% (9-10) field goal conversion rate.
Drake Powell added 16 points right behind Lubin's production as well. The freshman tacked on six rebounds and shot 5-6 from the field while making 2-3 from beyond the arc.
RJ Davis (13 points), Ian Jackson (11 points), and Seth Trimble (10 points) all contributed too. And for what it's worth, Elliot Cadeau was one point shy of joining the double figure club for the day.
All things considered, UNC is rolling. Yes, its competition is weak but the way head coach Hubert Davis' team is winning speaks volumes in comparison to earlier on in the season — his team is victorious in a dominant fashion.
However, the surge of Jae'Lyn Withers has boosted the Tar Heels offense, adding a little bit of swagger in the mix too. The fifth-year senior has been playing his best basketball wearing a Carolina jersey.
If the UNC basketball program makes the big dance, his performance is more than likely the reason why. Withers is an x-factor — the ability to stretch the floor like he can has opened up different opportunities for the guards. The opposing defender has to respect Withers at the three-point line.
Against Miami, Withers recorded another double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds along with four assists. The former Louisville Cardinal made 67% (4-6) from the field and 100% (2-2) from three.
Carolina's win streak began on February 15 against the Syracuse Orange when coach Davis decided to insert Withers into the starting lineup. During the collection of victories, Withers finished with scoring outputs of 19, 8, 16, 11, and 11.
For reference, he is averaging 5.8 points on the season. In addition, records the eighth lowest minutes played per game on the roster.
If Withers continues to play at this rate, it will be hard to stop North Carolina and perhaps its NCAA Tournament hopes become a reality in the end.