High Energy
Zayden High continues to give Hubert Davis tons of energy as North Carolina navigates the toughest part of their conference schedule without their best player. High's box score doesn't make for impressive reading--4 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block--but his energy was crucial for UNC to keep in contact with a Louisville team that came out bombing from three.
Two examples in the first half come to mind. He got excellent box out position on a Louisville miss and forced an over-the-back foul on Sananda Fru, a starter who only ended up playing 16 minutes due to foul trouble (he finished with four). Then with 5:05 left in the first half, High poked the ball loose from J'vonne Hadley then dove on the loose ball, calling timeout in the ensuing scrum to maintain possession.
These are high energy plays. These are winning plays.
The difference in production from Zayden High when Caleb Wilson was healthy to now is stark. But you have to take into account that the only thing that should put Wilson on the bench is Wilson's own stamina or foul trouble. There's no player in America that you'd want to substitute for Wilson, he should play as many minutes as his body can handle.
But now, should Wilson return, Hubert Davis doesn't need to play Ironman minutes for the future Lottery pick right away. High has demonstrated that he is a capable substitute and can be trusted with more minutes than he managed in the first half of the season. And he adds a sense of rhythm with his teammates, so they understand each other on the floor a little better.