Stepping Up
With Caleb Wilson out and Jarin Stevenson having an absolutely torrid time against Englishman Tobi Lawal, Hubert Davis needed production from unexpected places.
The easiest Tar Heel to bring up is Jonathan Powell. His 15 points (on an impressive 4/5 shooting display from distance) were an ACC-season high for him, and his best output since SC Upstate in 2025. Powell wasn't just knocking down outside shots; he was active on defense and scraped for five rebounds, the second-highest on the team.
Kyan Evans also deserves special mention. For the first time in a long time, he played more minutes and was more productive than Derek Dixon, the freshman point guard who took his starting spot. Evans, who only stands 6-foot-2 and is a wispy 175 pounds, stood tall on defense, fighting through screens and disrupting action. He played seven more minutes than Dixon and had a +/- of +6, eight better than Dixon's -2.
North Carolina will need both of these players firing like this if they want a shot at beating Duke in Cameron next Saturday, as the Blue Devils seem to be on something of a mission after losing to the Tar Heels a few weeks ago.