The preseason is officially over for Hubert Davis and the UNC basketball program.
On Wednesday night, basketball returned to the Smith Center as the Tar Heels rode a 56-point second half to a decisive victory over Winston-Salem. For those that care about preseason records, the Tar Heels ended exhibition play with a 1-1 record.
The first half provided a bit of a lackluster performance for the UNC basketball program, as struggles shooting the basketball capped their first half total to just 39 points. Caleb Wilson was dominant, scoring 17 first-half points, essentially carrying the load to help his team take a 13-point lead into the break.
Once the second half began, the Tar Heels found themselves getting into a groove. With multiple guys stepping up to join the party, North Carolina knocked down 55.9% of its second-half shots, including 45% of their shots beyond the three-point line. The offensive attack was too much for Winston-Salem to keep up with, as the UNC basketball program rolled to a 42-point victory.
Wilson, who put together two outstanding efforts in exhibition play, finished the night with a game-high 23 points and 10 rebounds in just 23 minutes of action. Jarin Stevenson came alive in the second half, draining a pair of three pointers en route to an 11-point outing, while Seth Trimble and Henri Veesaar added 10 points of their own to help carry the scoring load.
In total, 12 different players scored at least two points, as Hubert Davis' team got heavily involved throughout the evening.
Sure, it's important to view the opponent when assessing a preseason contest like this. North Carolina did what everyone expected them to do- beat up on a lesser opponent. There are certainly things that Davis and his staff will look to clean up prior to Monday night's season opener, but for now, they'll look at the positives that their final preseason tune-up brought to the table.
Now, let the real games begin.