Coby White next year...
- Thread starter smooth as butter
- Start date
Starting point guard.
13 pts per game.
Second Team ACC
A taller version of Phil Ford.
13 pts per game.
Second Team ACC
A taller version of Phil Ford.
Last edited:
Hopefully a big one, because that's what we need to contend for a championship.
I think he'll be successful (with inevitable growing pains). He'll need time to figure out the whole "PG" thing, but I think at the very least he'll offer a dynamic drive-and-kick game that we'll miss with Theo leaving. Hopefully he can hit pull-up 3s off of a P&R.
I think he'll be successful (with inevitable growing pains). He'll need time to figure out the whole "PG" thing, but I think at the very least he'll offer a dynamic drive-and-kick game that we'll miss with Theo leaving. Hopefully he can hit pull-up 3s off of a P&R.
Yeah, I think he’ll eventually be our starting PG next year, by necessity. And I think he’ll be up to the challenge.
How many players have we had come in who were going to start at PG in their freshman year? How many actually did?
Take that a step further: how many combo guards did we have come in who were going to start at PG as freshmen, and how many did?
I can think of a couple in the first group - and 1 was forced into that position. I can't think of any in the second group.
What makes people believe Coby is the exception?
Not saying he won't. He sure looks good. But the odds are very much against him.
Of course some will say that the problem with Seventh is that he isn't a PG, either. And at least Coby looks like he will contribute on offense.
Take that a step further: how many combo guards did we have come in who were going to start at PG as freshmen, and how many did?
I can think of a couple in the first group - and 1 was forced into that position. I can't think of any in the second group.
What makes people believe Coby is the exception?
Not saying he won't. He sure looks good. But the odds are very much against him.
Of course some will say that the problem with Seventh is that he isn't a PG, either. And at least Coby looks like he will contribute on offense.
Frasor, Lawson, Marshall, Paige, Britt (2 PGs), Felton (when Berry was hurt)
Frasor, Paige, and Britt all kinda fit that mold
Because otherwise we're starting Seventh, and Seventh is an ongoing disaster at PG (as you acknowledge).
I'm excited to see Coby play next year. He definitely has the talent, but I also think he has the humility and work ethic to succeed at the college level.
Last edited:
I do not expect anything from freshmen anymore. I am excited to have the freshmen come in but will just wait and see what they can do. Too many freshmen come to Carolina and have a lackluster freshman yr. I would love to see him come in and replace Berry but those are big shoes to fill . I do believe overall we will be better next yr. though.
So, this sort of makes my point. You have to go back to Lawson as the last true PG who started as a freshman out of the gate; and to Marshall as the last one who firmly and successfully took over those duties during the season.
I consider Marcus as an exception. He wouldn't have started if Kendall hadn't left. And he struggled. We're just lucky that he finally turned the corner as a freshman. And that he had Dex as "training wheels" for the first 2/3 of his freshman year.
As for combos, again we have to go way back for Frasor. Marcus I already mentioned and while I was a Britt fan, he was only marginally successful and only handled the point that much as a freshman because of Marcus' injuries.
Coby seems more like Dex. NOT because I think they are the same kind of player, but because they are high-rated CGs who many people were sure would take over the PG role from a current player in fairly short order.
Cautious people were saying Dex would replace Larry by ACC play, less cautious people thought it would happen almost immediately. Which is pretty much what we're hearing on Coby now vis a vis Seventh.
So here's a question for you. You're convinced that Seventh can't work at PG. I'm less pessimistic, but he has to prove himself. I hope he can. But let's assume he doesn't. And let's assume that Coby - like most who went before (the point of my earlier post) isn't really ready to jump into that position. What happens? What do you think Roy will do? What would you like him to do. Usual caveats.
Play Seventh anyway?
Play Coby anyway?
Play KJ Smith?
Play Leaky?
PG by committee?
Position by committee can work for some things, but it strikes me as a scary idea for PG. Even if we don't have a great PG, the rest of the team needs to have consistency at that position, more so than any other position.
Think to many are giving up on Seventh too soon.
Injuries have really hit him the last 2 years. I want to give him a summer with tons of work and see what he can do next year. I have a feeling that we will see a pretty big jump in his play.
He knows how important this next year is for him to help the team and I am willing to bet that he puts the work in to be much improved.
He and BRob need more time on the court and we will start to see that paying the team back at the end of the year. Might be a little bumpy in the beginning but we aren't after preseason #1 rankings.
Injuries have really hit him the last 2 years. I want to give him a summer with tons of work and see what he can do next year. I have a feeling that we will see a pretty big jump in his play.
He knows how important this next year is for him to help the team and I am willing to bet that he puts the work in to be much improved.
He and BRob need more time on the court and we will start to see that paying the team back at the end of the year. Might be a little bumpy in the beginning but we aren't after preseason #1 rankings.
If Coby can't defend, he's not going to start at PG. Wouldn't be surprised to see him get 15-20 minutes though.
He also plays a style that is physically demanding. He would be destroyed playing 30 minutes a game against ACC defenses.
He also plays a style that is physically demanding. He would be destroyed playing 30 minutes a game against ACC defenses.
I think the starting line up will be determined on how much Manley or Brooks grow and there is still rumbling about Cam possibly going pro my guess if Can stays White will be a great contributor off the bench but takes Seventh woods spot later in season. If Cam goes I still see Cony off the bench because Little will take his spot.
Seventh is going to be awesome next year. Just wait. Our transition game will be nice.
What excites me about Coby is how he is able to get down the floor in transition and I think Roy will be doing a good share of clapping seeing him score on the breaks. I also think that he can have a good impact from outside the arc too with his very quick release, he has worked on his shooting a ton over the last year and it has become another weapon for him, scouts at MCAA workouts were impressed by this. What is going to make him something special is his competitiveness and effort, he has a very hard working and success driven mentality that I think is going to allow him to make an impact from day one. He seems very willing to learn and adapt to any role that he has which will definitely benefit the guys around him. If he is not starting, I see him as our key difference maker off of the bench giving us a great scoring burst and a lot of energy. Coby is winner and he will bring that with him to Chapel Hill.
Last edited:
idk maybe its just me, but I a not worried one bit about the point guard spot! I think the Baby Jet will surprise many of us. IDK why I think he knows the job, I think he's been taught the job, and will have no pressure on him, because like this message board, no one expects it out of him! we will only go as far as he carries us!!!
His speed is plain as day. His mid range jumpers was on fire early in the year.
A lot of sevenths problems is he is unsure of where to go on the court and he is nervous because he isn't playing much so he makes mistakes with his passes. This will be corrected once he is the starter and gets the full brunt of coaching focused on him at the point. Plus, his defense is pretty good on ball handlers.
What I am iffy on is if Seventh has an outside shot or not. He can definitely beat his man off the dribble. But, can he learn enough control to not charge the secondary help and make the pass once he does?
I think I’m in the minority, but I believe a healthy Seventh can be our starting point. I think Coby pushes him but ultimately Coby ends up playing big minutes off the bench and playing off the ball since he is such a natural scorer.
I think he's going to be our first "2010's PG".
What I mean by that is score first mentality but at the same time can hopefully control an offense.
I know Joel's numbers say otherwise, but watching him, I never thought of Joel as score first. He was "offense set" first. Coby I think will come in and look to control a game with his scoring and he will have to learn to balance that out with more "get us into an offense" thoughts.
What I mean by that is score first mentality but at the same time can hopefully control an offense.
I know Joel's numbers say otherwise, but watching him, I never thought of Joel as score first. He was "offense set" first. Coby I think will come in and look to control a game with his scoring and he will have to learn to balance that out with more "get us into an offense" thoughts.
Just before he was injured this year he was starting to look like he was getting it. Could have been a fluke, of course, but if he was getting it, and if he can start the season at that level and improve from there, he could be fine.
We haven't seen enough of Seventh to know if he's one of those guys who maintains or improves in the off-season or one (like Lawson, for example) who backslides in the off-season. If the former, we'll know pretty early if he'll be our PG. But if he's a back-slider, other guys could quickly push him aside.
A couple of "experts" I have read seem to think Coby will easily push and get his time on the floor.
Woods is going to have to show me more, like can he handle the ball, can he handle and distribute without silly passes, can he drive it to the rim and not fumble it away (after all he is a strong kid and can take contact)...I hope he busts out and has a great season. If not...next!
Woods is going to have to show me more, like can he handle the ball, can he handle and distribute without silly passes, can he drive it to the rim and not fumble it away (after all he is a strong kid and can take contact)...I hope he busts out and has a great season. If not...next!
I love me some Coby so far and I expect him to be a pivotal contributor next season. He is like a safety blanket that can come in and effectively play 2 positions when needed. I fully expect 7th to start the season at PG and I have confidence that he will grow quickly with increased minutes. I hope he can stay healthy, confident, strong with the ball, and aggressive and I love the fact that we have other options if it doesn't happen. (7th'sdecision making might be a determining factor)
Coby may well be a difference maker as 6th man, but there are too many factors to decide if and when he starts! CJ leaving or going is just one important factor, but it should be the first domino to fall!
Should be a fun off-season of intense speculation though!
Coby may well be a difference maker as 6th man, but there are too many factors to decide if and when he starts! CJ leaving or going is just one important factor, but it should be the first domino to fall!
Should be a fun off-season of intense speculation though!
Before he got hurt he was averaging 8.9 points / 40 minutes (which would've ranked 2nd to last on the team, behind Robinson) on a TS% of 35.4% (would've ranked last). He was collecting assists at a decent rate (6.3/40mins) and avoiding turnovers (2.6/40mins), but he was still a substantial net-negative on offense.
He was less bad than he was last year and his 2nd stint this year. But he was still bad. If "less bad" is what we're starting with from our PG, it'll be a tough year.
It is now Seventh's time to step into the starting role and take it as his. He is finally healthy and things started to slow down for him this past year. He showed good strides on defense this season as he was active and disruptive, I can see him forcing a lot of turnovers next year playing with a lot of intensity and using his quickness to his advantage.
I am really hoping that he is able to work with Kendall in the offseason, it will benefit Seventh a lot and help him to make those strides that he needs. Seventh talked about it this year that Kendall helped him when he was injured to stay in shape and gave him confidence that when he returned he was ready to go.
He has now been in the system for two years and has spent a good amount of time watching and following Joel for the last two years and also Nate the year before. He has seen what it takes to be successful and to lead a team and I think he really knows what he needs to improve on this offseason to reach that level. I also think he is going to be extremely motivated to do so, let’s not forget this is the school that he has always dreamed of playing at and now has the opportunity to take the keys of it.
I am really hoping that he is able to work with Kendall in the offseason, it will benefit Seventh a lot and help him to make those strides that he needs. Seventh talked about it this year that Kendall helped him when he was injured to stay in shape and gave him confidence that when he returned he was ready to go.
He has now been in the system for two years and has spent a good amount of time watching and following Joel for the last two years and also Nate the year before. He has seen what it takes to be successful and to lead a team and I think he really knows what he needs to improve on this offseason to reach that level. I also think he is going to be extremely motivated to do so, let’s not forget this is the school that he has always dreamed of playing at and now has the opportunity to take the keys of it.
I wonder how good KJ Smith is after practicing in our system for a year?
Anybody have any inside dope?
KJ is one of the 4 guys Roy said would get time at PG (along with 7th, Coby and Leaky). And he's the only one other than 7th with experience at the college level.
Anybody have any inside dope?
KJ is one of the 4 guys Roy said would get time at PG (along with 7th, Coby and Leaky). And he's the only one other than 7th with experience at the college level.
I'm not too worried about his scoring as long as he gets more efficient. We have Luke, Cam, Kenny, Nas and Coby. Plus, 7th was starting to drive a little better this season.
Seventh needs to be able to keep defenders honest, but not much more than that. His D is good. So the real question is whether he has learned enough to run the offense. I confess I'm worried, but if he's healthy and determined, I can see him succeeding. In addition to great outside shooters, we should have a better inside game with Nas and improvements from our soph bigs.
Of course the pessimist in me worries that our bigs won't improve enough, our frosh won't be ready, and we won't have an effective PG. In which case next year could be pretty dismal. But, hey, you can find things to worry about every year. I don't expect all those problems to materialize.
"Thousands" of players have played high school basketball in North Carolina over the last 75 years and Coby White is the all-time leading scorer in North Carolina history.
There is something there folks. The kid will start day one.
There is something there folks. The kid will start day one.
I agree with you...but just to have some fun and play devil's advocate...
Jameson Curry started less than half his games as a freshman at OSU
Akeem Richmond didn't start as a freshman at URI
Donald Williams didn't start as a freshman at UNC
These are the players he passed on the all-time scorers list.
I agree that he starts, but I think it's more cuz we are empty at the PG position.
The bolded part is not a minor detail. He's been extraordinarily inefficient in his career so far.
In some years, maybe.
But this year's team desperately needs someone who can create efficient looks. Luke is not a shot creator. Cam is not a shot creator. Kenny is not a shot creator. Sterling might be a viable go-to option in the post, but that would require a lot of improvement from him. Little projects as a shot creator, but mostly for himself.
If our starting PG can only "keep the defense honest", our offense will be painfully stagnant. We have guys who can capitalize on defensive breakdowns (Cam and Kenny as shooters, Luke as a shooter and sometimes driver), but we need someone to cause those breakdowns.
OK, this is a good topic fork.
Who's your starting lineup for the first game?
Roy is pretty traditional. I don't see him starting more than 1 freshman - and maybe not even 1. Sure, he has started more than 1 frosh in the past, but not often. This coming year it might happen again. But probably not in game 1.
JR - Seventh
SR - Kenny
SR - Cam
SR - Luke
??? (Nas, Sterling, Coby, Garrison)
If Sterling or Garrison make good strides in the off-season, one of them (in that order) will start.
If Seventh is going to be our PG, then the fight for PT could bet brutal. We're going to want Nas and Coby to play lots of minutes whether or not they start, so if Coby doesn't play much at point, he'll be squeezing minutes away from BRob, Andrew, Leaky and maybe even Kenny.
Possibly the biggest thing that will help Seventh next year is that he will have big men to pass to who can elevate to catch the pass. He tried to pass to Kennedy as a frosh and that didn't work too well. That could change a lot next year.
Once defenders have to worry about our bigs AND cover our outside shooting, I wonder if we'll see Seventh's driving ability come alive?
Once defenders have to worry about our bigs AND cover our outside shooting, I wonder if we'll see Seventh's driving ability come alive?
Joel Berry was definitely score first. Did you see how many fast breaks with 2 or 3 on 1s that he took himself and did not pass at all? They worked out a lot of the time, but we definitely lost points at times also due to it. He seemed to be of the mindset to shoot it himself and let them trail for a rebound if he missed.
I liked Berry's shot selection from 3, most of the time, but his assists numbers weren't from tallying errors and blown assists. Berry didn't set up scores very often. Pinson and even Jalek were much better at that.
I would agree. Joel was a shot creator for himself most of the time. Not being derogatory, just stating a fact.
He is an animal. Huge heart, but not a distributor.
He is an animal. Huge heart, but not a distributor.
Kennedy and Isaiah were way more effective in the post than our bigs are likely to be next year. Isaiah in particular was a legitimate "here's the ball in a spot you like, now go get me a bucket" type of player. Unless Sterling moves from rarely scoring in the post to Sean May territory over the summer (or we add an elite prospect and he meets expectations), the post-up will not be an efficient primary look for us. So although Seventh is very willing to feed the post, that willingness won't do much to make him a viable starting PG.
And if we emphasize the post more, driving opportunities will decrease, not increase. The more guys there are close to the basket, the harder it is to drive there. That's why Villanova scored so effectively from 2 this year - there were clear driving lanes because everyone spread the floor.
Similar threads
