RJ Davis coming back wasn’t a good idea

[What Would Jesus Do?]

it appears having Cormac and Harrison on the floor last year were more of a major factor in RJ’s success than many of us realized.

Hubert definitely trusted those guys. And they deserved it.

He seems to trust Seth now, and Elliot most of the time. So that's a wash, body-count-wise. But they are both shorter and neither can play PF - so maybe not a wash from a team strength perspective. Plus he lost the other guy he trusted most with Armando's departure.

 

[DaveChapelle]

 

[ChapelHeeled]

He’s had a great career at UNC and an amazing year last year, but we are better without him on the floor. Swap Jackson for him and we are better.

Lol

 

[DSouthr]

I'm not expecting Hubert to change his starters for Alabama, but I'll be disappointed if he doesn't after that game.

We've faced some tough teams. We know from experience that Hubert seems more inclined to go iron man than develop players. This year was supposed to be different. But if you look at the numbers, you might think the only reason he isn't going iron man is because he only has 3 guys he trusts.

Another thing we've speculated about in the past is that Hubert coaches like he's on the hot seat. Which he probably was early on. But, again, that feeds into going iron man rather than risk losing a game because you experimented with lineups. Compare that mindset with Roy's.

To be fair, Hubert IS giving several players more PT. But I suspect that's mainly out of necessity. Not so much a Roy-like commitment to giving his players a chance to develop.

Coaches understand that there is always a price you pay for your decisions, some times that price comes due now and at other times that price is paid down the road but there is always a price to be paid. All coaches watch film of their opponents, our opponents will now break down UNC and what they see on tape from this Maui trip, they will clearly see that UNC struggles with physical play and especially in our front court. Guess what we are going to be watching the rest of this season, a LOT of physical play used against us.

 

[DSouthr]

Hubert definitely trusted those guys. And they deserved it.

He seems to trust Seth now, and Elliot most of the time. So that's a wash, body-count-wise. But they are both shorter and neither can play PF - so maybe not a wash from a team strength perspective. Plus he lost the other guy he trusted most with Armando's departure.

And yet, Bacot's replacement was not developed last season, JWash played 8mins a game. WE didn't prepare for no more Bacot thru high school recruiting, we got a project big man that is not ready to play now. Nor did we address it in the portal by bringing in 2 6'7" guys and a 6'8" guy, none built like Kennedy Meeks or Sean Maye (guys that neutralized lack of height with solid bulky frames).

Not to say you can not win with players that we have now but it is a LOT harder than it needed to be. WE literally have to attack on both ends for 40mins, that tone has to be set for the opening tip, not wait till half time.

 

[worthy is the best]

I lean toward Drake. Better defender, seems to be adapting faster than Ian, and gives our very short team a bit more length.

Someone who knows did Cade start for Belmont serious question.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

@worthy is the best - Yes, Cade started nearly every game in his 2 years at Belmont, playing around 30 mpg and hitting over 40% from deep both years.

Do you think both Cade and Hubert might wish for a do-over? I suspect so.

I hope Hubert finds a way to break Cade out of this slump. Playing just a couple of minutes a game is unlikely to do that.

We have 2 easier games after Alabama. I'd like to see Hubert use them to run plays for Cade and try to build his confidence. Some other players need attention, too.

If Hubert doesn't find a way to use Cade effectively, I imagine he hits the portal again. He's only a junior, after all. Heck, if Hubert won't use him, he might want to opt out now if that preserves a year of eligibility. I wonder how NIL would play into a decision like that?

Maybe Cade is the basketball equivalent of the Peter Principle (getting promoted one level above your competence). But the fact that he could shoot that well (both inside and out) for 2 years suggests otherwise. I'm only guessing but I think it's more likely to be a bad fit with the system Hubert wants to run.

So the question that we'll probably see answered over the next handful of games is whether Hubert is willing to invest in Cade, or if he's already consigned him to the Wojcik/Platek/Walton (as a soph) role on this team.

 

[DSouthr]

@worthy is the best - Yes, Cade started nearly every game in his 2 years at Belmont, playing around 30 mpg and hitting over 40% from deep both years.

Do you think both Cade and Hubert might wish for a do-over? I suspect so.

I hope Hubert finds a way to break Cade out of this slump. Playing just a couple of minutes a game is unlikely to do that.

We have 2 easier games after Alabama. I'd like to see Hubert use them to run plays for Cade and try to build his confidence. Some other players need attention, too.

If Hubert doesn't find a way to use Cade effectively, I imagine he hits the portal again. He's only a junior, after all. Heck, if Hubert won't use him, he might want to opt out now if that preserves a year of eligibility. I wonder how NIL would play into a decision like that?

Maybe Cade is the basketball equivalent of the Peter Principle (getting promoted one level above your competence). But the fact that he could shoot that well (both inside and out) for 2 years suggests otherwise. I'm only guessing but I think it's more likely to be a bad fit with the system Hubert wants to run.

So the question that we'll probably see answered over the next handful of games is whether Hubert is willing to invest in Cade, or if he's already consigned him to the Wojcik/Platek/Walton (as a soph) role on this team.

LOL, well I would say that the Peter, Paul, and Mary principles would all agree that this kid is in well over his head and those that do not agree may be Puffin the Magic Dragon down by the sea? LOL

I think Tyson is getting the minutes he has earned and fortunate to be getting the minutes he is getting. IMO, we have far greater concerns to address than Tyson. He seems fine as a spot duty guy, a situational guy but I don't see him as a regular rotation level guy. He can jump shoot, even thou his shots have not been dropping, he can still shoot it but he has to be wide open? I don't see upside worth the investment of minutes, I see him in a neck & neck race with Justin Pieice and Justin Mckoy for the biggest UNC portal buster title.

I hate to bag on a kid like that but to whom much is given much is expected. Kid should have stayed at Belmont, maybe his return to Belmont is in the cards?

 

[dtodd4475]

@worthy is the best - Yes, Cade started nearly every game in his 2 years at Belmont, playing around 30 mpg and hitting over 40% from deep both years.

Do you think both Cade and Hubert might wish for a do-over? I suspect so.

I hope Hubert finds a way to break Cade out of this slump. Playing just a couple of minutes a game is unlikely to do that.

We have 2 easier games after Alabama. I'd like to see Hubert use them to run plays for Cade and try to build his confidence. Some other players need attention, too.

If Hubert doesn't find a way to use Cade effectively, I imagine he hits the portal again. He's only a junior, after all. Heck, if Hubert won't use him, he might want to opt out now if that preserves a year of eligibility. I wonder how NIL would play into a decision like that?

Maybe Cade is the basketball equivalent of the Peter Principle (getting promoted one level above your competence). But the fact that he could shoot that well (both inside and out) for 2 years suggests otherwise. I'm only guessing but I think it's more likely to be a bad fit with the system Hubert wants to run.

So the question that we'll probably see answered over the next handful of games is whether Hubert is willing to invest in Cade, or if he's already consigned him to the Wojcik/Platek/Walton (as a soph) role on this team.

I'm not going to say he can't, I sure hoped/still hope he can contribute, but I was cautious when many others touted his "best shooter, sure thing, gotta play" get.

My concern was that he was awful against the only big 5 opponent he faced, and more worrisome for me was when they played Drake, who was an athletic team that got after it on dee in conference, he struggled mightily as well.

Again, I hope he can contribute, but I am not surprised that he has been over matched to this point.

 

[Geth]

Not signing someone to truly fill the 5 was our biggest mistake. JW has played only a handful of minutes the last few games and clearly isn't trusted and will be in the portal come summer- mark it: every kid his age, his size has it in their head they will be in the NBA and it's why kids end up at 4-5 schools by the time they finally end up realizing maybe their hoop dreams aren't going to happen and maybe they should have quit listening to all the so-called fiends and family freeloaders around them hoping to cash in on their over hyped eventual success.

We blew it not replacing Bacot and not bringing in a true 5. Regardless of how long he is- Lubin is not a 5 and Withers isn't either.

I'm disillusioned by all of it- it's just not fun like it used to be when you could watch a kid go from questionable talent to crowd favorite 3 years later (Marcus Paige anyone?). Now kids transfer a season in if it isn't going their way- rinse repeat. No more work for your place or hone your game- just transfer to a mid major and get more PT- regain that big head swagger that you had in high school when in reality you are just playing lesser competition.

Starting to think the whole "keep it in the family" coaching deal is a bygone notion as well. Love Hubert- but without the bags of NIL money behind him it's not happening recruit wise. Also- he's not a cut throat and that seems to be what it take these days- nice guys don't cut it anymore.

Our TRUE mistake? Thinking "The Carolina Way" could do anything but wither and die in the era of NIL.

F--K NIL - it has 100% killed college sports.

 

[_B5]

Everyone wants complain about our big situation and rightfully so… but at the end of the day would you come to unc if you knew that they wouldn’t give you 4 touches a game in the post? You have to get the bigs involved. Washington is not a pick and roll player. He’s a pick and pop, until we make a conscious effort to get him involved early in games, we will never unlock his potential.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Everyone wants complain about our big situation and rightfully so… but at the end of the day would you come to unc if you knew that they wouldn’t give you 4 touches a game in the post? You have to get the bigs involved. Washington is not a pick and roll player. He’s a pick and pop, until we make a conscious effort to get him involved early in games, we will never unlock his potential.

So you're saying there's still a chance for JWash to become a legit ACC/UNC starting center - if Hubert designs the right plays?

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Why aren't we using JWash like we used Brady Manek? Is that a stupid question?

He seems to have a good outside shot. He has height to make it hard to block his shots. And if he draws out their rim defender to cover him, we have guys who can drive.

Manek also used to keep them honest by sometimes going inside and taking a dish (usually from RJ) for an easy dunk or layup. JWash can do that, too.

Now sure, if JWash is playing as a stretch 4, we don't have Armando inside. But you know what? Even if JWash plays in the post, we still don't have Armando inside. So why not give him a try in the Brady Manek role?

Heck, even if JWash is only like Dawson Garcia as a stretch 4, that would be an improvement.

 

[NathanFielder]

Why aren't we using JWash like we used Brady Manek? Is that a stupid question?

He seems to have a good outside shot. He has height to make it hard to block his shots. And if he draws out their rim defender to cover him, we have guys who can drive.

Manek also used to keep them honest by sometimes going inside and taking a dish (usually from RJ) for an easy dunk or layup. JWash can do that, too.

Now sure, if JWash is playing as a stretch 4, we don't have Armando inside. But you know what? Even if JWash plays in the post, we still don't have Armando inside. So why not give him a try in the Brady Manek role?

Heck, even if JWash is only like Dawson Garcia as a stretch 4, that would be an improvement.

Manek could move and cut. You think Washington can move and cut to be a 4 with this unit? You can trigger your offense through Manek. He wasn't a great passer or handler, but he could do enough of those 2 things without destroying your offense. For me, it looks like Washington can really do one thing well and that's face up and shoot. And even that, he doesn't seem too confident in game to consistently shoot the ball in that situation. Apart from that, I don't know what he does well. He certainly doesn't move like Manek.

The other issue is this team has a really small backcourt. When you have a really small backcourt, you typically need some rim presence. If you think Lubin can be a rim presence, then you can play Washington at the 4 theoretically. However, again, Washington moves like a 5 so asking him to defend some 4s... Idk. If I were the opponent, I'm always at an advantage because I can always put Washington in ball screens.

For this to work, I think Washington needs to just play better at the 5. Everyone will be quick to blame Hubert and that probably has some validity to it. But I'm sorry, this is year 3 for Washington. Play better and figure it out. He's been the same player in year 3. He has a pretty jump shot. I do wonder if Lubin is just better suited as a starter. Some guys just operate better starting vs off the bench (or vice versa). Washington looks lost to me right now and idk if that's because he's not accustomed to starting the last two seasons.

Overall, this team needs to find an identity around some toughness. I'm probably looking too much into this, but this program doesn't have a "40 minutes of intensity" brand behind it. At least to me, it doesn't. And I know everyone will come at me about this, but Brice Johnson literally said on a podcast that his team would play with their food for a half and then get serious. This team obviously can't afford that mentality. It isn't good enough. But I think there are signs that this team does lack consistent intensity and focus throughout the game.

 

[DSouthr]

Not signing someone to truly fill the 5 was our biggest mistake. JW has played only a handful of minutes the last few games and clearly isn't trusted and will be in the portal come summer- mark it: every kid his age, his size has it in their head they will be in the NBA and it's why kids end up at 4-5 schools by the time they finally end up realizing maybe their hoop dreams aren't going to happen and maybe they should have quit listening to all the so-called fiends and family freeloaders around them hoping to cash in on their over hyped eventual success.

We blew it not replacing Bacot and not bringing in a true 5. Regardless of how long he is- Lubin is not a 5 and Withers isn't either.

I'm disillusioned by all of it- it's just not fun like it used to be when you could watch a kid go from questionable talent to crowd favorite 3 years later (Marcus Paige anyone?). Now kids transfer a season in if it isn't going their way- rinse repeat. No more work for your place or hone your game- just transfer to a mid major and get more PT- regain that big head swagger that you had in high school when in reality you are just playing lesser competition.

Starting to think the whole "keep it in the family" coaching deal is a bygone notion as well. Love Hubert- but without the bags of NIL money behind him it's not happening recruit wise. Also- he's not a cut throat and that seems to be what it take these days- nice guys don't cut it anymore.

Our TRUE mistake? Thinking "The Carolina Way" could do anything but wither and die in the era of NIL.

F--K NIL - it has 100% killed college sports.

I think I have been VERY clear on how I see NIL, don't like any aspect of it.

Do want to speak to the "All UNC" coaching staff there are some rewards for it. Nearly every recruit mentions they are impressed that our entire staff is former players. It would, maybe better said SHOULD lead to a continuation of what we know as UNC basketball, the style of play that has made UNC in to a Blue Blood but has it? Yeah, we run tempo but much of the time it does not look like they know how to run a secondary break like UNC teams have for so many years successfully.

I believe, for the coaching staff just as the head coach, if it is a close call I go with the Tar Heel but I very much believe in hiring the best person for the job, ,my first filter would not be did he play for UNC. My filters are can he teach the position he coaches, is he effective in developing raw talent to add skill. Time and again Gut for example would take a raw freshman big man and develop that kid to the extent the NBA was begging for him 3 years later, now Bacot plays 5yrs and the NBA was not interested? Remind me again what season Gut played UNC basketball, maybe remind me of when Dean Smith played UNC basketball? Neither Dean nor Gut would even get an interview today if we had an opening, they didn't play for UNC so they can't coach here? How would you feel about a requirement that the only players that could ever play for UNC would have to have parents that were UNC alums, would you be down for that? Yet that is the deal for our coaches, isn't that a bit hypocritical?

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Manek could move and cut. You think Washington can move and cut to be a 4 with this unit? You can trigger your offense through Manek. He wasn't a great passer or handler, but he could do enough of those 2 things without destroying your offense. For me, it looks like Washington can really do one thing well and that's face up and shoot. And even that, he doesn't seem too confident in game to consistently shoot the ball in that situation. Apart from that, I don't know what he does well. He certainly doesn't move like Manek.

The other issue is this team has a really small backcourt. When you have a really small backcourt, you typically need some rim presence. If you think Lubin can be a rim presence, then you can play Washington at the 4 theoretically. However, again, Washington moves like a 5 so asking him to defend some 4s... Idk. If I were the opponent, I'm always at an advantage because I can always put Washington in ball screens.

For this to work, I think Washington needs to just play better at the 5. Everyone will be quick to blame Hubert and that probably has some validity to it. But I'm sorry, this is year 3 for Washington. Play better and figure it out. He's been the same player in year 3. He has a pretty jump shot. I do wonder if Lubin is just better suited as a starter. Some guys just operate better starting vs off the bench (or vice versa). Washington looks lost to me right now and idk if that's because he's not accustomed to starting the last two seasons.

Overall, this team needs to find an identity around some toughness. I'm probably looking too much into this, but this program doesn't have a "40 minutes of intensity" brand behind it. At least to me, it doesn't. And I know everyone will come at me about this, but Brice Johnson literally said on a podcast that his team would play with their food for a half and then get serious. This team obviously can't afford that mentality. It isn't good enough. But I think there are signs that this team does lack consistent intensity and focus throughout the game.

View embedded media

Great clip.

 

[dtodd4475]

Why aren't we using JWash like we used Brady Manek? Is that a stupid question?

He seems to have a good outside shot. He has height to make it hard to block his shots. And if he draws out their rim defender to cover him, we have guys who can drive.

Manek also used to keep them honest by sometimes going inside and taking a dish (usually from RJ) for an easy dunk or layup. JWash can do that, too.

Now sure, if JWash is playing as a stretch 4, we don't have Armando inside. But you know what? Even if JWash plays in the post, we still don't have Armando inside. So why not give him a try in the Brady Manek role?

Heck, even if JWash is only like Dawson Garcia as a stretch 4, that would be an improvement.

Manek came in as a 5th year already All Big-12 polished best shooting big. His knocks was his dee, and disdain for playing in the paint, but was an established scorer/shooter at the highest levels.

JWash's game is nowhere similar to Manek in style alone or Dawson's for that matter, who is a bucket this year once again.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

JWash's game is nowhere similar to Manek in style alone

I get what you're saying but I can't help wondering if it just looks that way because we don't ask JWash to play more like Manek.

Put him at the top of the arc and get him the ball. Let's see what happens. If he makes those shots, that could be a game changer.

If that doesn't work, I guess you just start bringing him off the bench.

I notice that in AJ's recent video, he also suggests trying Lubin in the middle and JWash at the 4.

Maybe not a guaranteed improvement, but certainly looks worth a try.