Five takeaways for UNC from ACC men's basketball media day in Charlotte

CHARLOTTE — Just 15 days after the completion of the North Carolina men’s basketball media day, reporters gathered in Charlotte at the Spectrum Center for ACC men’s basketball media day on Wednesday.

Representing the Tar Heels were head coach Roy Williams, senior Kenny Williams and graduate transfer Cameron Johnson to discuss the season ahead with less than two weeks until a Nov. 6 opener at Wofford.

Here are the five most important things we learned from the annual media event:

Effort to improve 3-point defense

Perhaps the Achilles heel of the Tar Heels last season was their ability to defend 3-pointers. UNC allowed its opponents to score at a 38.0 percent clip from behind the arc, good for 322nd in the nation and last in the conference. 

Even more stark, however, were the 357 3-pointers made by opponents against North Carolina, good for an average of 9.6 per game, a number that was surpassed only by eight other Division I programs. 

But Roy Williams believes his team could be better suited to defend the outside shot this year, thanks to the additions of Leaky Black, Coby White and Nassir Little.

“Well the new guys, I think Coby is really good defensively and has a chance to be really, really good,” Williams said. “I think Leaky is really good defensively and has a chance to be really good. Nassir is so athletic that he can be really good as well and he works really hard. So I’m hopeful that all three of those guys can be very good defenders.”

Which big man will step up?

One of the biggest questions at UNC men’s basketball media day was assessing the play of sophomore big men Garrison Brooks and Sterling Manley after a summer of training under their belts. At the time, Roy Williams noted he was not impressed by their progress, and his comments on Wednesday did nothing to dissuade the questions of who will start at center.

“At the five-spot somebody has gotta step up and do it or I’ve got to go back and play a little smaller, and it’s not a problem for us offensively,” Roy Williams said. “In fact, Luke is probably better offensively as a five because the five-guy has to guard him and go out to 23 feet, but it is harder defensively, and it is harder to rebound and it is harder to bother the ball around the rim.”

Last season, Brooks started at the five for the first 16 games before UNC moved to its smaller lineup. Manley did not start any contests but appeared in 37 games, averaging 5.4 points and 3.6 rebounds in just 10 minutes of play.

Roy Williams admitted he will likely start one of the young bigs in the rotation to begin the new campaign, like he did last year.

“I’ve said on record I want to go big,” Roy Williams said. “My goal is to be the best, one of the best at the end of the year, and I think we have a better chance if one of the big guys steps up.”

Coby White can really score

When White first joined the team, Kenny Williams did not know what to expect. That’s why the first-year point guard’s relentless play took Williams aback. 

“Man, that guy is relentless,” Williams said. “I hate to bring it up again, but scoring-wise he just goes. He puts the ball in the basket at a very high rate, and I think he’s proven that.”

Johnson similarly had rave reviews for the 6-foot-5 point guard who holds the North Carolina high school record for career points (3,573).

"I think Coby White has done a great job," Johnson said. "I think he really stands out in pushing the ball, you know he gets to running and his hair starts flopping all over the place, so that’s pretty memorable. I think he’s done a great job pushing the ball, and you can tell he’s a pretty natural scorer."

Brandon Robinson’s breakthrough year?

When Kenny Williams was asked who he expects to step forward off the bench this season, he did not mince words. 

“I’m going to point out B-Rob,” Williams said. "His confidence level is at an all-time high right now, and he’s playing good basketball.”

In his first two years as a Tar Heel, Robinson averaged 1.8 points in about 8 minutes per game, but he showed flashes last year where his confidence was on full display. Against Davidson on Dec. 1, he scored a career-high eight points. Two games later, he set a new career-best, this time with 10 points against Western Carolina on Dec. 6. 

But perhaps Robinson’s most endearing trait is one fans might not expect — his ability to throw his body on the line.

“To be so small he will put his body on the line,” Kenny Williams said. “You don’t really get to see it a lot, but B-Rob, he will take a charge on anybody. He will dive on the floor; he’ll do all the little things, and he’s only 165-170 pounds. That’s pretty big for him to be so small and have 200-250-pound guys running him over and to be able to pop right back up says a lot about his toughness, so he’s a tough little guy.”

Roy Williams similarly described Robinson’s progression and he noted the junior’s improvement and his strong play in the team’s scrimmage at Villanova.

Redemption from last year’s NCAA Tournament exit

UNC suffered its earliest NCAA Tournament loss since 2013-2014 last season, falling in the second round to No. 7 seed Texas A&M in an 86-65 loss that was not as close as the score suggested. Kenny Williams admitted the loss stuck with the team this summer and made it known his intentions to not let his senior year end similarly.

“It was a hit to us, and I think we use that as motivation a lot this preseason in just emphasizing getting back to playing our game,” Kenny Williams said. “And I know for the older guys that know what it’s like that have been there and won that championship, we don’t want to go out like that two years in a row. We’ve definitely used it and allowed it to push us along with everybody else.”

First things first, the team will have a chance to rewrite history with a visit to Wofford in the regular season opener, a game Williams is certainly excited for.

“The fact that they did beat us does add a little bit of extra motivation because they beat us in the Smith Center and it was a big win for them. Like I said earlier, we’re all competitive, so we want to go there, and we’re going to want to beat them and beat them badly.”

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