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The Daily Tar Heel

Starter breakdown: Luke Maye faces off against athletic Duke frontcourt

Luke Maye basketball vs Stanford
UNC forward Luke Maye (32) shoots over Stanford forward Jaiden Delaire (11) in the Dean Smith Center on Monday, Nov. 12, 2018. UNC won 90-72.

Strengths 

On Nov. 6, Luke Maye and the North Carolina men’s basketball team opened the season in Spartanburg, S.C., against Wofford. Maye led the way with 24 points on 7 of 13 shooting as the Tar Heels got revenge against the Terriers, who upset North Carolina in Chapel Hill last season on Dec. 20. It is one of six 20-point performances for the senior forward this season, who ranks third on the team in points per game (14.5). Despite not shooting well from 3-point range, Maye is still proving effective from the field. His best contribution on the season has been his rebounding. Maye ranks second in the ACC in rebounding (9.6 per game) and has averaged more than two offensive rebounds per game. Maye also has gotten better at passing out of double teams so far this season. He's averaging more than two assists per game and has dished four assists in three different games.

Weaknesses 

As noted above, Maye has struggled from 3-point range this season. Last year, he converted 43.1 percent of his shots from beyond the arc, but that number has dipped more than 10 percentage points to 32.6 this year. The 6-foot-8 forward has also turned the ball over at a career-high rate. His 2 turnovers per game rank second on the team. Maye is also not particularly athletic, something that gives him trouble against some athletic forwards in the ACC.

Aspects to watch for 

Maye will likely guard 6-foot-7 Zion Williamson on Wednesday night, a matchup that provides problems for the North Carolina forward. Maye gives up more than 40 pounds of size to the muscular first-year. Williamson’s athleticism could also create problems for Maye on both sides of the ball. Against Tyler Davis and Robert Williams of Texas A&M last season in the second round of the NCAA tournament, Maye struggled to find a rhythm against the athletic duo. Maye managed just 13 points on 6 of 16 shooting against the Aggies in the 86-65 loss. 

@christrenkle2

@DTHSports | sports@dailytarheel.com

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