UNC men’s basketball won in commanding fashion against Winston-Salem State in its last exhibition during the preseason, 95-53. Freshman Caleb Wilson led the charge with another double-double, scoring 23 points and 10 rebounds. His frontcourt partner, Arizona transfer Henri Veesaar, tacked on 10 points and a rebound.
The two players make up the new-look frontcourt that outweighs what North Carolina had last season in terms of size and talent. Head coach Hubert Davis made it a point of emphasis to ensure the team grows, and with the presence of Alabama transfer Jarin Stevenson, James Brown, Ivan Matlekovic and Zayden High, it makes for a larger group.
During the postgame press conference, UNC’s head coach shared more insight on the frontcourt pairing and the difference in experience at the collegiate level.
- “Yeah, I mean, to be early in the season, they really have a chemistry where it feels like they have played together a couple of years,” Davis said. “They just feed off of each other. When I separate them in practice, they look like they’re about to cry because they want to be on the same team again. But they do. They have a nice chemistry.”
- “And one of the things that I think is really beneficial to Caleb is to have that chemistry with an experienced player who talks to them on the court, shows them how to prepare, shows them how hard you have to practice just to put yourself in a position to be successful.”
- “It’s so beneficial to have older players show the way to younger players — it doesn’t matter how talented you are, an older player, somebody that needs to be there to teach them, and Henri has done a nice job of that.”
UNC’s Frontcourt Displays Length and Versatility
Wilson and Veesaar have the ability to shoot three-pointers, a trait not seen much during the days of former head coach Roy Williams, when the big men normally played on the interior and worked on the block to score. However, ever since Davis stepped into the position, the Tar Heels have become a team that looks for shooting big men (Brady Manek, for example).
The Tar Heels will have tons of spacing for the guards to work in the halfcourt setting, as it will open up a lot of opportunities for players like Seth Trimble and Kyan Evans to get downhill and penetrate the paint…