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CHAPEL HILL – With North Carolina opening its season Monday night at home versus UNC-Wilmington, it may do so without junior forward Puff Johnson.
Johnson, along with RJ Davis, Justin McKoy, and Jalen Washington, missed the Tar Heels’ exhibition game October 28. As it stands, Davis and McKoy will play in the opener, but Washington certainly won’t, and Johnson is a game-time decision, UNC Coach Hubert Davis said Friday.
In a press conference in advance of the top-ranked Tar Heels starting their season, the second-year coach was asked where each of the four players are with respect to their health.
“RJ is doing great, he’s been practicing the last couple of days,” Carolina’s coach said. “Justin McKoy’s not sick anymore, he’s been practicing the last couple of days. It’ll be a game-time decision in terms of Puff.”
Davis (sprained right hand) is back running the point after averaging 13.5 points per game and 3.6 assists. He also averaged 4.3 rebounds, and grabbed 19 in the two games in New Orleans. In fact, Davis’ career highs in points (30), assists (12) and rebounds (12) each occurred in different NCAA Tournament games.
Johnson (right knee soreness) played 249 minutes in 24 games averaging 10.4 minutes, 3.1 points, 2.0 rebounds, with 11 assists, seven steals, and four blocked shots last season. He converted 28 of 61 shots from the floor, which is 45.9 percent, including 6-for-26 (23.1 percent) from the perimeter.
McKoy (non-Covid illness) played in 30 games last season, totaling 210 minutes, and averaging one point and 1.4 rebounds per game.
Furthermore, Washington is still rehabbing an injured knee that forced him to miss his entire senior season in high school. He was cleared to a degree to do more next-level stuff in late September, but has been slowing working into full-speed competition.
“I don’t know an exact time table, but I know it’s getting close,” Davis said about Washington’s full return to action. “A week-and-a-half, two weeks ago, he was cleared to do five-on-five, and I didn’t want to go from zero to 100. So, we’ve been easing him in terms of five-on-five live segments during practice.
“And every day, and every week, the load has gotten larger. He’s playing great, he really is… I don’t have a specific time, but it’s coming soon where he’ll be cleared to be out there on the floor all the time.”
The Tar Heels are coming off a 29-10 season that concluded with them losing to Kansas by three points in the national championship game.
