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While some things may be changing about how North Carolina plays basketball, one constant will remain part of the its lifeblood.
No program in the nation emphasized rebounding with the results UNC has managed over the last 18 years, as Roy Williams regularly said collecting rebounds was the most important stat in the game. And his squads most certainly grabbed missed shots as if their very lives depended on it.
For all that didn’t go smoothly last season with the Tar Heels, who finished 18-11 and lost in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time this century and first time ever for Williams, they still led the nation in rebounding margin. Carolina averaged snaring 10.4 more missed shots per game than its opponents.
In 2019, when the Heels were a No. 1 seed for a record 17th time, they also led the nation in rebounding margin. The 2017 squad that won Williams’ third and final national championship topped the country in rebounding margin as well at plus-12.3 per contest.
Rebounding has been a way of life at Carolina, and the players say that won’t change now that Hubert Davis is at the helm and the Heels continue playing at warped speed while employing a more spread approach.
“The pace is definitely going to be the same,” sophomore point guard Caleb Love said. “We’re still going to get up and down, (and) we’re still going to lead the country in rebounding.”
There is a real pride in the program about its brand of grabbing more missed shots than anyone else. And it has been by design, both in emphasis and who Williams brought in. Davis is following a similar script.
"Well, in years past, Coach Williams went after a specific type of player,” junior forward Armando Bacot said. “His ability to recruit guys who are freaks of nature on the boards like Day’Ron (Sharpe), who's an amazing offensive rebounder. Me, Walker Kessler, guys, who that was something we did in high school.
“Now with the new guys, I feel like it's something that we have to get into them. I'm pretty sure Oklahoma, Marquette, and UVA, they didn't emphasize offensive rebounding how we do. So, it will be something different. But I feel like we can keep up that whole top five in the country in rebounding.”
The new guys are transfers Brady Manek, Dawson Garcia, and Justin McKoy, who came from Oklahoma, Marquette, and Virginia, respectively. They have experienced a different degree of mandated mission on the glass, but each has proven capable at the college level.
While Bacot led UNC in rebounding last season at 7.8 per game playing just 22.8 minutes per contest, Garcia also led the Golden Eagles with 6.6. In addition, Manek averaged 6.2 as a sophomore and 5.6 for his Sooners’ career, and McKoy was at 3.3 a year ago for the Wahoos, and says he plays with a dirty-work, rebounding mindset.
It isn’t just pulling down missed shots that has marked Carolina’s hoops DNA, grabbing its own misses and racking up second-chance points is, too.
The Tar Heels averaged 15.8 offensive rebounds leading to 16.6 second chance points last season, seven times hauling down 20 or more of their own misses. Six times, Carolina scored 20 or more points in games on second-chance opportunities.
Now, they missed a lot of shots, only hitting 43.9 percent from the floor. But owning the offensive glass wasn’t something new to UNC and it’s not going away, its first-year head coach says.
“Three, four, and five are going to the offensive glass,” Davis said. “No different. We’re going to be one of the best, if not the best offensive rebounding team in the country. We’re going to the offensive glass. That’s who Carolina is, that’s our foundation, (and) that’s not going to change.”
Bacot said the Heels will shoot more shots this winter than a year ago, especially given how the offense stagnated at times. He also believes they will be a better shooting team, so perhaps the o-glass opportunities won’t be as abundant.
“There will be a lot more shots we take this year, so it will be more opportunities to get more rebounds,” he said. “But I feel like we won't shoot the ball as terrible as we shot the last two years, so maybe less opportunity for rebounds."
Hot shooting or cold as ice, the mantra on both ends of the court won’t change for the Tar Heels.
UNC's Recent Rebounding Margin Rankings
Note: The official NCAA stats only go bcl to the 2010-11 season:
2021 – No. 1 (+10.4) – 18-11, 10-6 ACC, NCAA 1st Rnd
2020 – No. 10 (+7.6) – 14-19, 6-14 ACC, No postseason held
2019 – No. 1 (+10.4) – 29-7, 16-2 ACC, No. 1 seed, NCAA Sweet 16
2018 – No. 3 (+9.6) – 26-11, 11-7 ACC, No. 2 seed, NCAA 2nd Rnd
2017 – No. 1 (+12.3) – 33-7, 14-4 ACC, No. 1 seed, National Champs
2016 – No. 9 (+8.6) – 33-7, 14-4 ACC, No. 1 seed, NCAA runner-up
2015 – No. 9 (+7.7) – 26-12, 11-7 ACC, NCAA Sweet 16
2014 – No. 29 (+5.0) – 24-10, 13-5 ACC, NCAA 3rd Rnd
2013 – No. 124 (+1.6) – 25-11, 12-6 ACC, NCAA 3rd Rnd
2012 – No. 1 (+10.5) – 32-6, 14-2 ACC, No. 1 seed, NCAA Elite 8
2011 – No. 17 (+6.4) – 29-8, 14-2 ACC, No. 2 seed, NCAA Elite 8
