**************************************************************************************
***************************************************************************************
CHAPEL HILL- Building depth is essential for any winning basketball team. Inevitably, star players aren’t always on point.
When a roster is littered with former 4-star prospects, fans crave to see the young talents play, so when there are signs of trouble, they’re capable of filling in for stretches. But, no matter how highly touted prospects are, they must gain trust of coaches to see significant minutes.
North Carolina reserves appeared to gain more confidence this week, playing essential minutes in a close game versus Clemson and scoring 22 points Saturday afternoon against Florida State, both of which were UNC victories.
With the formal announcement that sophomore forward Dawson Garcia won’t return this season, an already thin rotation and front court for UNC (18-7, 10-4 ACC) got even more so. And with junior forward Armando Bacot’s fouls ticking up in recent weeks, the Tar Heels would be well served with a few reserves stepping into more trusted and consistent roles.
Davis is beginning to see some of that.
"We are limited in terms of our bigs with just Armando and Brady," Davis said Friday in advance of UNC’s 94-74 win over Florida State on Saturday at the Smith Center. "But I love the length and athleticism of Dontrez (Styles) and Puff (Johnson) and Justin McKoy and also Leaky at the four. Their versatility to play multiple positions but also having the ability to go small and play in those positions are really key for us.
"In the last three games, Armando has gotten into foul trouble, so we have had Brady at the five and a number of people at the four. Leaky at the four, Dontrez at the four (and) Justin McKoy. Every time they have been called upon to play that position, they have done a fantastic job of making plays on both ends of the floor, and I'm just really proud of all of them.
This past week, sophomore guard Kerwin Walton has been the most statistically significant contributor to the Tar Heels’ bench production. The Minnesota native got the week started with a seven-point performance against Clemson, shooting 2-for-4 from the field, including 1-for-2 from three-point range. The seven-point output was Walton’s highest scoring performance since he netted 14 points against College of Charleston in November.
Walton followed his Clemson contribution by scoring nine points against the Seminoles, which included him going 2-for-4 from beyond the arc. Though Walton's impact is the most visible in the box score, sophomore guard RJ Davis understands how crucial every bench minute is, and he sees the benefits of everyone buying into their role.
"For us, we have to have everybody buy in, and everyone come in and play their role," he said. "I think Kerwin, Puff, Trez (Styles), and down the line, they were able to come in and do that. They bring energy off the bench, and that's what we needed. For them to do that and play their role and help this team win, we are going to need that towards the postseason."
The 22 points UNC got from its bench is the most since the Boston College game. The caveat there is that Brady Manek didn’t start that afternoon in Chestnut Hill, MA. Garcia suffered a concussion less than two minutes into the contest, so Manek ended up scoring 17 points by himself off the bench. And that Carolina led by 29 points at the intermission, the reserves saw plenty of action to accumulate some stats.
However, the seven points in 23 minutes Carolina's bench provided Tuesday night against Clemson proved crucial in the Tar Heels’ two-point victory.
Coming off the bench can take an adjustment period with a young player, especially at a blue blood like UNC. A hard lesson many first-year players learn is the little things will often get them on the floor and then keep them in that rotation. Energy and effort are not on the stat sheet, but are a needed component for any team, notably this Carolina club. That is what makes Styles’ week so important for UNC moving forward
Styles appears to have learned those lessons and it is beginning to pay off for the Kinston, NC, native. He posted career-highs of eight points, four rebounds, and 16 minutes versus FSU, and was the first Carolina reserve inserted into the contest. He sees things not just about what he can do, but what the guys on the bench can do.
"We can bring a different dimension," Styles explained. "We have to play hard, get rebounds, and do whatever Coach Davis wants us to do. The team needs energy sometimes, and that's what we have to bring."
Perhaps baby steps to some, the production of the bench this past week and trust from their first-year coach is an important development that will pay dividends if it continues in that direction.
