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CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina basketball is among the most historic programs in collegiate athletics. And typically, what comes with history is tradition, and Carolina has built an elite college basketball heritage by doing things the ‘Carolina way.’
Every year, there are certain things Tar Heel teams do well, no matter how much talent is on its roster. Ball movement, running the floor, pointing to the passer, are all things people think of when it comes to UNC basketball. Another area that usually helps define the Tar Heels is their dominance on the glass.
In the 18 seasons under former Carolina Coach Roy Williams, the Tar Heels finished top ten in rebounds per game 15 times, including seven first-place finishes. Last season, under then first-year Coach Hubert Davis, the Heels continued the tradition finishing sixth in the category on their way to a NCAA Championship game appearance.
So far this season, however, UNC ranks 61st in rebounds per game, the lowest ranking going back to 2003-2004, which was the beginning of William's era. The Heels also rank No. 117 in rebound margin at plus-3.5.
These numbers are quite a surprise given the Tar Heels have Armando Bacot, who is currently third in the fabled program’s all-time rebounding list, and at some point later this season, will break Tyler Hansbrough’s school record. As a junior, Bacot set the single-season UNC mark by grabbed 511 boards, 96 more than the previous record of 415, set by Brice Johnson in 2016.
Bacot missed UNC’s loss at Virginia Tech on Dece,ber 4, and perhaps the Hokies exposed the fact that the Heels were too reliant on their All-American big man when it came to rebounding responsibilities. In that game, Carolina was out rebounded 39-25 including ten Hokie offensive rebounds.
“I think rebounding has a lot to do with just energy and effort, '' Davis said following his team's win over Georgia Tech this past Saturday at the Smith Center. “One of the things that I tell the guys all the time is this isn’t an Armando Bacot rebounding game, it's a North Carolina rebounding game, he needs help in there and everybody has to get involved.”
The Tar Heel who heeded those words the most versus the Yellow Jackets was junior point guard RJ Davis, who pulled down 10 boards for the third double-digit rebound game of his career.
“I take a lot of pride in it,'' Davis following the 16-point win over Georgia Tech. “I have always been rebounding at a high level since high school. I’m considered a smaller guy, so just to have different arsenals in my game, to go down low with the big guys and get a rebound over them, that’s something that I take pride in, and something I will continue to do because I know if I get the rebound I’ll be able to push it.”
Davis’ first double-double came on the biggest stage on which any of the current Tar Heels have played. He scored 15 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in UNC’s three-point loss to Kansas in the national championship game in New Orleans last April. His second came versus Gardner-Webb last month.
Not bad for a guy who is listed at 6-feet, 175 pounds, whose six offensive rebounds in the title game might be more impressive than his 12 overall.
“There’s not a lot of guard that crash the offensive glass,” UNC forward Pete Nance said about Davis, who averages 5.5 boards per contest. “So, being able to hang around and get some boards has been great for him, and he definitely does a great job on the glass helping the bigs.”
The New York native arrived in Chapel Hill with the reputation as an elite scorer. And while this Davis’ shots haven’t fallen at the rate he prefers this season, a problem that has plagued a number of Tar Heels (6-4, 1-1 ACC), his coach is constantly reminding him that there is more than one way to impact the game.
“One of the things I tell the players all the time is that there are so many different things you can do that are of great benefit to you personally and to the team," said Hubert Davis. "It's not just about scoring. It's not just about shots. There’s defense, assist, rebounds, there’s energy and effort, enthusiasm. There are so many ways to help the team.”
And while RJ Davis aesthetically appears the least likely Tar Heel to dominate the boards, his track record says differently, and Coach Davis will take it every game if he can.
“It was the second double-double for RJ this season, third of his career because his first one was in the national championship game,” Carolina’s second-year head man said. “If he wants to continue to do that, I'm okay with it. “
Whether it’s as conventional as past UNC teams doesn’t really matter. The end game for North Carolina is to grab many more rebounds than its opponents. It’s in the program’s DNA, it’s in the Tar Heels’ wiring. Even if it means the most diminutive Tar Heel has to snare a healthy share.
