Hubert Davis continues to tinker with his lineup, inserting Jaydon Young as a starter while Jarin Stevenson started out on the bench. Davis rotated liberally at the beginning of the game; by the under 12-minute timeout, 10 UNC players had logged minutes. In many ways, the beginning of the game looked like an early season game where the coach is trying out different combinations to see what clicks. The results were mixed in the first half; the Heels led by nine at the break before pulling away in the second
half while playing some more traditional lineups. That being said, we did (re)learn one thing: this is Caleb Wilson’s team.
Wilson had another dazzling showing against the Fighting Irish, finishing with a game high 22 points in UNC’s 91-69 win. This was Wilson’s 13th game he’s scored 20+ points; he now is only one game behind Tyler Hansbrough’s freshmen record of 14 games with 20 or more points. Barring an injury, Wilson seems destined to break it.
Wilson started a bit slowly as the Heels spread the ball around while Notre Dame kept it close in the first frame. His dunk with 8:27 left in the first half made him the first Tar Heel to have multiple field goals in the game, but from there he dominated the Irish. Wilson was involved in seemingly every play when he was on the court while showing off his dazzling array of skills. He used a quick spin move to the basket when he was guarded one-on-one multiple times. When Notre Dame threw double teams at him, he would use deft passes to find an open teammate. Wilson ended up with five assists, and there were several plays where his pass led to another player getting the assist. He also threw down his 59th dunk of the season in the second half, which leads the country. Wilson rounded out his stat sheet with seven rebounds, a block, and a steal.
Wilson was more than just his stats though; even while he was on the bench, he remained engaged in the game. The camera cut to him multiple times in the second half while he was on the bench cheering and exhorting his teammates on. His energy was infectious and seemed to give the rest of the team a jolt they needed after looking flat and out of sorts the previous two contests.
Speaking of giving his team a jolt, Henri Veesaar was a force in the second half against Notre Dame. After looking out sync and missing some shots he usually makes in the opening half, Veesaar went on a tear when he came out of the locker room. Veesaar keyed the Heels 21-8 run that ballooned a modest nine-point lead at the half to a 22-point cushion in less than seven minutes. He scored eight points in that stretch while also recording a block, assist and a couple rebounds. Veesaar ended up with 15 points, 12 rebounds, an assist and two blocks.
UNC’s next game will be against stiffer competition, as they will face a renewed Virginia program in Charlottesville. Tipoff is set for 2pm EST.
