CHAPEL HILL — UNC basketball had an open practice for media members on Thursday, Oct. 4, inside the Smith Center.
For 30 minutes, the Tar Heels stretched and went through drills on Roy Williams Court while folks observed from the Carolina blue seats in sections 108 and 109. Entering its fifth season under head coach Hubert Davis, UNC has 11 new players around senior guard Seth Trimble.
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Alabama transfer Jarin Stevenson, Arizona transfer Henri Veesaar, Colorado State transfer Kyan Evans, West Virginia’s Jonathan Powell and Virginia Tech’s Jaydon Young were the Tar Heels’ main additions via the transfer portal.
Five-star recruit Caleb Wilson headlines a three-player class that features guards Derek Dixon and Isaiah Denis. A pair of former Tar Heels, Kenny Williams and Joel James, were watching from the sideline as Hubert Davis chopped it up with his current players.
“C’mon guys, let’s go,” Davis said to the group. “Great practice today. Let’s go, let’s go.”
Here are observations from the open portion of UNC basketball’s practice on Oct. 4.
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Who was in UNC basketball’s starting lineup at practice?
When the Tar Heels transitioned to team drills, the White team featured: Kyan Evans, Luka Bogavac, Jonathan Powell, Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar. The White team is typically the starting lineup. Does that mean Seth Trimble will be coming off the bench for UNC? Not exactly. It’s just one observation from one portion of practice. Either way, the Tar Heels appear to have more options and better depth than they did last season. Whether he’s starting or coming off the bench as a sixth man, Trimble is going to play a ton of minutes because of his two-way ability.
Kyan Evans, Luka Bogavac, Jonathan Powell are Tar Heels’ best 3-point shooters
When the White team went to a 5-on-0 offensive drill that featured multiple screens, cuts and shots from different areas of the court, three Tar Heels consistently ripped the net on 3-point attempts. If this practice is any indication, Evans, Bogavac and Powell will be UNC’s top threats from 3-point range this season. That trio rarely missed in team drills and made more than it missed during individual drills.
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Henri Veesaar, Jarin Stevenson, Caleb Wilson have elite defensive potential
With a trio of 6-foot-10 players on the floor during a boxes-and-elbows defensive drill, the improved length and defensive versatility of the Tar Heels was evident. Veesaar, Stevenson and Wilson appear to be the best options in the frontcourt to aid Trimble’s point-of-attack presence as an on-ball defender. Emphasizing the importance of “shrinking the floor,” Davis consistently told his team to “defend at game speed” with “energy,” “effort and enthusiasm.” His latest group should be closer to the 2023-24 squad defensively than last year’s bunch.
Marcus Paige preaching importance of UNC guards cutting, screening
Assistant coach Marcus Paige, one of the Tar Heels’ all-time great guards, was active early on in this particular practice. While post players were working on post positioning and finishing at the rim with assistant coaches Sean May and Pat Sullivan, Paige and assistant coach Jeff Lebo were preaching the importance of screening and cutting with UNC’s backcourt players. Davis chimed in at one point, telling the Tar Heels’ perimeter players to “be sharp” and have “attention to detail” in their cuts. The Tar Heels did a lot of stationary dribbling last season, but this group seems in tune with the message of constant movement, spacing and reading screeners/defenders.
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Derek Dixon, Isaiah Denis back from injuries for Tar Heels
Freshman guards Derek Dixon (lower extremity) and Isaiah Denis (upper extremity) missed the Blue-White scrimmage due to injuries. Both players were on Roy Williams Court during the portion of practice open to media members.
Rodd Baxley covers North Carolina Tar Heels athletics for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding UNC? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Kyan Evans, UNC basketball observations from Tar Heels practice
