A breakout, 33-point effort by Seth Trimble helped No. 9 UNC stave off Memphis and win 84-76 in a spirited exhibition game Tuesday night in the Hoops for St. Jude Tip Off Classic.
The junior paced Carolina with a career performance, earning the start with All-American R.J. Davis sidelined due to a back contusion and scoring 14 in the first half. Trimble finished 11-for-17 from the field, 3-for-5 from beyond the arc and a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line.
Carolina trailed at the half, but a strong defensive start to the second frame helped the Tar Heels pull ahead for good. A stretch of four steals and a series of fast-break baskets saw UNC jump out on a 12-3 run — and the Heels stretched their lead to 14 points at the eight-minute television timeout thanks to improved shot-making. Memphis cut the lead to single digits with four minutes remaining and six points in the final 80 seconds during a stretch where UNC went 1-for-8 from the field, but Carolina held on by forcing turnovers and hitting free throws to ice the game.
Here are some key takeaways from the Tar Heels’ tune-up performance on Tuesday.
UNC’s Fast Break, Defense Help Make the Difference
It’s not unusual to see a Carolina men’s basketball team start their season a little sloppily with turnovers as the team tries to keep up its traditional fast-paced offense. Tuesday’s game started that way for the Heels, with several first half turnovers leading to Memphis scores. Eventually, though, the tables turned and UNC rode its own defense and fast-break offense to take the lead in the second half. Sophomore guard Elliot Cadeau — operating once again as the team’s primary ballhandler — played a major role in that spark. He assisted four fast-break points to Trimble, hit an open three, scored a layup, and caused a turnover as part of a 12-3 run to open the second frame. The starting point guard ultimately finished with 11 points and 12 assists, marking his first career double-double with the Tar Heels.
UNC’s turnover problems, two of which came from Cadeau in the final two minutes, allowed the Tigers to make the game closer in the final minutes. But before then, Carolina had Memphis looking tired and out of position defensively — and much of that was thanks to Cadeau pushing the ball ahead and teammates running the floor.
UNC finished with 21 turnovers and gave up 20 points off of fast breaks. Memphis, meanwhile, finished with 22 turnovers and gave up 17 points to Carolina off the break.
Juniors Making the Jump?
With Carolina having so many additions and expecting its highly-touted freshman to log heavy minutes (although both Ian Jackson and Drake Powell were shaky in their minutes Tuesday, the five-star recruits are expected to get up to speed before long), Trimble and junior Jalen Washington each showed their value to the roster as upperclassmen. In addition to leading the scoring, Trimble showed good patience while handling the ball and better control when attacking the rim with his impressive bounce.
Washington, meanwhile, scored on UNC’s first offensive possession off of their patented backdoor lob assisted by Cadeau and got the defensive stop and rebound on Memphis’ Dane Dainja the next play. The 6-foot-10 forward will be tested plenty this season and whether he can stay out of foul trouble will likely be an ongoing storyline. But Washington showcased athleticism in extended minutes that will bring a dynamic component that UNC simply didn’t have with Armando Bacot the last five seasons — including splashing two three-pointers. He finished with 17 points, the second most behind Trimble.
Crashing the Boards
With Carolina’s atypical lack of size and depth in their frontcourt, the Tar Heels’ edge in rebounding against opponents is no longer assumed. On Tuesday, Memphis opened the game with five offensive rebounds before the first TV timeout — including one high-arching miss off the back rim that was slammed back because of a lack of box-outs.
UNC had a rebounding deficit coming out of halftime, but out-rebounded the Tigers in the second half and limited them to just 10 offensive rebounds while grabbing eight of their own. Cade Tyson led the team with nine, Jae’Lyn Withers finished with eight and Washington added six.
Other Notes
- Last year, UNC shot just less than 76% on free throws as a team. Would you believe that’s the second-highest percentage for the Tar Heels in the last eight seasons? A lot of that was boosted by Davis, Bacot, and Cormac Ryan’s shooting, while the rest of the team felt a bit like a roller coaster. UNC had a rough first half at the line and ultimately finished 16 of 25 for 64%.
- Nine different Tar Heels saw game action on Tuesday, with eight logging double-digit minutes. It continues Hubert Davis’
- Withers continues to be a bit of a wild card any time the ball is in his hands or he’s the primary ball defender. The graduate student will be important for the Tar Heels’ frontcourt depth and showed he can rebound in advanced minutes. But he continued to show a propensity for foul trouble, finishing with five, and at times was literally throwing himself at defenders. One thing is for certain: Withers is going to make his minutes entertaining.
- It may have been an exhibition, but UNC got a taste of a regular-season atmosphere — as the Memphis home crowd fed off the Tigers’ good opening minutes and late-game push. An early road test, albeit one that won’t count in the record books, can only help the Tar Heels with their non-conference schedule. Carolina has a date at Allen Fieldhouse vs. preseason No. 1 Kansas as their second game of the season, which certainly will be a hostile environment.
Carolina will next face Johnson C. Smith University for an exhibition game in the Dean E. Smith Center on Sunday, Oct. 27 at 2 p.m.
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