UNC basketball is in Florida for Feast Week.
Ranked No. 17 in the USA TODAY Sports coaches poll and No. 16 in the AP Top 25, the Tar Heels (5-0) will play a pair of games as part of the Fort Myers Tip-Off at Suncoast Credit Union Arena, starting with St. Bonaventure (5-0) on Tuesday, Nov. 25 (6 p.m., FS1).
UNC faces No. 11/12 Michigan State (5-0) on Thanksgiving Day (4:30 p.m., FOX) in its first marquee matchup since the victory against Kansas at the Smith Center. After playing their first five games in Chapel Hill for the first time in more than 100 years, the Tar Heels will get a chance to show their growth before the calendar flips to December.
“It’s ironing stuff out, fixing stuff, adding stuff. We just started the season … so obviously it’s not a finished product, but it’s something that’s worked on every day,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said after the Tar Heels’ win vs. Navy on Nov. 18.
“Now we’ll have an opportunity for a little bit this week to really prepare and change and tweak and pivot some things on us that, as I said before, I’m really excited about.”
Here are three things we hope to see from UNC during its two-game event at the Fort Myers Tip-Off in Florida.
Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar dealing with physicality as UNC basketball rebounders, defenders
UNC got the best of Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar against Kansas, with that frontcourt duo combining for 44 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. Wilson and Veesaar have helped the Tar Heels move to 22nd in overall defensive efficiency, according to KenPom, No. 4 in defensive field-goal efficiency and No. 1 in two-point defense.
The Tar Heels are 17th in rebounding margin, as of Nov. 24, and the Spartans sit at No. 8. The Bonnies are among the top offensive rebounding teams in the nation, coming in at No. 6 nationally in offensive rebounding percentage (44%). Wilson and Veesaar have to continue leading the charge in crashing the glass and controlling the boards for the Heels.
Defensively, it’s imperative that Wilson and Veesaar continue to provide rim protection and bring physicality, but defend without fouling. Wilson has picked up at least three fouls in three of the last four games, dealing with foul trouble in the first half of several games. Veesaar has been tagged for three fouls in two games.
Kyan Evans, Luka Bogavac 3-point shooting for Tar Heels
Kyan Evans leads UNC in assists and Luka Bogavac has been a double-digit scorer in four of his first five games as a Tar Heel, but both need take steps forward as 3-point shooters. Evans is knocking down just 32% of his shots (8-25) from long range and Bogavac sits at 33% (10-30). Things are trending up in the last two games for Bogavac, who made 45.4% of his shots from beyond the arc, but Evans is 2 of 11 (18.1%) in that stretch.
In losses to Michigan State, Arkansas and Kentucky combined to make just 24% of their 3-pointers. The Bonnies have allowed three of five teams to make at least 35.7% of their treys, so UNC – particularly Evans and Bogavac – have a shot to carry some shot-making momentum into their showdown with the Spartans.
Derek Dixon, Jonathan Powell, Zayden High growth as key UNC players off bench
When Trimble returns from his injury, the Tar Heels figure to have a solid eight-man rotation. As he continues to recover, UNC needs to see growth from freshman guard Derek Dixon, West Virginia transfer Jonathan Powell and sophomore center Zayden High against St. Bonaventure and Michigan State. Often the first players off the bench for the Tar Heels, Dixon, Powell and High will be important pieces for UNC throughout this season.
“It doesn’t work without our bench,” Davis said after the Navy game. “I mean, we need a number of guys consistently playing at a high level, and I feel like we have a bench that can do that.”
Powell is averaging a bench-best 15.4 minutes as a reserve, with Dixon at 14.2 minutes and High at 9.2 per game. As a 31.6% shooter from 3-point range through five games, including a 2-for-7 stretch in the last two games, Powell needs to heat up from deep to open up driving lanes for his teammates. He also needs to continue crashing the glass for multiple rebounds.
Dixon has excelled as a defensive rebounder, using his 6-foot-5, 200-pound frame to snag at least three defensive boards in three games. He can also put pressure on the defense by creating chances in the paint, drawing fouls on the interior and drawing the defense for kick-out 3s. Dixon has scored at least seven points in the last three games.
The Tar Heels continue to lack stability with backup centers, but High will have to play if Wilson and Veesaar are in foul trouble. Through five games, High has as many turnovers (3) as baskets (3). UNC simply needs High to eat minutes, rebound, defend without fouling and set solid screens.
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@usatodayco.com.
