Scouting Work: End of 2019 Basketball Team and Player Rankings with Games Seen

2019-2020 NBA Draft Rankings
Rank	Player	Position	Team	Height	Weight	Year
1	James Wiseman	PF/C	Memphis	7'1"	240	Freshman
2	Isaiah Stewart	PF	Washington	6'9"	250	Freshman
3	Vernon Carey Jr.	PF/C	Duke	6'11"	260	Freshman
4	Tyrese Haliburton	PG	Iowa St.	6'5"	175	Sophomore
5	Harlond Beverly	PG	Miami	6'4"	185	Freshman
6	Obi Toppin	PF	Dayton	6'9"	220	Sophomore
7	Zeke Nnaji	PF	Arizona	6'11"	240	Freshman
8	Precious Achiuwa	SF	Memphis	6'9"	215	Freshman
9	Jaden McDaniels	SG/SF	Washington	6'9"	200	Freshman
10	Trayce Jackson-Davis	PF/C	Indiana	6'10"	235	Freshman
11	Onyeka Okongwu	PF	USC	6'8"	235	Freshman
12	Paul Reed	SF	DePaul	6'9"	220	Junior
13	Joel Ayayi	SG/PG	Gonzaga	6'5"	180	Sophomore
14	Filip Petrusev	SF/PF/C	Gonzaga	6'11"	235	Sophomore
15	Josh Green	SG/SF	Arizona	6'6"	205	Freshman
16	Cole Anthony	PG	UNC	6'3"	190	Freshman
17	Anthony Edwards	SG	Georgia	6'5"	225	Freshman
18	Aaron Nesmith	SG/SF	Vanderbilt	6'6"	213	Sophomore
19	Brandon Rachal	SG/SF	Tulsa	6'6"	220	Junior
20	Landers Nolly II	SG	Virginia Tech	6'7"	230	Freshman
21	Tyrese Maxey	SG/PG	Kentucky	6'3"	198	Freshman
22	Reggie Perry	SG/SF	Mississippi St.	6'10"	250	Sophomore
23	Ochai Agbaji	SF	Kansas	6'5"	210	Sophomore
24	Jordan Nwora	SF	Louisville	6'7"	225	Junior
25	LJ Figueroa	SF/SG	St. John's	6'6"	195	Junior
26	Mason Jones	SG	Arkansas	6'5"	200	Junior
27	Markell Johnson	PG	N.C. State	6'1"	165	Senior
28	Kofi Cockburn	PF/C	Illinois	6'10"	290	Freshman
29	Olivier Sarr	C	Wake Forest	7'0"	255	Junior
30	Armando Bacot Jr.	SF/PF	UNC	6'10"	235	Freshman

2020 Team Rankings		Games Seen	Last
1	Gonzaga	6	12/18/2019
2	Duke	5	12/3/2019
3	Kansas	7	12/29/2019
4	Baylor	3	12/7/2019
5	Arizona	4	12/14/2019
6	Ohio St.	4	12/29/2019
7	Dayton	4	11/27/2019
8	Louisville	4	12/28/2019
9	Memphis	3	12/14/2019
10	Auburn	4	12/5/2019
11	Washington	3	12/8/2019
12	Butler	2	12/7/2019
13	Oregon	4	12/14/2019
14	Villanova	5.5	12/21/2019
15	Michigan	6	12/14/2019
16	Maryland	3	12/10/2019
17	Texas Tech	2.5	12/10/2019
18	West Virginia	3	12/29/2019
19	DePaul	2	11/29/2019
20	Penn St.	2	12/10/2019
21	Kentucky	3.5	12/28/2019
22	St. John's	1.5	11/23/2019
23	E. Tennessee St	1	12/18/2019
24	Indiana	1.5	12/3/2019
25	San Diego St.	2	11/29/2019
26	Arkansas	1.5	11/25/2019
27	Florida St.	2	12/3/2019
28	Purdue	2.5	12/17/2019
29	Seton Hall	2.5	12/8/2019
30	Illinois	2.5	12/7/2019

	East	Regular	Last		Preseason	Playoffs		2019 Summer League
1	Bucks	4	12/25/2019		1			1
2	76ers	4	12/27/2019		2			3
3	Celtics	4	12/27/2019		1			1
4	Heat	3	11/25/2019					3
5	Pacers	2	12/15/2019		2			2
6	Raptors	2	11/18/2019
7	Nets	2	10/27/2019		2			3
8	Magic	2	12/27/2019					1
9	Hornets	24	12/27/2019		3			1
10	Pistons	1	11/15/2019		2			1
11	Wizards	2	12/10/2019		1			2
12	Bulls	2	12/13/2019		1			3
13	Cavs	3	12/27/2019		1			3
14	Hawks	1	10/29/2019		1			2
15	Knicks	2	11/16/2019		1			1
	West	Regular	Last		Preseason	Playoffs		2019 Summer League
1	Clippers	6	12/25/2019		2			1
2	Lakers	6	12/25/2019		3			3
3	Rockets	4	12/25/2019		2			1
4	Nuggets	4	12/25/2019		1			2
5	Jazz	3	12/26/2019		1			2
6	Mavs	3	12/26/2019		2			1
7	Blazers	2	12/26/2019		2			1
8	Thunder	2	12/27/2019		1			2
9	Kings	2	12/17/2019		2			2
10	T'Wolves	3	11/10/2019		1			4
11	Suns	1	12/26/2019		1			2
12	Spurs	2	12/26/2019					2
13	Pelicans	5	12/25/2019		2			1
14	Grizzlies	3	11/13/2019		1			5
15	Warriors	4	12/25/2019		3			2

Carolina beats UCLA and snaps a four-game losing streak

UNC 74-UCLA 64


It wasn’t pretty, but Carolina stopped a four-game losing streak and beat UCLA 74-64 just over a week ago in Las Vegas.  


Leaky Black came out aggressive and set the tone early before once again disappearing for the rest of the game.  Jeremiah Francis came in off the bench for an ineffective K.J. Smith and made it obvious that he should be the point guard for this UNC team as long as Cole Anthony is in street clothes.  


Brandon Robinson shot it well from deep in the first half and helped stake the Tar Heels to a 36-23 halftime lead.  Armando Bacot had a good first half as well as Carolina dominated inside and looked on its way to an easy win.  UCLA had other ideas.


The Bruins opened the second half on a 12-0 run in the first three minutes to cut the deficit to one.  Carolina showed some resilience by righting the ship and keeping the lead, but if it hadn’t been for freshman Anthony Harris the Tar Heels might not have won this game.


Harris got his opportunity in the second half and took full advantage.  He played with confidence and showed why he’s now the best scoring option on this team.  Harris is one of the only Carolina players who can consistently create his own shot, and he’s shown an ability to put the ball in the basket from anywhere on the floor.  He’s got a scorer’s mentality, and he stays on the attack both offensively and defensively.


This UNC team has really struggled to score, and it will be absolutely essential for Anthony Harris to be on the court for the majority of every game going forward.  He’ll likely need to be the leading scorer while Cole Anthony is out if Carolina is going to make the NCAA Tournament, something that will be tough to do without playing 30+ minutes each game.



Game 13-Yale



The Tar Heels host Yale in their last game before ACC play gets fully underway, and UNC will need to play well to come out on top.  Yale is coming off a big win at Clemson, and while the Bulldogs don’t have much size, speed, or athleticism, they share the ball extremely well and generally make good decisions.  


Jordan Bruner is Yale’s best athlete and most versatile player.  Bruner is extremely skilled, and at 6’9” he’s usually able to impose his will on the game.  


He’s a very good rebounder who can grab the ball off the glass and lead the fast break.  He’s a solid ball-handler, a good shooter, and an extremely good passer who can create shots for himself and his teammates.  


The Tar Heels will need to get the ball out of his hands as much as possible, but he’s a great passer out of double teams so Carolina will have to be careful not to leave shooters open for easy looks.  Yale doesn’t have a lot of great shooters or playmakers on the perimeter, but most of them are capable of making the defense pay for leaving them wide open.  


Paul Atkinson is Yale’s leading scorer and their top option inside.  He’s got good size, strength, and footwork in the post, but he lacks the elite length and athleticism of Garrison Brooks and Armando Bacot. 


The Tar Heel bigs will need to keep Atkinson in check and dominate the boards for Carolina to win, and the Heels must use their superior speed and athleticism to force turnovers and get out in transition.  


Yale doesn’t have a lot of great ball-handlers, so the Tar Heels would be wise to throw a full-court press and other trapping defenses at the Bulldogs for most of the game.  Speeding Yale up and making them play at an uncomfortably fast pace will maximize Carolina’s advantages, and if done correctly UNC’s speed, length, and athleticism SHOULD be too much for Yale to overcome.

UNC Basketball: Tar Heels drop their 4th straight, look to rebound against UCLA

Gonzaga 94-UNC 81


Carolina competed hard but ultimately fell to a superior Gonzaga team 94-81.  Armando Bacot picked up two fouls in the first minute and stayed in foul trouble all night.  With Bacot a non-factor and Cole Anthony out again after knee surgery, the Tar Heels just weren’t talented enough to hang with a team like Gonzaga.  


Gonzaga’s guards got in the lane and to the rim at will, breaking down Carolina’s defense and creating good looks at the basket from all over the floor.  While Joel Ayayi and Ryan Woolridge controlled the game and set up most of Gonzaga’s baskets, Corey Kispert was often on the receiving end of their passes.  Kispert was on fire all game, finishing with 26 points on 10-12 shooting and 5-6 from three-point range.  He scored in every way imaginable, and in the process made a really good argument that he can play at the NBA level.


Filip Petrusev was great inside, showing off his footwork, hands, and touch around the basket on his way to 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 blocks.  His battle with Garrison Brooks was about the only interesting matchup in this one, as Brooks held his own with 16 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.  


Unfortunately Brooks got almost no help from his fellow starters.  Brandon Robinson missed the second half with an illness after doing next to nothing in the first half, and K.J. Smith struggled early and only ended up playing 15 minutes.  


Leaky Black came out aggressive and had a few nice plays, then promptly disappeared for the rest of the game.  UNC has to get more from Black if they’re going to win games this season.  He can be a major impact player when he’s attacking off the dribble and looking to make plays, but so far this season he’s been very tentative with the ball in his hands.


Christian Keeling had probably his best game in a Carolina uniform.  He looked much more confident and knocked down several tough mid-range jumpers, and hopefully this will be a sign of things to come.  Keeling has all the skills, he just has to be more aggressive and play with the kind of confidence he had in this one.


Justin Pierce and Andrew Platek made some nice contributions as well, but how well this team fares the rest of the season will largely depend on the development of freshmen Jeremiah Francis and Anthony Harris.  


Francis displayed a lot of toughness and showed he’s capable of being the point guard for this team while Cole Anthony is out.  He did a great job attacking the rim, finding teammates, and putting points on the board, all while playing solid defense on Gonzaga’s talented guards.


Anthony Harris contributed eight points in 14 minutes, and right now he’s probably this team’s most talented scorer.  He seems to be playing a little too fast and out of control, but he’s got a scorer’s mentality and the confidence to let it fly.  He’s able to create his own shot off the dribble, and the Tar Heels are going to need him to make plays and bring consistent scoring to a team that is really struggling to make shots. 


UCLA and Yale are the next two games on the schedule, and the Tar Heels really need to win them both before the ACC season gets into full swing.




Game 12: UCLA


This isn’t your grandfather’s UCLA.  This version of the Bruins is an extremely sloppy and turnover-prone bunch, and if Carolina can’t come away with a win the Tar Heels will likely finish this season with a losing record.


UCLA has great size and a bunch of good athletes, but they’re pretty bad on both ends of the floor.  They often play a weak zone defense and give up a lot of good looks.  They don’t have many good ball handlers or shooters on the offensive end, so the Tar Heels would be wise to pack in the defense and make the Bruins beat them from the outside.  


UCLA has been hesitant and has often looked confused offensively.  They’ve struggled to put passes together and move the ball with fluidity, and without many good ball handlers they’ve had a hard time creating good shots.  Keeping UCLA out of the lane and off the offensive glass will be a huge key to coming out of this one with a win.

UNC Basketball: Carolina loses 3rd straight game, Cole Anthony out for the forseeable future

Wofford 68-UNC 64


Oh boy.  The worst thing that could happen to this already thin UNC roster came to fruition, and Cole Anthony sat out this game and will be sidelined an estimated 4-6 weeks after discovering a partially torn meniscus in his right knee.  This team wasn’t playing very well with him, but without him they probably aren’t even an NCAA Tournament team.


Carolina has struggled to put the ball in the basket this season, and Cole Anthony has been by far the best scorer on the team.  He’s been the only guy on the roster who can consistently create his own shot, and if no one can step in and at least partially fill the void, this season will go down the tubes quickly.


Cole Anthony isn’t the best passer, but he’s been pretty much the only Carolina player who can make plays with the ball in his hands.  Armando Bacot and Garrison Brooks have been good and typically have an advantage inside, but they need a teammate to get them the ball in spots where they can be successful.  Someone has to step up and be the primary ball handler and playmaker, and realistically it’s gonna take a couple guys to do that for this team to win games.


K.J. Smith started against Wofford, and he did an admirable job pushing the tempo and creating shots for teammates.  He may even be a better passer than Cole Anthony, so there’s a chance UNC could play with improved ball movement and end up with more open looks with Smith on the floor.  The question will be if anyone can make those shots.


K.J. Smith hasn’t looked like a great shooter, although he has shown the ability to get to the rim and finish.  Jeremiah Francis can handle the ball and has shown glimpses of being a playmaker, but it doesn’t look like he’s much of a shooter either.  Anthony Harris is the guy who has to take the reins of this team if they’re going to stay afloat and make the tournament, and he’s going to have to grow up quick to do it.


Harris is the one guy with the confidence and swagger to take his game to the next level quickly.  He plays extremely hard, and he has the capability to handle, score, and create for his teammates.  He’s been a little out of control and clearly has a lot to learn, but I think he’s the only hope of keeping this team in the hunt for a postseason berth.  He has to be fully unleashed and allowed to play through mistakes, because the alternative is a bunch of losses and potentially even a losing record.


Wofford did a great job creating open three-point looks off of screens, and they made just enough to hold on for a 68-64 win in Chapel Hill.  As expected the Tar Heels were dominant inside, but they were ultimately done in by their poor shooting.  Armando Bacot had an extremely hard time finishing around the basket, going 2-14 on mostly layups and put-back attempts.  He was great defensively, but he has to be better on the offensive end.


Brandon Robinson had one of his better all-around games, finishing with 16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks.  He’ll need to continue this kind of output to give Carolina a chance, and I’m not sure that’s a realistic expectation.  


Christian Keeling had one of his better games as well, but he’s still far too soft.  Keeling has almost every skill you look for in a guard, except for the fact that he’s very weak and not nearly aggressive enough.  This isn’t something that changes all the sudden, so hoping for him to be a major contributor isn’t realistic either.


The schedule is about as favorable as it can be over the next month and a half, but the next game is not.  Carolina travels to Spokane, Washington to take on Gonzaga, a national championship contender and one of the most well-rounded teams in the country.  This is gonna be ugly.





Game 11: Gonzaga


Gonzaga is favored by 11, but I’d be completely shocked if they don’t win by a lot more.  The Bulldogs are very skilled, organized, and have a lot of ways to hurt you on both ends of the floor. 

Filip Petrusev and Joel Ayayi should both be NBA first-round draft picks, and they’re joined by Killian Tillie, Corey Kispert, and Ryan Woolridge to make up what is arguably the best starting five in the country. 

Petrusev is an extremely skilled big man who fights hard for position and makes great decisions with the ball in his hands.  He’s a great passer and rebounder with a deft touch around the rim, but he’s also a very good shooter with three-point range.

Joel Ayayi is an under the radar player who in my opinion is playing as well as any point guard in the nation.  He’s a great ball handler with a phenomenal feel for the game, and he’s got elite quickness, size and length to go with it.  He’s able to get wherever he wants to go with ease, and he can score from anywhere on the floor.  He has a great floater and is a very good shooter with deep range, but he also has elite court vision that facilitates high-level ball movement for this team.

UNC is simply outmatched in this game.  Gonzaga doesn’t get a lot of elite programs visiting their home arena, so a raucous environment is sure to greet the Tar Heels and likely rattle them early. 

It will take a great effort for Carolina to keep this close, but at this point I don’t think they have enough to hang in there on the road against one of the nation’s best teams.  Gonzaga is coming off two huge road wins at Arizona and Washington, and I look for them to keep rolling with an easy victory tonight over UNC.

UNC Basketball: Carolina's offensive struggles continue in 56-47 loss to Virginia

Virginia 56-UNC 47


Virginia defeated Carolina 56-47 in one of the worst games I’ve watched this season.  Both teams were absolutely terrible offensively right from the start, missing shots badly and turning the ball over on what should have been routine passes and drives.  


It was only 2-0 after the first TV timeout, and 6-5 Virginia 10 minutes in as both teams made the game of basketball look very difficult.  This was billed as #7 versus #5, but neither of these squads should be in the top 10 at this point in the season.  I feel sorry for anyone that sat through this entire game.


On a positive note, it was great to see Armando Bacot on the floor to start this game.  I really thought he’d be out at least a month after seeing him helped off the court against Ohio State and not putting weight on his sprained ankle, and while he clearly wasn’t 100% against Virginia, it was amazing to see him recover so quickly and play most of the game.  This says a lot about Bacot’s toughness, but seeing this Carolina team play with him either out or hobbling is not a pretty sight.


The Tar Heels simply don’t have enough consistent scoring weapons outside of Cole Anthony and Armando Bacot.  UNC was 0-8 from three-point range in the first half, and still had 0 points from its bench halfway through the second half.  The Tar Heels got nothing once again from Justin Pierce and Christian Keeling, and the fact is these guys just shouldn’t be seeing the floor in a Carolina jersey.


Leaky Black has to be better as well.  He took only four shots in this one, continuing his trend of passive offensive play.  Brandon Robinson also took only four shots, and the Tar Heels will have almost no chance to win any game with these kind of performances from starters who need to be major contributors.


Virginia cleaned up their offensive game in the second half and slowly pulled away.  The Cavaliers played the first 13 minutes after halftime without a turnover, allowing them to build what in this game was an insurmountable double-digit lead.  


One potential good thing came out of the blowout, as Coach Williams decided to give freshman Anthony Harris and Jeremiah Francis some time on the floor.  While neither did anything spectacular, both showed an ability to handle the ball and create off the dribble, skills that are lacking among many of their other teammates.  The next game against Wofford is the perfect opportunity to get these guys some more experience, because this Tar Heel team is going to need them if they have hopes of doing anything noteworthy this season.





Game 10:  Wofford



This year’s Wofford team isn’t as good as the one that knocked off Carolina in the Dean Dome two years ago, but this Tar Heel team isn’t as good as that one was either.  


Wofford plays with great energy, effort, and physicality, but they’re very small and will have a big size disadvantage at nearly every position.  They make up for their lack of size and length with good ball handling, quickness, and fundamentals, and if they can get hot from three-point range there will definitely be a chance for an upset.


Storm Murphy is Wofford’s point guard and feisty leader with a great handle and an extremely accurate three-point shot.  UNC will need to focus on stopping him first, but the Tar Heels will need to be careful not to leave other shooters open for three-point looks either.  Letting Wofford knock down a high number of threes is probably the only way Carolina can lose to the Terriers, so I hope the Tar Heel defenders will avoid overhelping on drives and stay glued to their man on the perimeter.


This game will be played in Carmichael Arena, a much smaller venue than the Smith Center but also a louder, more intimate environment.  This could really help Carolina, and right now the Tar Heels can use all the help they can get.

UNC Basketball: Tar Heels lose Bacot early, get blown out at home by Ohio State

Ohio State 74-UNC 49


Armando Bacot went down with what looked like a really bad ankle sprain early in the first half, and without him the Tar Heels were no match for Ohio State.  The Buckeyes used their speed and physicality to clamp down defensively, and Carolina just didn’t have enough offensive weapons to score points against one of the nation’s best defenses.


Ohio State got contributions from nearly everyone offensively, led by Duane Washington’s 18 points and 5 rebounds.  UNC had no answers on either end of the floor, and if Armando Bacot misses significant time this team is really going to struggle.


Without Bacot this Carolina team is basically Cole Anthony and not much else.  This is one of the least talented Carolina rosters in quite a while, and most of the lineups UNC had out there against Ohio State looked more like a group of guys you’d find at a school like Davidson.  Sure some of them have the ability to make some nice plays from time to time, but in reality they have no business being in a Carolina uniform.  


The Tar Heels desperately need some players to return from injuries.  The team that had to finish out the Ohio State game isn’t very good, and the losses could really pile up if Carolina can’t get any of these guys back soon.  
Luckily the schedule is about as easy as it could be for the next two months.  This is the weakest the ACC has been in a long time, so there is a chance Cole Anthony could put this team on his back and keep UNC afloat until some guys get healthy.  




Game 9:  Virginia





Virginia is badly overrated at #5 and coming off a similar drubbing at the hands of Purdue.  The Cavaliers are very good defensively as they normally are, but they have a lot of trouble scoring on the offensive end.  This will likely be a very low-scoring affair, and right now both teams just aren’t very good.  Virginia and Carolina look more like middle of the pack teams in the ACC right now, and 3^rd or 4^th is probably the best either one could hope for.



Updated Top 30 Team and Player Rankings

2020 Team Rankings		Games Seen	Last
1	Louisville	1	11/5/2019
2	Michigan	4	11/29/2019
3	Kansas	4	11/27/2019
4	Dayton	4	11/27/2019
5	Ohio St.	3	12/4/2019
6	Baylor	2	11/24/2019
7	Arizona	1	11/28/2019
8	Gonzaga	3	11/29/2019
9	Duke	4	11/26/2019
10	Washington	2	11/16/2019
11	Auburn	3	11/25/2019
12	Oregon	3	11/29/2019
13	Seton Hall	1.5	11/15/2019
14	Butler	1	11/12/2019
15	Stanford	1	11/25/2019
16	Florida St.	1	11/10/2019
17	VCU	1.5	11/13/2019
18	LSU	2.5	11/22/2019
19	Iowa St.	1	11/27/2019
20	Memphis	2	11/12/2019
21	Maryland	1	11/9/2019
22	Tennessee	2	11/16/2019
23	DePaul	0.5
24	Colorado	1.5	11/26/2019
25	San Diego St.	1	11/28/2019
26	Villanova	3.5	11/24/2019
27	Florida	1.5	11/10/2019
28	Xavier	2.5	12/7/2019
29	UNC	7	12/4/2019
30	Arkansas	1.5	11/25/2019

2019-2020 NBA Draft Rankings
Rank	Player	Position	Team	Height	Weight	Year
1	James Wiseman	PF/C	Memphis	7'1"	240	Freshman
2	Obi Toppin	PF	Dayton	6'9"	220	Sophomore
3	Anthony Edwards	SG	Georgia	6'5"	225	Freshman
4	Jaden McDaniels	SG/SF	Washington	6'9"	200	Freshman
5	Josh Green	SG/SF	Arizona	6'6"	205	Freshman
6	Isaiah Stewart	PF	Washington	6'9"	250	Freshman
7	Harlond Beverly	PG	Miami	6'4"	185	Freshman
8	Cole Anthony	PG	UNC	6'3"	190	Freshman
9	Zeke Nnaji	PF	Arizona	6'11"	240	Freshman
10	Jordan Nwora	SF	Louisville	6'7"	225	Junior
11	Precious Achiuwa	SF	Memphis	6'9"	215	Freshman
12	Armando Bacot Jr.	SF/PF	UNC	6'10"	235	Freshman
13	Vernon Carey Jr.	PF/C	Duke	6'11"	260	Freshman
14	Trayce Jackson-Davis	PF/C	Indiana	6'10"	235	Freshman
15	Oscar Tshiebwe	PF	West Virginia	6'9"	258	Freshman
16	Reggie Perry	SG/SF	Mississippi St.	6'10"	250	Sophomore
17	Kofi Cockburn	PF/C	Illinois	6'10"	290	Freshman
18	Filip Petrusev	SF/PF/C	Gonzaga	6'11"	235	Sophomore
19	Joel Ayayi	SG/SF	Gonzaga	6'5"	180	Sophomore
20	Aaron Nesmith	SG/SF	Vanderbilt	6'6"	213	Sophomore
21	Brandon Rachal	SG/SF	Tulsa	6'6"	220	Junior
22	Samuell Williamson	SG	Louisville	6'7"	200	Freshman
23	Tyrese Haliburton	PG	Iowa St.	6'5"	175	Sophomore
24	Myles Powell	SG	Seton Hall	6'2"	195	Senior
25	Tyrese Maxey	SG/PG	Kentucky	6'3"	198	Freshman
26	Nico Mannion	PG	Arizona	6'3"	190	Freshman
27	LJ Figueroa	SF/SG	St. John's	6'6"	195	Junior
28	Isaac Okoro	SG	Auburn	6'5"	200	Freshman
29	Tyler Bey	SF/PF	Colorado	6'7"	218	Junior
30	Isaiah Livers	PF/SF	Michigan	6'7"	230	Junior

UNC Basketball: Tough early season schedule continues, Top 30 team and player ranking update

UNC 78-Oregon 74


Carolina got back to its bread and butter against Oregon, dominating inside and on the glass in what was probably their best performance of the year so far.  Armando Bacot was sensational in this one, finishing with 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 blocks.  


Bacot has clearly been working hard to improve his fitness since he arrived at UNC, and his increased explosiveness and endurance are yielding impressive results.  He dominated the Ducks on both ends of the floor and completely owned the paint, and if he can continue playing at this level the Tar Heels may actually live up to their lofty preseason ranking.


Cole Anthony once again played one of the nation’s best point guards to a draw, and he made all the big plays down the stretch to close out the game.  Having a guy like Anthony who loves the big moments and delivers with the game on the line is huge.  It’s obvious that he can’t stand losing, and I know he will do everything possible to keep Carolina from ever losing two games in a row.  I love UNC’s chances in close games with Cole Anthony on the floor, and getting him the ball for last second free throws has to be mandatory.  He isn’t going to miss much.


Brandon Robinson was a big contributor once again.  His size, length, shooting, and defense on the wing are extremely important to the success of this team, and it’s pretty obvious that UNC is much better with him in the lineup.  Garrison Brooks was solid in helping Bacot dominate down low, but the Tar Heels have to get more from their bench if they have aspirations of competing for championships this season.


The Tar Heels once again allowed way too many open looks from three-point range.  With Bacot and Brooks defending the rim at a high level, Carolina has to stop helping so much when the opponent drives.  There are way too many occasions where shooters are left wide open to help stop a driver that doesn’t even really have an advantage, and cleaning this up will be a major key that decides just how good a season UNC is going to have.


The brutal early season schedule continues on Wednesday, as the Tar Heels welcome the Ohio State buckeyes to town in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.



Game 8: Ohio State


Ohio State comes to town with an undefeated record and an extremely tough and physical style of play.  The Buckeyes are led by junior Kaleb Wesson down low, but they’re a deep team with a lot of guys who can step up and hurt you on any given night.


Wesson and Kyle Young are both big, strong guys inside and should provide a stiff test for Bacot and Brooks.  They’re surrounded by a plethora of tough, quick, athletic guards who can all handle, drive and shoot, so the Tar Heels will really have their hands full in this one.


Duane Washington Jr., C.J. Walker, and Luther Muhammad start the game and can all get in the lane and create for themselves or their teammates, but E.J. Liddell, D.J. Carton, and Andre Wesson provide a great spark off the bench and any one of them can explode and be the go-to-guy for this Ohio State team.


Carolina will have to match Ohio State’s toughness and physicality and handle their relentless defensive pressure to come out on top.  Bacot and Brooks must win the interior battle with Wesson and Young, and the Tar Heels can’t allow the kind of open three-point looks they’ve been giving up all season if they’re going to beat the Buckeyes.  This will be even more difficult with the aggressive driving ability of Ohio State’s guards, so UNC will need to be at their best to pull out the victory tomorrow night.



In Other News Around the Country…


#1 plays #2 in my poll as Michigan travels to Louisville to take on the Cardinals in the ACC-Big 10 Challenge.  These two teams are the clear favorites in my eyes to win the National Championship this season, and at this point I’m giving a slight edge to Michigan because of their depth, shooting, and senior leadership.  It will be tough for the Wolverines to go into Louisville and get a win, but if they do it could be a huge psychological advantage should they meet again for bigger stakes down the road.



Here’s a look at the new Top 30 team and player rankings…

2020 Team Rankings		Games Seen	Last
1	Michigan	4	11/29/2019
2	Louisville	1	11/5/2019
3	Arizona	1	11/28/2019
4	Kansas	3	11/27/2019
5	Dayton	4	11/27/2019
6	Ohio St.	2	11/13/2019
7	UNC	6	11/29/2019
8	Baylor	2	11/24/2019
9	Gonzaga	3	11/29/2019
10	Duke	4	11/26/2019
11	Washington	2	11/16/2019
12	Auburn	3	11/25/2019
13	Oregon	3	11/29/2019
14	Seton Hall	1.5	11/15/2019
15	Iowa St.	1	11/27/2019
16	West Virginia	2	11/27/2019
17	Indiana	0.5
18	Butler	1	11/12/2019
19	Stanford	1	11/25/2019
20	Maryland	1	11/9/2019
21	Virginia	2	11/19/2019
22	VCU	1.5	11/13/2019
23	LSU	2.5	11/22/2019
24	Memphis	2	11/12/2019
25	Tennessee	2	11/16/2019
26	Arkansas	1.5	11/25/2019
27	Colorado	0.5
28	Villanova	3.5	11/24/2019
29	Temple	0.5
30	Florida St.	1	11/10/2019

2019-2020 NBA Draft Rankings
Rank	Player	Position	Team	Height	Weight	Year
1	James Wiseman	PF/C	Memphis	7'1"	240	Freshman
2	Obi Toppin	PF	Dayton	6'9"	220	Sophomore
3	Anthony Edwards	SG	Georgia	6'5"	225	Freshman
4	Jaden McDaniels	SG/SF	Washington	6'9"	200	Freshman
5	Cole Anthony	PG	UNC	6'3"	190	Freshman
6	Josh Green	SG/SF	Arizona	6'6"	205	Freshman
7	Zeke Nnaji	PF	Arizona	6'11"	240	Freshman
8	Isaiah Stewart	PF	Washington	6'9"	250	Freshman
9	Harlond Beverly	PG	Miami	6'4"	185	Freshman
10	Tyrese Haliburton	PG	Iowa St.	6'5"	175	Sophomore
11	Tyrese Maxey	SG/PG	Kentucky	6'3"	198	Freshman
12	Jordan Nwora	SF	Louisville	6'7"	225	Junior
13	Precious Achiuwa	SF	Memphis	6'9"	215	Freshman
14	Jon Teske	PF/C	Michigan	7'1"	265	Senior
15	Armando Bacot Jr.	SF/PF	UNC	6'10"	235	Freshman
16	Vernon Carey Jr.	PF/C	Duke	6'11"	260	Freshman
17	Trayce Jackson-Davis	PF/C	Indiana	6'10"	235	Freshman
18	Steven Enoch	PF/C	Louisville	6'10"	255	Senior
19	Oscar Tshiebwe	PF	West Virginia	6'9"	258	Freshman
20	Kofi Cockburn	PF/C	Illinois	6'10"	290	Freshman
21	Isaiah Livers	PF/SF	Michigan	6'7"	230	Junior
22	Filip Petrusev	SF/PF/C	Gonzaga	6'11"	235	Sophomore
23	Joel Ayayi	SG/SF	Gonzaga	6'5"	180	Sophomore
24	Aaron Nesmith	SG/SF	Vanderbilt	6'6"	213	Sophomore
25	Brandon Rachal	SG/SF	Tulsa	6'6"	220	Junior
26	Samuell Williamson	SG	Louisville	6'7"	200	Freshman
27	Nico Mannion	PG	Arizona	6'3"	190	Freshman
28	LJ Figueroa	SF/SG	St. John's	6'6"	195	Junior
29	Reggie Perry	SG/SF	Mississippi St.	6'10"	250	Sophomore
30	Myles Powell	SG	Seton Hall	6'2"	195	Senior