A major reason for UNC's success this season is its big men. Let's break down how they have performed.
North Carolina is off to its best start in 17 years as it concludes its nonconference slate with a 12-1 record and the No. 12 ranking in the AP Top 25.
A major reason for the Tar Heels’ success has been their frontcourt led by the “Twin Towers,” a term used by Caleb Wilson to describe himself and center Henri Veesaar. They have been the driving force for this Carolina team this season and are on pace to be one of the best frontcourt pairings in Tar Heels history.
Here’s a look at each notable big man as UNC enters ACC play.
Henri Veesaar
Veesaar is averaging 16.8 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. He is shooting 64.1% from the floor, which ranks 19th in the country. He is also shooting 50% from 3-point range (33rd nationally), has a 70.6 effective field goal percentage (14th nationally and best in the ACC, according to KenPom) and a true shooting percentage of 70.5 (18th nationally).
Caleb Wilson
Wilson, meanwhile, is putting up 19.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.4 steals per game, all team highs. He is shooting 55.4% from the field and has nine double-doubles on the season, which is tied for the third most in UNC history by a freshman with Sam Perkins (1980-81) and J.R. Reid (1986-87). He has also recorded nine 20-point games this season, which is also tied for the third most in UNC history by a freshman.
Jarin Stevenson
While his stat sheet doesn’t stand out, it’s better to view Stevenson’s game by what he does on the court rather than on a sheet of paper. Stevenson has been valuable because of his versatility, as his length and agility make him a mismatch on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor.
He can play the three, four or five for Carolina when called upon and can guard almost anyone at any spot on the court. He is averaging 6.5 points and four rebounds per game off the bench.
James Brown and Zayden High
James Brown and Zayden High both came into the season with a lot of hype. Brown impressed over the offseason by gaining nearly 40 pounds to become a better player in the post, and High showed off his athleticism as well as his perimeter shooting. However, neither player has been able to perform as well as anyone hoped and both have often played sparingly throughout the season.
When they get in the game, they tend to get into foul trouble quickly or play just a minute or two to give one of the big men some much-needed rest. While one of them could get more playing time as the season goes along, they have to prove game in and game out that they can play more than a few minutes and be a legitimate backup center.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Basketball: How front court played in non-conference action
Category: General Sports
