Seth Trimble, Elliot Cadeau, more takeaways from UNC basketball’s charity game at Memphis

Posted by Admin October 16, 2024 Basketball

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UNC basketball’s 84-76 “win” at Memphis won’t be on either team’s resume come Selection Sunday, but that doesn’t mean we can’t learn something about these teams in mid-October.

It’s still the preseason but, even in exhibition games, fans often feel the need to overreact to a team’s ceiling or floor before the regular season gets underway.

The ninth-ranked Tar Heels trailed at halftime, but sprinted out of the locker room with an impressive second half to lead by as many as 15 points on their way to winning on the road.

In addition to playing a basketball game, UNC and Memphis came together to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as part of the Hoops for St. Jude Tip Off Classic.

UNC closes its exhibition schedule on Oct. 27 (2 p.m., ACC Network Extra) at the Smith Center against Johnson C. Smith. The Tar Heels open the season on Nov. 4 (9 p.m., ACC Network) against Elon.

Here are some observations from the Tar Heels’ exhibition game at Memphis.

Seth Trimble, Elliot Cadeau were UNC’s leaders with RJ Davis injured

Junior guard Seth Trimble and sophomore guard Elliot Cadeau were UNC’s alphas on the court, with fifth-year guard RJ Davis sidelined because of a back injury. The absence of Davis, the reigning ACC Player of the Year and favorite to repeat as the winner of that award, allowed Trimble to showcase his improved confidence as a scorer.

Trimble finished with 33 points on 11-of-17 shooting, including three 3-pointers and eight free throws. He had 19 points in the second half, including a tomahawk dunk that gave UNC some breathing room in the final two minutes.

Cadeau showed a good command of the offense without Davis, knifing his way around pick-and-roll actions to find teammates with seven assists in the first half. UNC’s primary facilitator had a double-double performance with 11 points, including two 3-pointers, and 13 assists.

Trimble and Cadeau were joined in the starting lineup by Belmont transfer Cade Tyson, along with returners Jae’Lyn Withers and Jalen Washington.

Jalen Washington without Armando Bacot in Tar Heels’ frontcourt

Armando Bacot was at FedEx Forum on Tuesday, but he wasn’t in a UNC uniform. While Bacot was chatting with Beth Mowins and Debbie Antonelli on the ESPNU broadcast, the Tar Heels’ current frontcourt was struggling to keep Memphis off the glass in the first half.

The Tigers had a 25-22 rebounding advantage in the first 20 minutes, scoring 10 second-chance points. Memphis also took advantage of its opportunities in transition, outsourcing UNC 12-5 on the break. But the Tar Heels, behind Washington, tightened things up in the second half.

Washington finished with 17 points, including two 3-pointers, and seven rebounds. The junior big man was UNC’s most productive post player at Memphis. He’ll have to keep that up throughout the season.

Cade Tyson’s shooting struggles

Cade Tyson had some good moments, including snagging a team-high nine rebounds. But he was primarily brought to Chapel Hill to boost UNC’s perimeter shooting. Tyson, a 44.6% career shooter from long range, missed his first four attempts at Memphis as UNC finished 2-for-13 from beyond the arc in the first half. He finally connected from deep in the second half, but missed five of his six shots from long range and finished with four turnovers. As a team, UNC was 33% from deep with 21 assists and 21 turnovers.

Ian Jackson, Drake Powell showing that freshmen need time

UNC freshmen Ian Jackson and Drake Powell got their first-game jitters out of the way. In a scoreless first half for the duo, Jackson and Powell combined to miss four shots, with two fouls and a turnover. They looked more comfortable in the second half, as Jackson finished with two points and three rebounds. Powell had a big block to go with two points and two rebounds. UNC will need both of those rookies to be consistent contributors this season.

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.