College Basketball is almost here, as teams are getting an early tune-up in the past few weeks. North Carolina was one of them on Sunday, welcoming Johnson C. Smith to the Dean Dome. Johnson C. Smith battled early in the first 10 minutes of the game but North Carolina really ramped up the offensive attack after that and in the second half, ultimately taking the 127-63 victory. Here are my takeaways for each team.
North Carolina
Freshman Ian Jackson
One of two freshmen who really impressed and captured my eyes was Jackson, who put on a tremendous show for the fans overall with his game. Of course, his highlight dunks will get the attention of many on social media, but Jackson showed that he can be an effective scoring option in creating and attacking himself. He scored well off the bounce, was aggressive offensively, and loved how he was able to get to the free throw line consistently. If Jackson does come off the bench for the Tar Heels, he has been showing that he can be part of a strong offensive wave for North Carolina with the second unit.
Freshman Drake Powell
Powell was the other freshman who impressed but, in all honesty, it s something we have been accustomed to over the years watching his game. We have been on record as saying that he has next-level potential years ago (Click Here (2022)), and you can see why that is a possibility. Powell is a Swiss army knife on the court, impacting the game in a variety of ways, scoring and facilitating, rebounding, and creating havoc defensively as well. Again, his perimeter shooting will need to continue to develop consistently, but his overall impact can not be denied and he will only continue to get better.
Collective Effort from Bigs
What I believe will ultimately make or break this team will be the overall unit of the bigs for North Carolina. And though Johnson C. Smith didn’t quite have the size to match up, you still have to like the overall play from players like Jalen Washington (12pts, 7rebs), James Brown (5pts), Ven-Allen Lubin (18pts, 12rebs), and others. They attacked the glass, they scored and were active in an array of ways, and they were strong overall as a unit. This is what the Tar Heels will need this season to ultimately reach their goal.
Johnson C. Smith
Sophomore Asa White
A familiar face for us at Phenom Hoops, it was great to see White play well in this game ultimately finishing with 14 points and five rebounds. White is looking to build off a solid freshman season in which he averaged nearly five points per game, as White moved well without the ball, run the floor well, and stayed engaged on both ends. It will be great to see how he can build off last season and what he can provide overall as a sophomore.
Sophomore Jared Davis
Davis was another familiar face for Phenom Hoops on the court for Johnson C. Smith, and we really liked overall what he was able to show and how he competed at his size, especially in the first half. Davis battled in the paint and was able to create a few second-chance opportunities, finishing with nine points, three rebounds, and one steal. He and White will be two sophomores that Johnson C. Smith hopes to take the next step this season.
Senior Ashton Sherrell
Sherrell ultimately led the charge for Johnson C. Smith against North Carolina, finishing with 16 points, six rebounds, and two steals. The 6’8 prospect was able to have a strong overall impact both in the first and second half, and he is one that will be interesting to watch especially if he is able to stretch the floor (went 3-for-6 from three vs. UNC) more and open up the offense.
