The conundrum in Chapel Hill

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Did we have the first game-winning shot 2024-25? Alabama’s Grant Nelson won it Thursday for his side in Alabama’s exhibition scrimmage. However, a few players didn’t participate, including one who’ll be out until SEC play.

Let’s get into it.

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1. A Heel of a backcourt, but the frontcourt …

After an uneven first two seasons, Hubert Davis’ program settled into a more familiar role befitting North Carolina basketball: ACC champions.

The Heels went 29-8 overall, claimed a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and featured one of the sport’s most efficient offenses and defenses.

Replicating that success in 2024-25 starts with the obvious: ACC POY RJ Davis.

The 6-foot senior guard averaged 21.2 ppg last season and will enter this campaign as a preseason All-American. He’ll pair with with sophomore ball-handler Elliot Cadeau and Belmont transfer Cade Tyson (16.2 ppg on 47% from deep) to form one of the sport’s best backcourts. This doesn’t even include the 5-star incoming freshmen duo of Ian Jackson and Drake Powell, who give the Heels even more depth.

There’s no question about UNC's backcourt. The frontcourt, on the other hand, will be the big storyline to watch. As Rob Dauster and Jeff Goodman discuss in our Offseason Grades series, the frontcourt revolves around what UNC couldn’t replace via the transfer portal: A dominant big man to fill Armando Bacot’s shoes.

Bacot was an all-time double-double machine who started 168 games in five years with the program. There’s no easy solution to replace him and do-everything forward Harrison Ingram. And the Heels tried, but never landed a notable big man through the portal.

Here’s what North Carolina has:

• Ven-Allen Lubin, who started his career at Notre Dame before averaging 12.3 ppg and 6.3 rpg at Vanderbilt last season.

• Tyzhaun Claude, who produced 4.8 ppg and 5.2 rpg at Georgia Tech off the bench.

• Could Jalen Washington be ready for a more substantial role?

• Will they get more out of Jae’lyn Withers? Could sophomore Zayden High eventually return?

• What about 4-star center prospect James Brown?

The lack of starpower is what could prevent the Heels from matching last year’s success.

Still, college hoops remains a guards game, and few teams can compete with UNC on the perimeter. They might not need too much from the frontcourt to win the ACC again and be a national threat.

2. Alabama loses a scorer for non-conference play

Dealing with injuries is never easy. But less than six weeks before the season? That’s what makes coaches go gray.

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