No. 10 North Carolina (2-1) at Hawaii (4-0)
Honolulu, O’ahu – SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center
Saturday, Nov. 22 — 12:30 a.m. ET (Friday, 7:30 p.m. HT)
TV: ESPN2 (Kanoa Leahey, Cory Alexander)
Radio: Tar Heel Sports Network (Jones Angell, Tyler Zeller)
Quotables
“Playing in tournaments like this, it gives our kids an opportunity to be able to experience something that, one, they may never be able to experience again, and two, that they never even thought that they would be able to experience. So to go to Honolulu and to go to Maui, that’s something that our guys have never thought about and dreamed about … that really brings joy to my heart. And obviously we’re out there to compete and to win and to become a better basketball team.” — coach Hubert Davis on Monday, ahead of the Tar Heels playing four games in six days in Hawaii.
“It takes a lot, it takes everything that you’ve got, and not to just get at that point, but to sustain that level of intensity and attention to detail. Coach Davis tells us every day that’s how players become elite. That’s how teams become elite and how they win. So just every day, locking in on the details and just staying consistent with that.” — Jalen Washington on Monday.
Pregame Notes
Sophomore Jump from Elliot Cadeau: There’s been a noticeable jump in play and consistency from Elliot Cadeau here early in the season. He’s averaging 15.7 points per game, 7.7 assists per game and has swiped eight steals. Cadeau delivered 18 points, eight assists and four steals in the 107-55 blowout win over American. That’s one point shy of his career high 19 points, which he delivered last season at Miami.
Cadeau has scored in double figures in three straight games for the first time in his college career. He’s dished out 23 total assists compared to six turnovers this season. Cadeau’s shooting 73.9 percent from the free throw line, up more than nine percentage points from last season, and has made 4-of-10 of his 3-point attempts.
Career Outing in the Frontcourt: Many of the offseason questions and concerns surrounding the Tar Heels were centered on the frontcourt, after they missed on some of the top big man names in the transfer portal. Carolina eventually did land Vanderbilt transfer Ven-Allen Lubin, who alongside returners Jalen Washington and Jae’Lyn Withers looked to form a frontcourt platoon for the Tar Heels.
Washington and Withers both have received starting nods in all three games this season. Lubin has provided relief off the bench down low, along with spot minutes at the ‘4’ spot (power forward) from freshman Drake Powell and Belmont transfer Cade Tyson. Washington delivered a career-high 18 points in the thumping of American. He made all six of his field goal attempts that night in the Smith Center and is shooting an efficient 72.2 percent from the field on the season.
Withers is averaging a team-best 8.7 rebounds per game to go along with 9.3 points. He’s made 5-of-9 attempts from 3-point land this year, after connecting on four 3-pointers all of last season in his first year with the Tar Heels. Lubin is supplying 7.3 points and five rebounds per game, while shooting better than 69 percent from the field.
Looking at Hawaii: Hawaii finished last season 20-14 overall and 11-9 in Big West conference play, falling in the semifinals of the conference tournament. These Rainbow Warriors lost each of the top six scorers from last season’s team, either to graduation or the transfer portal. Former UNC forward Justin McKoy was the second-leading scorer for them last year, averaging 12.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
The Rainbow Warriors, directed by 10th-year coach Eran Ganot, are off to a perfect start through four games this year, notching wins over Division II program Life Pacific (96-61), San Jose State (80-69), Pacific (76-66) and Weber State (73-68). Friday night’s contest, which starts back on the East Coast early Saturday at 12:30 a.m., will be Hawaii’s fifth-straight home game. The Rainbow Warriors have won 10 straight home games at the Sheriff Center dating back to last season.
Nine of the 15 players on Hawaii’s roster are international, with representation from Japan, Australia, Netherlands, Belgium, Lithuania and New Zealand. The Rainbow Warriors also welcomed eight newcomers to this year’s team, most notably leading scorer Tanner Christensen. The 6-foot-10 center Christensen is putting up 17 points per game while shooting 75.8 percent from the field, the ninth-best percentage in the country. He’s in his fifth season of college basketball, having played two years at Idaho and Utah Tech, respectively.
Shooting Struggles from Distance: The Rainbow Warriors are shooting a dismal 27.8 percent from 3-point range, a mark that ranks No. 315 nationally. And against Division I competition this season, that shooting percentage drops even further down to 23.5 percent. The Rainbow Warriors are averaging four made 3s across those games.
Only two players have connected on four or more 3-pointers this season for Hawaii, with one of them averaging at least one made 3-pointer per game. That’s starting guard Kody Williams, who’s made 7-of-16 attempts from deep through five games this year. Four of those buckets, though, came in the Rainbow Warriors’ season-opening win over Division II Life Pacific.
Last Meeting: UNC won at Hawaii 83-68 back in November 2016. Five different Tar Heels scored in double figures that day at the Sheriff Center, led by 16 points from Isaiah Hicks. True freshman Tony Bradley supplied 10 points and 13 rebounds off the bench, while Nate Britt and Kennedy Meeks both contributed 13 points.
That game served as the precursor for the Maui Invitational, similar to the schedule setup this season for the Tar Heels. Carolina went on to win the event in 2016, cruising past host Chaminade (104-61), Oklahoma State (107-75) and Wisconsin (71-56), en route to the tournament title.
Carolina actually was slated to play Hawaii in Honolulu during the 2020-21 season, but that game was canceled due to the pandemic.
Series History: Carolina leads the all-time series 5-0. The last two meetings have come on the islands at the Sheriff Center, home of the Rainbow Warriors. UNC has hosted Hawaii at the Smith Center just one time, with that meeting coming back in 1993.
Projected UNC Starters:
3 Elliot Cadeau (So., 6-1, 180) — 15.7 ppg, 7.7 apg, 3 rpg, 2.7 spg
4 RJ Davis (Gr., 6-0, 180) — 17.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 4.7 apg
7 Seth Trimble (Jr., 6-3, 195) — 15.7 ppg, 1.3 apg, 4 rpg
13 Jalen Washington (Jr., 6-10, 235) — 11 ppg, 5.3 rpg
24 Jae’Lyn Withers (Gr., 6-9, 220) — 9.3 ppg, 8.7 rpg
Projected Hawaii Starters:
0 Kody Williams (Jr., 6-0, 190) — 9 ppg, 2.3 apg
2 Tom Beattie (So., 6-5, 195) — 12.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.5 apg
4 Marcus Greene (Sr., 6-2, 175) — 10.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.5 apg
14 Harry Rouhliadeff (Jo., 6-9, 230) — 7 ppg, 5 rpg, 1.8 apg
32 Tanner Christensen (Gr., 6-10, 265) — 17 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.5 apg
UNC Info
Schedule/Results
Roster & Bios
Stats
Hawaii Info
Schedule/Info
Roster & Bios
Stats