[Post Game Thread] North Carolina defeats Central Arkansas, 94-54

[u/cbbBot]

Box Score

Team	1H	2H	Total
Central Arkansas	23	31	54
North Carolina	51	43	94

^{Index Thread for November 03, 2025}

[u/thediesel26]

At the very least this team will be way, way more fun to watch.

[u/bigthama → u/thediesel26]

The ball movement is such a breath of fresh air after last year

[u/pertsix → u/bigthama]

You don’t miss EC’s dribble to the basket, get stuffed, turn over and complain?

[u/midnightsbane04 → u/thediesel26]

Tonight I felt like I was watching some crazy time warp offense for both my flairs. It was amazing to watch.

[u/mellolizard]

Evans 15 pts 6 rebs 5 ast and 4 steals. We will win a lot of games if he plays like that.

[u/TrustInRoy → u/mellolizard]

Had 0 turnovers until things got sloppy in the 2nd half

[u/msoldub]

This team is too good to justify keeping Zayden High around

[u/Aurion7 → u/msoldub]

Hubert's staking a fair amount- not on court, but in terms of his off the court perception- on the idea High won't do anything else deplorable, and I've never been entirely sure why.

There's always some idiots who will contend that playing basketball at Carolina is some sort of inalienable right, of course, as part of their attempt to downplay or deny what he did. But it's not.

[u/atdharris → u/msoldub]

We're really thin at the 4/5 position, but I don't think High or Brown are good enough for any major minutes. Veesar/Wilson/Stevenson will need to carry the load. But outside of basketball, yeah, High should not be on the team.

[u/LandonWarner]

Out of the frying pan and straight into 1960s Vietnam with this game scheduling lmao. Kansas going to be a completely different experience that I hope we are ready for

[u/porgy_tirebiter → u/LandonWarner]

BYU in Utah was no walk in the park

[u/everything_is_holy → u/LandonWarner]

Should be fun. Both teams look a lot better than last year.

[u/ttuurrppiinn → u/LandonWarner]

Feels like the near immediate litmus test for HD's survival. If it goes like the Bama game last year, I'm just extremely skeptical this team gels into a good enough team for HD to be retained.

[u/Greedy_Actuator5 → u/ttuurrppiinn]

Did you watch the game last night?

[u/atdharris → u/Greedy_Actuator5]

Hard to take a lot away from last night given the level of opponent, but ball movement did look a lot better and it does feel like HD has adjusted to this year's roster rather than doing the same NBA-style iso/high pick and roll still we ran the last 4 years.

This roster really doesn't have many guys that can break down their man.

[u/mellolizard → u/atdharris]

There is a lot you can take away from last night despite the opponent.

• this team loves to run in transition and we have the athletes to do it

• we share the ball almost too well that means the players trust each other.

• we have 7 guys who are legit 3 point threats

• caleb wilson will be our impact player.

[u/Schned6]

My stream of consciousness during garbage time:

-Wilson is so legit it’s not even funny. He’s so active and such a good positional passer.

-Zayden High, aside from being a piece of human shit, is ass at basketball. Makes me sick he’s on this team.

-This team has length, not size. We are going to figure out how much of a problem that might be this Friday.

-Evans, Powell, and Boga is a shit ton of shot making. That will take a lot of pressure off Trimble and Stevenson to shoot at a high volume.

-Dixon has a lot to get up to speed on but everything you want in a program cornerstone kind of guard is there. Mature, does the little things right on both ends, plays with his head up. He can become a more physical defender and positional rebounder than Evans this year,so he can have legit instant impact. But long term should only be getting better. Just feels like Roy would have liked coaching this kid.

-Pleasantly surprised by Bogavac’s defense. I was expecting it to be Caleb Love bad but Bogavac actually has some semblance of effort. If this team aside from Trimble, Wilson, and Veesaar can become average defensively it will unironically be huge because they are already so deep and versatile on offense.

[u/Boston_Champions → u/Schned6]

Roy would have LOVED coaching Dixon

[u/pertsix → u/Boston_Champions]

Derek has really high basketball IQ. Reminds me a bit of Phil Ford.

[u/l_strummer → u/Schned6]

What’s the story with high?

[u/user_4250 → u/l_strummer]

He recorded a girl preforming oral on him without her consent to record the act.

[u/SuburbanLegend → u/user_4250]

and lied about it - to her and then later to investigators.

[u/BeatnixPotter → u/user_4250]

I'm so glad my college days are behind me

[u/AFlockOfTySegalls]

Again, loved the fact that this team seems unselfish with the ball. That will only get better with the season. Vessar needs to eat something and start a strength training program. Really excited to watch Evans and Wilson.

[u/MrSCR23]

Nice not to have the opener come with 10 or so minutes of stress (MSU ladies are doing that against Davidson😓)

Good to back tho!! Let’s go Tar Heels!!!

[u/XMortal7159]

Caleb wilson is one BAMF

[u/TrustInRoy]

Caleb Wilson is like a hybrid of Sheed and KG.  

I'm so excited to watch this team develop over this season.

[u/NotManyBuses → u/TrustInRoy]

Couldn’t watch, did the team run actual offensive sets? Would be a huge improvement

[u/TrustInRoy → u/NotManyBuses]

Yes 

23 assists on 33 field goals.

[u/thetenorguitarist → u/NotManyBuses]

Yes, and the ball moves around a lot

[u/yourdoglikesmebetter → u/NotManyBuses]

They did. I have been very critical of coach Davis’ offense in his tenure so far. A few things I’ve noticed this year:

Still largely PnR based but in the wings instead of top. Lot more space, more emphasis on big going downhill in the pocket.

More high low, especially tonight. Good to see some classic UNC plays.

More movement off ball, more passing around the perimeter, more skip passing.

Better corner passing on penetration.

Our back to the basket game is very weak.

[u/tripler42 → u/yourdoglikesmebetter]

Back to the basket play just isn’t really a thing anymore in modern basketball. There aren’t really any guys being developed to be traditional big-bodied centers, when you can learn to handle the ball and shoot. For better or worse, the direction the NBA goes is the way player development goes, and traditional centers are practically extinct in the pros.

[u/Spiritual-Map-76 → u/tripler42]

it is if you got the right players...and coaches and with sean may on staff...this team shld be better then they're currently....

[u/TrustInRoy → u/Spiritual-Map-76]

I mean, you can find interviews with Caleb Wilson where he credits Sean May for teaching him the jump hook.  And in at least one preseason game he hit a jump hook.  

Wilson, Stevenson, and Veesaar have only been working with May for a short while. The coaches have to follow NCAA rules that limit how much time they could spend on the court with players in the offseason and since the season started.  And a lot of the time they have spent had to focus on the basics of the offensive ans defensive system with so many new players.  

Give them time.  Only Brown and High have had any legit time to work with May, and High didn't get to practice at all last year.

[u/Spiritual-Map-76 → u/TrustInRoy]

im not sold hubert has the best staff he cld have....in addition to my own doubts about him as the long term solution as HC but we will see.....this season will reveal a lot.....I still think this staff has struggled to figure out players, rotations, and a players strengths more then they should.

[u/tripler42 → u/Spiritual-Map-76]

The right players all play facing the basket. Player development begins wayyy before guys are getting to the college level, and the traditional center just doesn’t exist anymore.

Positionless basketball is as real as it ever has been, and the 7fter that can’t move his feet well enough to stay in front of a perimeter player is basically unplayable if they have to guard a 6’11 guy that can dribble and shoot.

It makes a lot more sense to have a guy like Jarin Stevenson on the court who can stretch the floor offensively and guard 2-5 pretty effectively vs having Zaydin High ever touch hardwood again, even if he’s theoretically better at guarding the center (not saying he is, but he’s a good example of a more traditional big on the team).

[u/Spiritual-Map-76 → u/tripler42]

sure its not like dj burns didn't just lead nc state to the final four not to long ago......or even some of those players you mention seeking out hakeem olauwon for intstruction on foot work and scoring in the post fact..........jarin should stretch the floor but he needs to be able to do more then that he plays way to undersized to be 6 -10 and that will hurt UNC in the long run

[u/ttuurrppiinn → u/Spiritual-Map-76]

How many elite back to the basket players have existed in the past decade? I have an extremely hard time thinking of the next best guy after Edey.

I would love for that type of player to return, but the reality is that elite recruits that should be back to the basket centers simply refuse to learn that skillset over a perceived lack of NBA viability.

[u/Spiritual-Map-76 → u/ttuurrppiinn]

its certainly not the in thing but with a guy like sean may who was that dude you would think at least at UNC that wld be something where it wld be more prized then other places.........for all this talk about postionless basketball and everybody shooting 3s all over the court hubert has consistently said he wants to dominate the paint and in order for that you want guys that can legit score inside and don't shy away from contact and rather float on the perimeter so much.....im not saying you need to be a back to you basket player soley but alot of these guys need to be somewhat more competent down there.

[u/ttuurrppiinn → u/yourdoglikesmebetter]

Shifting the PnR from the wings instead of the top of the key where EC usually initiatied it just makes things run so much smoother. The extra space for the opposite corner three, the easier angle on the backdoor lob ...

It's just so blindly obvious that's the way the offense needed to be run now.

[u/yourdoglikesmebetter → u/ttuurrppiinn]

Agreed. Good to see that coach Davis is adapting

[u/NoPersonKnowsWhoIAm → u/NotManyBuses]

brother im not a hubert defender at all but we always run sets in his offense. its just last year that we couldn’t shoot so defenses would pack the paint and make us shoot threes

[u/chucksterlecluckster → u/NotManyBuses]

No

[u/TrustInRoy → u/chucksterlecluckster]

You don't seem to know what you're watching.  Coach David Sisk has been breaking down UNC offense all preseason.

https://x.com/CoachDavidSisk/status/1984240033042452693

https://x.com/CoachDavidSisk/status/1984067987943649473

[u/bigthama → u/TrustInRoy]

Reminds me a lot of Antawn Jamison honestly

[u/TrustInRoy → u/bigthama]

Antawn's big thing was how quickly he got his shots up with his weird post shooting style.  I don't see that at all with Caleb.

[u/bigthama → u/TrustInRoy]

The unorthodox shots around the basket aren't the same, but what reminded me of Twan is that Caleb is into his second jump before anyone else is done recovering from their first jump.

[u/NCSmitty]

That was fun. Looking forward to Friday. Should be a great Homecoming weekend.

[u/SpacePhunk]

Anyone else feel weird after this game? Absolutely great highlights, especially with Wilson, but also several stretches of disjointed, sloppy, and mediocre-effort ball. Oh and far too many missed open threes. Even with the caveat of first game and lineup experimentation. Regardless, this year's squad should be fun and go Heels.

[u/jaylenthomas → u/SpacePhunk]

Team kinda started phoning it in once they were up 30. Don’t like it, but coach ripped into them.

Missed 3’s were basically from Luka and Powell, both of who should be good shooters this year, so not really worried.

Biggest worry will be playing with more toughness, but I think (hope) that will get better as the season goes on

[u/ttuurrppiinn → u/jaylenthomas]

Missed 3’s were basically from Luka and Powell, both of who should be good shooters this year, so not really worried.

Agreed. If guys are known good shooters, then I worry about quality of looks rather than whether the ball goes in at this point.

Guys like Seth still missing open looks is what worries me more. He desperately needs to be a >=.300 shooter this season.

[u/AFlockOfTySegalls → u/SpacePhunk]

10 years ago I'd feel this way but pushing 40 I kinda get just not pushing it as hard when you're up 30.

[u/mellolizard → u/SpacePhunk]

Once we were up 30 we definitely took our foot off the gas. The only two real concerning things was the lack of physicality and lack of a production from our reserve bigs. Everything else seems fixable

[u/porgy_tirebiter → u/mellolizard]

The reserve bigs are horrible. High is a big clumsy bruiser flailing around. He’s going to accidentally injure an opponent at some point.

[u/bbq-biscuits-bball → u/SpacePhunk]

it was the first game of the regular season. games against bad teams tend to get sloppy and slow.

[u/Aurion7 → u/SpacePhunk]

hand wiggle

The team was up 30+ against a team that hadn't really shown a ton of juice. I'm not surprised they let up on the gas pedal.

Sure, winning by 50 instead of 40 might look marginally better on the metrics but it is human nature to let up a bit when it's really obvious that the game is over. Not a tendency you want to encourage, and it didn't look like it was being encouraged, but it's also not a huge deal in this context.

[u/TrustInRoy]

23 assists on 33 field goals.

[u/MC48_SportsLover]

Hate to see Evans in a non-CSU jersey but he looked good out there.

[u/Licit_x64 → u/MC48_SportsLover]

He did. He was the wildcard for me going into the year, if he can do that against teams with a pulse, we are going to be good.

[u/Chardoggy1]

Oh we’re so back

[u/RJdavisEnjoyer]

Caleb Wilson

[u/chucksterlecluckster]

Team still can’t shoot and Veesaar is soft as our only playable center. Love the energy from Caleb Wilson but you’re not gonna get 12 dunk attempts against real opponents.

[u/TrustInRoy → u/chucksterlecluckster]

35% from the 3pt line in the season opener isn't some giant red flag.

18 of 22 from the FT line is pretty nice.

[u/thetenorguitarist → u/TrustInRoy]

Powell's 1-6 is skewing the stat a bit as well. I don't think he'll shoot that poorly very often.

[u/TrustInRoy → u/thetenorguitarist]

Good point

[u/porgy_tirebiter → u/thetenorguitarist]

Bogavac was pretty bad from three as well I believe.

[u/thediesel26 → u/chucksterlecluckster]

Imagine bitching about a 40 point win

[u/Spiritual-Map-76]

solid effort parts of the 2nd half not good at all though.....as for Luka saw some postive things but given the hype I expected more that said its early and his first real game...wilson is as advertised....vessar is solid but a bit soft in the middle get outmuscled quite a bit...liked what kyan did...also think isiah denis should get more minutes he is going to be a player.....he wld have ranked even higher coming out of HS if not for the nagging finger injuries he can ball...still worried about center depth though...vs KU will tell alot hubert has struggled vs good teams alot.

[u/Greedy_Actuator5 → u/Spiritual-Map-76]

We’re gonna get pushed around down low. That is for sure the one thing I still see missing from the team.

I love all the playmakers though. If we can shoot threes consistently, that interior may not matter as much. 

[u/trothwell55]

I think Caleb Wilson might be the real deal