Five Storylines for North Carolina vs. Notre Dame on Wednesday Night

Here we go.

North Carolina begins its 110 season of basketball as the new-look Tar Heels play host to Notre Dame in the program’s earliest ACC-opener since 1966.

Here’s what to watch for at the Smith Center on Wednesday night:

Who’s Ready?

Cole Anthony admitted after Friday night’s exhibition that he felt some nerves for his competitive debut in Chapel Hill, and that’s fine by Roy Williams to a point.

“They’re going to feel a little tightness and I don’t mind a little nervous energy,” he said. “I want them to be excited about playing but I don’t want that to dominate.”

Notre Dame has 10 players back who started two or more games this season, while Carolina’s Garrison Brooks is the only player on the roster who has started a game for the Tar Heels.

The first game in the Smith Center is tough enough; doing it in an ACC matchup is an entirely different ballgame.

Carolina will need big contributions from graduate transfers Christian Keeling and Justin Pierce, who started plenty of games at their previous stops, to provide steady hands on a challenging night.

Ready or Not, Inexperienced Tar Heels Prepare to Host Irish on Wednesday

Who’s Fills the Void?

Brandon Robinson was one of two returning Tar Heels who played regularly in ACC matchups in the past two years, and Wednesday, he’ll be in street clothes as he recovers from a sprained right ankle.

Brooks had high praise for his injured teammate.

“A leader, energy guy, glue guy, a really good scorer and playmaker,” he said.

As for Robinson’s minutes on the wing, they’ll be up for grabs between the two graduate transfers, Leaky Black and Andrew Platek.

Black provides versatility, Platek is the best candidate to replicate Robinson’s 46-percent clip from 3-point range, while Keeling and Pierce bring experience.

Brooks is expecting Carolina to need all of them.

“We all need to step up,” he said. “I don’t think we’re going to look at one specific guy and say, ‘You need to step up in B-Rob’s spot,’ because I don’t want to put that on anyone. B-Rob is a really big leader for us and really big playmaker…”

UNC vs. Notre Dame: Scouting the Irish

Anthony Appears

By his own assessment, Anthony didn’t perform well in the exhibition, making 5 of 13 field goal attempts with 11 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds and 4 turnovers.

Not bad for a “bad” game. On a subpar shooting night, Anthony got more involved in the game in the second half as a distributor and still made several plays that showed his potential as a scorer.

Especially with Robinson’s absence, don’t expect a similar night for Anthony in terms of shooting. He’ll have every opportunity to impose his will on the Irish, and so far, Williams trusts his freshman point guard as much as any he’s had.

Amid all of the hype, the coach doesn’t see a player buying into any of it.

“He’s got a tremendous number of people saying tremendous things about him, but I think he’s still trying to do the best he can on the court,” he said. “So far, I haven’t said a word to him about it; just go play.”

Who’s in the Rotation?

Williams said on Friday night that he currently has eight guys he’s confident in playing. That certainly includes Anthony, Keeling, Pierce, Brooks, Armando Bacot, Black and Platek. Brandon Huffman had an exceptional night with 8 points and 8 rebounds in 11 minutes and figures to be the last guy, but the Tar Heels also had Walker Miller on the floor for 11 minutes.

Given Williams preference for playing big men, Carolina will need all of the bodies it can get in the paint, especially on a night the Tar Heels will have to deal with Notre Dame’s John Mooney. Brooks and Bacot are obviously the top guys in the post, but expect to see Huffman get a few minutes, and perhaps briefly, Miller.

A Little Sharper

The Tar Heels didn’t look ready for ACC play on Friday night, committing 23 turnovers, suffering through several inexcusable defensive lapses and allowing a Division II program to get 27 percent of its offensive rebounds.

“I think we have a lot of time; we’ve got to get better,” Brooks said. “We’re not where we want to be, and I believe could be one of those teams that rebounds the ball really well, but I think we’re not doing it the best right now and up to his expectations.”

It’s obviously been a frustrating preseason for Williams, who found himself at wits end on Monday.

“Yesterday, I just screamed at them and I don’t know that helped, either,” he said.

With Friday’s tape and a couple of practices since then, expect more attention to detail from the Tar Heels on Wednesday night.

If not, those mistakes will cost them dearly against Notre Dame, and for themselves, an inability to correct those issues will point to bigger issues for the Tar Heels.