All Tar Heels

Hubert Davis on UNC Basketball Sophomore's Career Scoring Night

UNC basketball head coach Hubert Davis credited Jalen Washington for igniting the Tar Heels on Friday night.

Matt Giles

Photo credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

Jalen Washington, a 6-foot-10, 230-pound UNC basketball sophomore forward admirably dedicated to improving his overall skillset, gave the ninth-ranked Tar Heels (9-3, 1-0 ACC) overall productive minutes off the bench in Friday night's 105-60 home victory over unranked Charleston Southern.

RELATED: Tar Heel Sophomore Soaks Up Superb Performance

He finished with a career-high 17 points, along with seven rebounds and two blocks. The former four-star prep missed only two shots from the field, knocked down a career-high seven field goals, and for the second time this season, drained two 3-pointers.

And Jalen Washington did all that in only 16 minutes of action (almost double his average playing time this season and triple his playing time as a freshman).

The 19-year-old budding talent's most complete effort as a Tar Heel earned the following high praise from Hubert Davis. The third-year UNC basketball head coach hinted at the possibility of Washington being in the same lineup as graduate big man Armando Bacot more often moving forward:

"I thought he gave us life. We've talked about how we have to get better in terms of rebounding, attacking the offensive glass, earning second-chance opportunities, keeping the ball alive.

"He was really good defensively.

"In practice lately, we have been playing him and Armando together, and we had them out there tonight. They are two bigs, but they are different and give us a bigger and different look. It helps us in terms of rebounding.

"And I'm really happy he had a good game tonight."

NEXT GAME: No. 9 UNC at unranked Pitt (9-3, 0-1 ACC), 7 p.m. ET Tuesday (ESPN)

STREAM: fuboTV (start your free trial)

Prime UNC Target Hears From Kentucky 'Probably Every Day'

Stay tuned to All Tar Heels on SI.com for more UNC basketball news.

Published
Matt Giles
MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, Duke Blue Devils on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining UNC on SI in 2023, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.

Home/Basketball