All Tar Heels

UNC Basketball Rookie Puts Gift on Full Display in ACC/SEC Challenge

UNC basketball floor general Elliot Cadeau has a 21-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio since the squad left for the Bahamas last week.

Matt Giles

UNC basketball guard Elliot Cadeau (Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports)
In this story:

In his second straight start, Elliot Cadeau dished out a season-high 10 assists to his UNC basketball teammates on Wednesday night as the 17th-ranked Tar Heels (6-1, 0-0 ACC) knocked off No. 10 Tennessee, 100-92, in the Dean E. Smith Center. No doubt the freshman stepped up to the challenge in the inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge.

After all, Cadeau's effort included zero turnovers. The slick, crafty guard (he added five points of his own) has now tallied 21 dimes to only one turnover across his past four outings after totaling only eight assists to eight turnovers in his first three games.

And it appears he's only gaining confidence from one contest to the next.

UNC basketball head coach Hubert Davis sure sounds grateful that Elliot Cadeau is on his side. Following the win over the Volunteers and their vaunted defense, he suggested to the media that the former five-star recruit's unique prowess can translate to up-tempo Tar Heel brilliance:

"Elliot has a gift and a talent to not only distribute and pass the ball, but also distribute and pass the ball to a player where he can actually do something with it.

"He's just instinctively just really special in that area. But also, it's also our wings running, and it's Armando [Bacot] running, too. It's a full team effort.

"A commitment that we made at the beginning of the year is that we wanted our pace to be faster. We wanted to be a running team. Even off a made basket, we wanted to get the ball out quickly.

"And we wanted to be one of the fastest teams, if not the fastest team, from free throw line to free throw line, and then when we get into our play, just run it with purpose and pace."

Ultimately, Elliot Cadeau makes that goal realistic.

UNC Offense in First Half Versus Vols Was 'Pretty Special'

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