Who is starting for UNC basketball? What the Tar Heels' lineup looked like at practice

CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina basketball starts the 2023-24 season in a month against Radford at the Dean E. Smith Center.

For an hour and a half on Friday, third-year coach Hubert Davis and the Tar Heels participated in the program’s annual media day. Media members were allowed to watch a 30-minute portion of practice, including roughly 11 minutes of 5-on-5 action.

Here’s what stood out about the Tar Heels, who will have a public scrimmage on Oct. 13 at the Smith Center.

UNC basketball starters in Blue-White scrimmage

The Tar Heels started practice with its Blue and White teams running fast-break drills in a dry-run segment. The White team, traditionally considered the starting lineup for UNC squads, featured: returning starters RJ Davis and Armando Bacot, along with Brown transfer Paxson Wojcik, Notre Dame transfer Cormac Ryan and Stanford transfer Harrison Ingram.

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Elliot Cadeau, Cormac Ryan, RJ Davis stand out for different reasons

Freshman guard Elliot Cadeau, a member of the Blue team in practice, struggled with his shot in an 11-minute section of practice that featured 5-on-5 situations.

““Let’s go! Push it, push it, Elliot!” Hubert Davis said. “Good pace.”

Cadeau made his first attempt from 3-point range in the dry-run portion before following a missed floater with a turnover and another miss on a contested step-back 3-pointer against the White team. He bounced back with a nice pump fake, followed by a drive to the basket and a balanced layup off two feet in the lane.

Davis urged his players to “make the easy play” during the 11-minute stretch. Cormac Ryan looked as comfortable as anyone with a trio of catch-and-shoot 3-pointers. He also had a post-up that led to a turnaround jumper. Ryan’s play helped the White team score 13 of the first 17 points.

RJ Davis was active on both ends of the floor as the lead guard for the White team. He made a 3-pointer and displayed good ball pressure and interior defense with a steal in a post against freshman Zayden High.

Jae’Lyn Withers, Seth Trimble sidelined with injuries

A pair of Tar Heels, sophomore Seth Trimble and Louisville transfer Jae’Lyn Withers, were sidelined during the portion of practice open to the media. Both players were nursing minor lower-body injuries, according to UNC sports information director Steve Kirschner.

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Who is starting for UNC basketball at practice ahead of 2023-24 season