UNC Finds Stroke, Finishes Exhibition Games on 3-Point Upswing

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — North Carolina ended the exhibition portion of the preseason on an upswing from 3-point range.

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After mostly misfiring beyond the arc through a combined three halves of exhibition games, the Tar Heels found their stroke and connected on nine 3-pointers during the second half Wednesday night, along the way to running past Winston-Salem State 95-53 at the Smith Center.

“I feel like getting out in transition and getting good looks was very big,” UNC forward Jarin Stevenson said. “That really helped us. Forcing turnovers defensively, getting rebounds, and just pushing it up the court.

“I feel like we were in rhythm. And then after each 3, I feel like everybody was cheering each other on, and that really helped.”

Five nights prior, the Tar Heels never were able to get dialed in from 3-point range, and shot just 4-for-19 from deep in their 78-76 exhibition loss to BYU. Only Stevenson, Derek Dixon and Jonathan Powell came up with 3-point makes that night in Salt Lake City, while Kyan Evans, Seth Trimble, Henri Veesaar, Caleb Wilson and Jaydon Young went a combined 0-for-11 beyond the arc.

But after struggling to 3-for-12 mark on 3-pointers here during the first half Wednesday night against Division II Winston-Salem State, UNC heated up and splashed in a 9-for-20 clip across the course of the second half. That improved long-range shooting helped Carolina outscore the Rams 56-27 after halftime.

UNC coach Hubert Davis said his team’s 3-pointers “were coming in a better way” in the second half. The 6-foot-10 Stevenson’s successful pair of 3s separated by 40 seconds of game time embodied those words. The Tar Heels swung the ball from one side of the court to the other on his first 3-point make, around-the-horn passing from Powell to Evans to Trimble and then Stevenson, who nailed that catch-and-shoot launch. Stevenson walked into another clean catch-and-shoot look from 3 soon thereafter, this one in transition off a pass from Evans.

“They were generated off of a drive,” Davis said. “They were generated off of throwing the ball in the post. They were generated off an offensive rebound, in transition, and then also the swing-swing (passing). Like, ‘OK, that’s a good shot. Boom, let’s get a great shot.’ And so when the ball moves, and you’ve got ball movement and player movement, I think you usually shoot a high percentage. So in the second half, I felt like the 3s were better and they were coming in a better way.”

With an overhauled roster that includes 10 newcomers, this Carolina team is supposed to be outfitted with much more shooting capability and depth than last season’s group. The Tar Heels checked in at 35.6 percent from 3-point range last season, and ranked No. 79 nationally out of 364 college basketball teams on the Division I level.

UNC begins the new 2025-26 regular season in five nights, with its Nov. 3 opener against Central Arkansas. The Tar Heels continue waiting on Luka Bogavac, who’s regarded as the best shooter on their team. He missed Wednesday night’s final exhibition tune-up with his playing eligibility status still stuck in limbo.

Meanwhile, seven different UNC players knocked down 3-pointers against Winston-Salem State — Young (on 3-for-6 shooting), Stevenson (2-for-3), Evans (2-for-4), Powell (2-for-6), the 7-footer Veesaar (1-for-1), Zayden High (1-for-2) and Dixon (1-for-4).

Young buried three straight 3s in rapid succession across 99 seconds of game time in the second half. Powell, Wilson and Dixon dished off assists on those three makes beyond the arc, as UNC’s lead grew to 73-41 with about nine minutes remaining in the exhibition game. Young said the Tar Heels were “making the right plays to our teammates, and everybody was playing very selfish” during those moments.

“I think everyone on this team can score in bunches like that,” Young said. “It’s been shown over the summer, preseason, and stuff like that. We’ve got a lot of guys that can step up at any time. So it’ll be a fun year.”