After missing one game with an ankle injury, North Carolina freshman point guard Coby White will return to the lineup for Saturday’s matchup with No. 4 Gonzaga. UNC head coach Roy Williams confirmed that status on Friday afternoon. This is good news for the Tar Heels, who get team’s top playmaker back in the lineup.
Roy Williams confirms that PG Coby White will play vs. Gonzaga on Saturday night. He sat out the win over UNCW with an ankle injury. #UNC
— InsideCarolina (@InsideCarolina) December 14, 2018
White has averaged 15.3 points (41.9 3P%) and 3.6 assists (6.3 per 40 minutes) per game this season; a jet in the open floor, White is tops on UNC’s roster in usage rate (26.3 percent) and second in assist rate (24.2 percent), according to KenPom. It’s early this season, and there’s some serious untapped potential with Nassir Little, but White has been North Carolina’s one legit half-court shot-creator.
According to Synergy Sports, White has scored 1.1 points per possession in transition. On jump shot attempts in the half court, White has gone 5-of-13 (0.92 points per possession, 46.2 eFG%), per Synergy, too.
It’s been over two weeks since White last played in an actual game. His most recent performance came in UNC’s blowout loss on the road to Michigan in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
Junior point guard Seventh Woods started in place of White — his first career start — in the 97-69 home win over UNC Wilmington. In that game, Woods finished with seven points, three assists and two steals.
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