Hubert Davis Makes Key Change to Starting 5

North Carolina’s last outing did not go the way it wanted, as the Tar Heels fell to the California Golden Bears. UNC is heading home with a 2-3 record in ACC play.

Even in a loss, there was a major change made by head coach Hubert Davis, and it showed up in a big way. Fans have been clamoring for a lineup change, and they got it.

Here is the change Hubert Davis made to the starting lineup.

Kyan Evans Out

Kyan Evans has started every game for UNC this season at the guard spot. The Colorado State transfer had a lot of hype coming to Chapel Hill, as he averaged 10.6 points and three assists at CSU. Unfortunately, his play has not transferred over to UNC.

Evans has scored 10 points total in the last four games for UNC. His minutes have been slowly decreasing over the past month compared to where they were at the start of the season. Unfortunately for Evans, it was finally time for Davis to pull the plug on him as a starter. The Tar Heels have struggled lately, and Davis needed to make a change, so Evans was the odd man out due to his recent play.

Derek Dixon In

Although the Tar Heels lost the game, freshman Derek Dixon was not the reason why. Dixon replaced Evans in the lineup, and he proved the move was not a mistake. Dixon finished the game with 14 points and three assists, including multiple key baskets. He hit four 3-pointers, which was a season high for Dixon. He has received consistent minutes all season, but the last game saw a significant spike in his playing time. Dixon logged a season-high 30 minutes.

Fans may not want to hear this, but credit should be given to Davis for going through with the change. Along with Dixon, Davis played guard Jaydon Young significantly more minutes than he did against Stanford. With the three main guards in Evans, Seth Trimble and Luka Bogavac having an up-and-down season, Young and Dixon may take over for the Tar Heels.

Dixon looks much more comfortable and fluid on the court than Evans does. The big question is whether Dixon did enough in the eyes of Davis to stay in the starting five. Also, if Davis is willing to bench Evans, could another change be in the works? The starting lineup against Notre Dame on Saturday, Jan. 17, will be something to watch.

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