What Young's Promotion Meant for North Carolina

The North Carolina Tar Heels bounced back with a 91-69 win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Wednesday night at the Dean E. Smith Center. After losing consecutive games on the West Coast road trip last week, the Tar Heels needed a resounding win against an inferior opponent.

For the second straight game, head coach Hubert Davis made a change to the starting lineup. On Saturday against California, the 55-year-old head coach benched Kyan Evans and promoted Derek Dixon to the starting lineup. On Wednesday against Notre Dame, Davis elected to give Jaydon Young a shot with the starting unit, sending Jarin Stevenson to the bench.

It was a surprising decision, but North Carolina's head coach clearly had a plan that he thought would benefit the team. Here is what Young's installment into the starting unit meant for the Tar Heels.

Opened Up North Carolina's Offense

Jan 21, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Kyan Evans (0) shoots as Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Logan Imes (2) defends in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

With Henri Veesaar and Caleb Wilson dominating in the paint and forcing opponents to send double teams, the Tar Heels now had three reliable options along the perimeter to trust. Davis would roll out Veesaar, Wilson, Young, Derek Dixon, and Seth Trimble to start the game.

The three-guard system led to a plethora of shots from beyond the arc, as the Tar Heels went 13-of-34 from three-point range, looking for vacated space along the perimeter. Wilson was instrumental in creating ample opportunities for others to knock down comfortable shots.

Young only played 14 minutes, as he struggled with foul trouble throughout the game, but he started the game with an aggressive mindset. The junior guard jumped out of the gates with three points, two rebounds, and one assist. That was the extent of his production, as he recorded one more rebound the rest of the game. Nonetheless, the Tar Heels' offense looked completely different with three reliable shooters.

Coaching Staff is Looking for a Clear Answer

Jan 21, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis with guard Derek Dixon (3) in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Davis making lineup changes in consecutive games illustrates that this coaching staff is searching for consistent production. Losing three of four games will do that to a coach who is desperate to turn things around on the fly.

Playing two games a week consistently does not give coaches much time to assess and configure rotations that work. That is especially the case with North Carolina, who entered Wednesday night with a 2-3 conference record and need to build momemtum heading into February.

Hopefully, this supplied Davis with more answers than questions, as the Tar Heels were desperate for a convincing win.

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