UNC vs. Wofford - Player of the Game: Cameron Johnson

This one might sting for a while. Wofford came into the Dean Dome, outplayed the Tar Heels on both sides of the ball, and walked out with a win. It was the classic game from hell: they hit hard shots and we missed easy shots. It’s not easy to win games against any opposition when you shoot 36% from the floor.

As a result, it’s difficult to identify a player of the game. Luke Maye had yet another double-double, but he was four of sixteen from the field. Joel Berry led the team in points with 23 but didn’t shoot much better than Maye (7-16) and had as many assists as he did turnovers (3). Garrison Brooks went four for five but only pulled down three boards and had a shot literally ripped out of his hands late.

The home winning streak is over. It’s time to pick up the pieces, move forward, and try to find some positives. As a result, Cameron Johnson earns POTG honors in his season debut. His road to getting on the court for the Heels has been long and stressful. Over the summer Pitt tried to nullify his eligibility, and before the season started he had to have surgery to repair a torn meniscus.

If Johnson can build on this performance, UNC adds a weapon to an already-deep team. Don’t overreact to this result—games like this happen every now and then. Johnson didn’t necessarily excel, either, going only one of five from the field. However, he matched Luke Maye in going seven for eight from the line, showed composure in hitting key free throws late, and didn’t turn the ball over. He was one of only four UNC players to hit a shot from deep, and one of only three to record a steal. And he did it all working at game speed for the first time all year.

The Tar Heels will have an opportunity to bounce back from this on Saturday against Ohio State. If Cam Johnson can work himself into a rhythm, this team becomes that more dangerous.