Injuries continue to pile up. UNC could be without another star player against Wake.
North Carolina junior forward Garrison Brooks did not practice on Sunday, a day after being poked in the eye during the Tar Heels’ 98-96 overtime loss to Duke, Roy Williams said in the ACC’s teleconference on Monday.
Brooks practiced on Monday, but was “very limited,” a UNC spokesperson told The News & Observer Monday evening.
That Brooks did not practice on Sunday, and was limited on Monday, raises questions about his status for UNC’s road game against Wake Forest (10-13, 3-10 ACC) on Tuesday. His status is considered “questionable.”
Brooks’ injury occurred during overtime and he was able to return. After the game, however, Brooks’ eye was red and watered as tears streamed down his face.
The Tar Heels have dealt with a number of injuries in 2020 and have used eight different starting lineups.
Seven different players have missed at least one game with an injury this season. UNC senior wing Brandon Robinson is currently out with a sprained ankle. If Brooks doesn’t play Tuesday’s game, he will be the eighth Tar Heel to miss a game.
Brooks is the Tar Heels’ second-leading scorer and is averaging 15 points per game and 8.9 rebounds. He is shooting 53 percent from the floor.
Garrison Brooks and Cole Anthony find their chemistry
Brooks’ injury comes at a time when he and freshman point guard Cole Anthony both played well in the same game.
Brooks scored 18 points and was 9 of 12 from the floor against Duke. Anthony scored 24 points and had 11 rebounds. The Tar Heels shot 52 percent from the floor. It was the first time both players scored 18 or more points in the same game since a Nov. 8 win against UNC Wilmington.
Prior to that, the two struggled to develop chemistry since Anthony’s return on Feb. 1 after missing 11 games due to a knee injury. In Anthony’s first two games back, Brooks averaged only 7.5 points per game. Without him, Brooks averaged 18.9.
Anthony said he wanted to address the issue prior to last Saturday’s game against Duke.
“We were able to push the pace a little bit more than we have been,” Williams said Monday when asked about the difference. We have been trying all year to get a much quicker pace, and I think that was good. I think Cole can push the pace. He pushes, he pitches ahead. I think we got Armando on a basket, got a big guy running the floor, three seconds after the other team had missed a shot. He lays it up on the other end.
“We need to have more plays like that. Our pace was better against Duke than anybody else.”
The Tar Heels finished with 16 fastbreak points against Duke. They had eight against Boston College on Feb. 1, and 10 against Florida State on Feb. 3.
“Don’t know if he’s going to practice today, don’t know what’s going to happen about tomorrow,” Williams said. “But Garrison, other than the free throw line that’s been a problem for him, he’s been very effective with his field goal percentage. And Cole understands that and tries to get him the ball.”
UNC at Wake Forest
When: 8 p.m., Tuesday
Where: Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Winston-Salem
Watch: ACC Network
This story was originally published February 10, 2020 at 5:35 PM with the headline "Injuries continue to pile up. UNC could be without another star player against Wake.."
