Jamie Shaw, Jeff Bendel, Patrick O’Brien, and Rick Lewis recently went through North Carolina’s absolutely loaded 2020 class in a really unique fashion. They held a 10 round fantasy draft with each of the guys selecting who they thought would lead them to victory. Fantasy sports are based strictly upon production, but let’s take a closer look at these fantasy matchups and see how these all-star squads would stack up against one another in an actual game.
Team POB Vs Team Bendel: (POB -7.5)
When breaking down the roster construction of both teams, it’s hard to ignore the offensive firepower of Team POB. Guys like Josh Hall, Carson McCorckle, and Ricky Council all possess unique offensive gifts, capable of scoring it at all three levels, finishing above the rim, and they’re all lethal catch and shoot options.
Team Bendel has the better on-ball defenders, and the better floor general in Shakeel Moore. Moore will distribute the ball to the barrage of athletic wings/bigs, such as Keishon Porter, Ahmil Flowers, and Kaleb Scott, but frankly the barrage of three pointers led by Hall, McCorckle, Anthony Allen, and Jay Hickman who might be the best shooter in the state is just too much to handle for Team Bendel IMO.
On the interior, having two elite rebounders in Alex Holt and Dean Reiber, to go with the versatility of a guy like Jaden Seymour will provide the necessary toughness for Team POB to come away with the win.
Team Lewis Vs Team Shaw: (Shaw -5.5)
I think when you look at the roster construction of both of these teams, the combination of skill and power that Jamie’s roster has might be too much to ignore. With guys like Isaiah Todd, Jaylen Gibson, and Javarzia Belton, the frontcourt is simply overwhelming.
Rick having a guy like Jajuan Carr running the show makes things intriguing, there aren’t really any more well rounded PG’s in the state and with 3 level scorers like Tristan Maxwell, Nick Farrar, and Jackson Threadgill surrounding Carr, there is a lot of excitement here.
The secret weapons for Team Shaw are Dji Bailey and Justin Wright. Bailey can run the team in an unselfish manner, while also spotting up from deep when the ball isn’t in his hands, and Justin Wright can go get a bucket whenever he wants. Team Shaw is a nice favorite in this one due to that frontcourt.
Team Bendel Vs Team Lewis: (Team Lewis -4.0)
I think this matchup could ultimately go either way, but the rebounding of Nick McMullen, Mylyjael Poteat, and Justice Ajogbor will likely be too much to handle for Team Bendel. The athleticism on the wings for Team Bendel make this a really interesting game.
I think the unsung hero in this matchup and possibly all of North Carolina is Georges Lefebvre, his ability to get downhill with fluidity at 6’8 could provide some problems for Team Lewis, but the high motor guys like Nic McMullen and Nick Farrar should be able to stifle that.
If Team Bendel wants to win this game, there going to need big games from the trio of Kaleb Scott, Kalib Matthews, and Zavian McLean. All three are fearless competitors and will need to show up in this hypothetical dog fight.
Team POB Vs Team Shaw: (POB -9.5)
I really like POB’s team y’all! The combination of shooting, athleticism, offensive firepower, and length is absolutely absurd. Jamie has the unicorn frontcourt, but I really think they’re going to have a hard time being effective against POB for numerous reasons.
Look at a guy like Jonas Aidoo… he’s one of the elite shot blockers in the state of North Carolina, he shoots the ball from distance at an outstanding clip. That is going to take either Gibson, Todd, or Belton away from the basket, limiting them defensively in a major fashion. It also opens the floor up for Hall, McCorckle, and Anthony Allen to operate.
Justin Wright and Jamarhi Harvey will likely find a way to create some offense, but frankly, the overwhelming barrage of offense from Team POB is just too much to handle. Look for them to come away with a nice victory.
Team POB Vs Team Lewis: (Team POB -5.5)
This is actually going to be a really good game due to the combination of energy and skill that both of these teams possess. I think the difference here is that there is nobody that can truly match up with Josh Hall, at 6’8 he possesses such a unique bag of tricks that will ultimately give Team POB the edge.
A huge x-factor for Team Lewis is G Trayden Williams, his ability to run the team, hit shots, and keep the game in control at all times will be vital to this team, especially considering Team POB doesn’t have a true PG. Anthony Allen is more of a scorer, he’s a damn good player, just different than Williams who runs the team to a tee.
Expect POB to apply pressure from beyond the arc, and Team Lewis unable to completely keep up. Nick Farrar and Tristan Maxwell should have big games, but it’s going to be tough to match up with Hall, McCorckle, Council, and others.
Team Bendel Vs Team Shaw: (Team Shaw -8.5)
Once again we’re here to talk the front-court as Gibson-Todd-Belton would just be way too much to handle, especially considering the fact that 2 of them will be in the game at once. If Team Bendel had better shooting from top to bottom the story might be different,
Team Bendel is predicated on getting their explosive athletes out in space and opportunities at the rim. That will be incredibly difficult with the frontline of Team Shaw. Team Bendel’s only hope is for a Shakeel Moore takeover, that’s entirely possible, but they are going to need him to play out of his mind if they want a chance to win.
This game will likely feature the most amount of trash talk between the two GM’s but at the end of the day, Team Shaw will end up on top.