Cole Anthony could play on Saturday, according to UNC coach Roy Williams
North Carolina guard Cole Anthony went through a five-on-five contact practice for the first time since undergoing an arthroscopic knee procedure in December, Roy Williams confirmed in a press conference Friday.
He could play as early as Saturday against Boston College (10-11, 4-6 ACC) if he feels well on Friday and Saturday.
“We’ll just have to wait and sees how he feels today,” Williams said. “I feel a heck of a lot more comfortable than I did before, and he’s dying to try and play, so we’ll see what happens.
“And strictly, if he comes in today and says he’s sore, then he’s not going to play.”
The 6-3, 190-pound guard from New York has missed the past 11 games since the procedure was done to treat a partially torn meniscus.
Anthony posted a cryptic message on Instagram Thursday night of a black screen and a smiley face emoji, which apparently meant he was cleared to practice.
Anthony said on Monday that he has been shooting in the gym and working out in the weight room with the strength and conditioning staff. But until Thursday, he had not practiced.
After Boston College, UNC (10-10, 3-6 ACC) plays at No. 5 Florida State (17-3, 7-2) on Feb. 3, and No. 8 Duke (17-3, 7-2) on Feb. 8. Those are two crucial games the Tar Heels need if they want to earn an at-large bid for the NCAA tournament.
“It’s great to have him back on the court,” UNC junior guard Andrew Platek said Friday. “It felt kind of weird seeing him practice with us, because it’s been so long since he’s been on the court in live situations. But he did some really good things, and we hope to have him back as soon as tomorrow.”
The timetable for Anthony’s return was projected to be four to six weeks, but Williams has maintained that he would be cautious with Anthony’s return to make sure he’s prepared to play. It has been six and a half weeks since the procedure was performed.
Role players improving
Before his injury, Anthony was averaging 19.1 points per game, 6.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists. He took nearly a third of the Tar Heels’ shots and was a huge part of their offense.
But while Anthony got his, UNC’s role players were struggling. So when he first went out, the Tar Heels appeared lost. In the nine games Anthony played, UNC was 6-3. Since his absence, UNC is 4-7.
The news of Anthony’s return comes at the right time for the Tar Heels, who have won their last two games. UNC beat Miami 94-71 last Saturday, and N.C. State 75-65 on Monday.
In both games, the Tar Heels shot 49 percent or better. UNC junior Garrison Brooks has emerged as a go-to scorer. He’s averaging averaging 15.6 points per game, 9.3 rebounds, and is shooting 54.2 percent from the floor.
Senior guard Brandon Robinson has also played well in two of his last four games, scoring 27 points against Clemson on Jan. 11 and a career-high 29 points against Miami.
“I don’t think we need to defer to (Anthony) as much as we did before because we’re a lot more confident in how we’re playing,” Platek said. “I think the ball is moving a lot better.”
After UNC’s win over N.C. State on Monday, Anthony said he was close to 100 percent and that he was just waiting on doctors to clear him. He said if he’s cleared on Saturday against Boston College, he will be ready to go.
“I’m like yo, I’m all in,” Anthony said. “I want to play with these guys, again. I don’t like how I left the court with these dudes. I feel like I could give them a lot more than I did.”
UNC vs. Boston College
When: Saturday, 6 p.m.
Where: Dean Smith Center, Chapel Hill
TV: ACCNetwork
Listen: WTKK-106.1 Raleigh; WCHL-97.9, WCHL-1360 Chapel Hill; WBT-99.3, WBT-1110 Charlotte
This story was originally published January 31, 2020 at 1:16 PM with the headline "Cole Anthony could play on Saturday, according to UNC coach Roy Williams."
