North Carolina guard Cole Anthony became an instant star Wednesday, but his mind is already on to the next game.
Anthony set an ACC freshman-debut record with 34 points as the No. 9 Tar Heels (1-0, 1-0 ACC) dropped Notre Dame (0-1, 0-1) 76-65 in the schools' season and conference openers in Chapel Hill.
NBA MOCK DRAFT: Anthony No. 1 on SN's board
What a debut for Cole Anthony! He finishes with 34 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists as @UNC_Basketball picks up the win.#ACCMBBpic.twitter.com/obVfgUsUoJ
— ACC Men's Basketball (@accmbb) November 7, 2019
Afterward, the son of former UNLV and NBA guard Greg Anthony displayed a pro-game influence.
"We've got practice (Thursday). We've got to clock back in. We've got a game on Friday (at UNC Wilmington)," he said.
Cole Anthony on his unreal debut #Humble pic.twitter.com/n1SZ5d4lPo
— Joe Mazur (@joemazurabc11) November 7, 2019
That Anthony is eager to get back on the court so quickly after playing 37 minutes has to be music to the ears of Roy Williams. The UNC coach appears intent on riding a player who is expected to be a high lottery pick, if not the first overall selection, in next year's NBA Draft.
UNC coach Roy Williams being asked about Cole Anthony playing almost all the minutes in early season games:
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) November 7, 2019
“I don’t believe in this load management crap in the NBA. You pay me $25 million a year and my load is going to be pretty light.”
Williams, suffice it to say, isn't a fan of how NBA teams pick and choose when their stars play. Anthony isn't making millions yet, so he can look forward to a full workload for as long as he's playing for Williams. It sounds as though the kid is ready for the challenge.
