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Angelo Brizzi Gives UNC Basketball a Valuable (& Experienced) Weapon Off the Bench
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- Angelo Brizzi Gives UNC Basketball a Valuable (& Experienced) Weapon Off the Bench
(Gregory Fisher - Imagn Images)
The annual Locked On Tar Heels basketball player preview series has reached its penultimate stop, and perhaps no player on North Carolina 's roster presents a more intriguing combination of experience, shooting ability and uncertainty than Angelo Brizzi .
After previously previewing four freshmen, four sophomores, junior Alexandros Samodurov and seniors Terrence Brown , Jarin Stevenson , and Jaydon Young , Brizzi becomes the 13th player under the microscope.
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And there is one primary question surrounding the sixth-year guard: Can the best season of his college career translate to the ACC?
Brizzi spent last season at Buffalo , where he finally broke through in a major way, averaging 14.5 points per game while shooting better than 37 percent from 3-point range. Before Buffalo, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound guard had stops at Villanova, Davidson and Longwood, where he shot 40 percent from beyond the arc.
That shooting ability is the clearest reason Michael Malone added Brizzi to his first UNC roster.
Brizzi is particularly effective as a catch-and-shoot threat, possessing deep range, a quick release and a high-arcing shot. Those qualities could allow him to carve out a situational role even against the greater length and athleticism he will see in the ACC.
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The good news for North Carolina is that Brizzi doesn't have to become one of the Tar Heels' primary players for his addition to be worthwhile.
Unlike some recent mid-major transfers who arrived in Chapel Hill with major expectations attached, Brizzi enters a deep backcourt where Matt Able, Neoklis Avdalas and Terrence Brown are expected to occupy the primary roles. Brizzi instead figures to battle Isaiah Denis, Young, and potentially others for reserve minutes.
That competition creates a fairly straightforward pathway to playing time: make shots and hold up defensively.
Brizzi's shooting résumé may be his biggest advantage in that battle. Among the reserve guards, he is the most established perimeter shooter. If Carolina needs spacing or a quick offensive spark off the bench, Brizzi could be the obvious choice.
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The defensive end presents a bigger question.
Brizzi has shown strong instincts, active hands and impressive off-ball awareness. He averaged nearly two steals per game last season and has demonstrated an ability to jump passing lanes and anticipate plays. However, his overall athleticism and on-ball defense could make it difficult to stay on the floor against faster, more explosive ACC guards.
His ability to attack closeouts is another unknown. Brizzi showed at Buffalo that he could get into the paint, absorb contact and finish, while also shooting 83.4 percent from the free-throw line on 145 attempts. Whether he can consistently create those opportunities against ACC defenders remains to be seen.
Ultimately, Brizzi's role could range anywhere from situational shooter to legitimate rotation piece.
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Jonathan Adams projected a floor of roughly five minutes or fewer per game, with Brizzi entering when Carolina specifically needs shooting. His ceiling could push toward 10 minutes per game if he proves capable defensively and consistently provides perimeter offense.
There is also something to be said for the mentality Brizzi brings.
He could have pursued larger NIL opportunities elsewhere, but chose North Carolina knowing he would have to compete for his minutes. He also demonstrated a "next man up" mentality at Buffalo when teammate Daniel Freitag went down late in the season. Brizzi averaged more than 20 points across his final 10 games and topped 20 points six times during that stretch.
That competitiveness could matter on a veteran UNC roster trying to establish a new culture under Malone.
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Brizzi doesn't need to become a star. He might not even need to become a full-time rotation player.
But if "Angelo Breezy" (in Michael Malone parlance) can knock down open shots, understand Malone's defensive system and give Carolina dependable veteran minutes when called upon, he could become exactly the type of depth piece championship-caliber teams need.
And if the bold prediction from Locked On Tar Heels comes true, Brizzi finishing the season as UNC's best 3-point shooter by percentage, albeit perhaps without enough attempts to officially qualify, his sixth and final college season could prove to be a very valuable one in Chapel Hill.
