ACC Men's Basketball Preview: North Carolina Tar Heels
Inside the opponents of our new conference
With the start of ACC play, we’ll take a look at our conference opponents as we learn about some brand-new teams that we will be visiting and also hosting in Berkeley.
North Carolina Tar Heels 11-6 (4-1)
Head Coach: Hubert Davis - 2022 to Present
Best Finish: Hubert Davis took the Tar Heels to the Championship game as an 8 seed in 2022 but lost. He took over the program after Roy Williams retired after the 2021 season. The Tar Heels then made the tournament again in 2024 and progressed to the Sweet 16 as a 1 seed.
Key Players
G RJ Davis - 6-0/180 - 25.6% of Offensive Possession - 28.1% of Shots
17.8 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.7 TOPG, 38.6% FG, 28.1% 3PT, 85.7% FT
G Elliot Cadeau - 6-1/180 - 23.5% of Offensive Possession - 18.6% of Shots
10.1 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 6.1 APG, 3.1 TOPG, 1.2 SPG, 43.2% FG, 26.7% 3PT, 72.2% FT
G Ian Jackson- 6-4/190 - 22.7% of Offensive Possession - 27.2% of Shots
15.4 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 50.9% FG, 42.7% 3PT, 73.2% FT
Rob’s Notebook
It’s not getting any easier for our Bears. Another Top 40 Defense and top 35 offense as an opponent sets up a tough matchup on Wednesday. The Tar Heels have no real weaknesses on the defensive side of the ball. The Bears best chance against this defense is to shoot the ball well from 3, where UNC gives up a rate of 33.1% shots. On average, 39.4% of opposing team shot attempts have been from beyond the arc. They are a very good defense within the arc so trying to score two will be a tough ask from the likes of Andrej, Jeremiah and bigs. On offense, the Tar Heels do not turn the ball over and run a very fast paced offense. They rank 11th in tempo and 12th in average possession length, in the country. All the while, they hold the 32nd best adjusted efficiency on offense. Madsen might have to go into his bench early and often to keep the legs fresh in this expected fast-paced game.
Game Info
Tip-Off: 4 PM PT
Location: Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, NC
TV: ACC Network
Radio: KGO 810AM or The Varsity Network
UNC doesn't have a real good big man like they have in the past. And they aren't a very good outside shooting team. RJ Davis is struggling. Their best 3 pt shooters over the last 4 or so games have probably been the freshman Ian Jackson and Dwight Powell. Just go zone all game and make them make 3s. Cadeau can turn the ball over. They've shortened the rotation to about 7 or 8.