Keeping It Heel
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UNC Basketball: Wildcats vs. Tar Heels game preview

By Brandon Griffin

Dec 13, 2014; Lexington, KY, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels coach Roy Williams and Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari at Rupp Arena. The Kentucky Wildcats defeated North Carolina Tar Heels 84-70. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 13, 2014; Lexington, KY, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels coach Roy Williams and Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari at Rupp Arena. The Kentucky Wildcats defeated North Carolina Tar Heels 84-70. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports /
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Three Questions

Dec 11, 2016; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Luke Maye (32) and guard Seventh Woods (21) and forward Kennedy Meeks (3) and guard Stilman White (30) celebrate in game against the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. North Carolina won 73-71. Mandatory Credit: Evan Pike-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 11, 2016; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Luke Maye (32) and guard Seventh Woods (21) and forward Kennedy Meeks (3) and guard Stilman White (30) celebrate in game against the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. North Carolina won 73-71. Mandatory Credit: Evan Pike-USA TODAY Sports /

Should Kentucky go with a small lineup?

UNC has struggled with smaller lineups this season. Indiana, Davidson, and Tennessee all used smaller lineups and gave the Heels trouble. The Volunteers even played four guards for extended periods in a game they led for most of.

Kentucky’s strength is it’s guard play. Like Tennessee, they too can put four quality guards on the floor against UNC. The other question is will UNC go small too? Roy has shown reluctance to do that at times and that is one of the reasons smaller lineups have been successful against the normally larger Tar Heels.

Can Carolina find the bottom of the basket?

In the Tar Heels first six games, UNC averaged nearly 97 points a game. Only once in those six games did they fail to score at least 90 points. During that span they went  206 for 394 good for a clip of 52.2 percent from the floor. In all six of those games they shot at least 48 percent from the floor and in three of them they shot over 53 percent. The Tar Heels went 6-0 in those games.

In their past five, the Tar Heels are averaging only 78 points a game. Only once in those five games have they scored 90 plus points. They are also shooting only 138 for 317 for a not so impressive 43.5 percent from the floor. In only one of those games did they shoot better than 50 percent. In three of those games they have shot less than 40 percent.

The shots have not all been a bunch of three pointers either. The Tar Heels are missing a lot of shots at or around the basket. Kentucky is averaging over 94 points per game. If UNC wants to win this, they will have to be more consistent on offense.

Should Joel Berry II play in this game?

Notice I used the word should. With still no word on whether he will play or not the question becomes what is best for UNC? Without Berry the Heels have been pretty bad. They beat Tennessee and Davidson by a combined 11 points. Both the Wildcats and Volunteers had a chance to beat UNC.

If he does play Carolina will be in better position to beat Kentucky. However, that’s where the should comes in. Like Kentucky, the Tar Heels care about championships. So, losing to Kentucky in December is tenable if it means UNC might beat the Wildcats in March. Berry’s health is the key here. If he isn’t 100 percent there isn’t a reason he should play.

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