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

By Brandon Griffin

Dec 17, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Isaiah Hicks (4) shouts after a teammate scored a basket in the final minutes of a game against the Kentucky Wildcats at T-Mobile Arena. Kentucky won the game 103-100. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 17, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Isaiah Hicks (4) shouts after a teammate scored a basket in the final minutes of a game against the Kentucky Wildcats at T-Mobile Arena. Kentucky won the game 103-100. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports /
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Key Players

Dec 17, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Joel Berry (2) dribbles during a game against the Kentucky Wildcats at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 17, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Joel Berry (2) dribbles during a game against the Kentucky Wildcats at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports /

Northern Iowa: G Jeremy Morgan

The Senior guard leads the Panthers in scoring, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, free throws made, and three pointers made. In other words, without him the Panthers aren’t even 5-5. They are probably more like 3-7.

At 6 foot 5 Morgan is that perfect sized guard the Tar Heels have struggled with all season. Malik Monk is similar in size and he just had a 47 point game. It will be on Nate Britt and Kenny Williams to try to keep Morgan from going all Monk on the Tar Heels.

North Carolina: G Joel Berry II

Berry may easily be the most indispensable player on this year’s Tar Heel’s team. Yes Justin Jackson has the scoring touch this season and his growth was key. However what Berry brings to the table is beyond just simple points.

Against the Wildcats, the junior guard had 25 points, seven assists, and two steals in 34 minutes of play. By the way, he did all that despite having not played since getting injured December 4th against Radford.

He is calm, he is confident, and he is not afraid of the big moment. His fouling out of the Kentucky game had as much to do with the Tar Heels losing as anything else. There is no doubt that if he had taken that final shot over Williams the Heels win in OT.

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