UNC vs. Tulane: Preview, game info and broadcast information
By Zack Pearson
The North Carolina Tar Heels look to make it three-straight wins as they take on Tulane in Chapel Hill
It was just a week ago that the North Carolina Tar Heels lost their first game of the 2017-18 college basketball season.
Now following that loss to Michigan State in the PK80, UNC is looking to win their third-straight game as they continue their non-conference schedule.
The Tar Heels held off a strong effort from Davidson in Charlotte on Friday night, eventually putting the Wildcats away 85-75. But now UNC returns back to Chapel Hill as they are playing their third game in five days and fourth in the past seven days.
Head coach Roy Williams stacked the nonconference schedule like this but admits they haven’t had the chance to catch their breath.
“We haven’t had a chance to catch our breath,” Williams said via ESPN. “It’s maybe a little more challenge than maybe I should have made it.”
Next up are the Tulane Green Wave who are 6-1 on the season with a loss to Georgia State as their only blemish.
The Green Wave rebounded from that loss to Georgia State by beating Alcorn State on Wednesday night.
Coached by former NBA head coach Mike Dunleavy Sr., the Green Wave’s 6 wins match their total from a year ago as the program is rebuilding.
They bring in a potent offense, averaging 79.1 points per game and are led by junior guard Melvin Frazier. The guard averages 18.9 points while playing 34.3 minutes per game this season.
Along with Frazier, senior Cameron Reynolds averages 16.9 points per game which gives the Green Wave a nice combo in their backcourt.
Frazier stands at 6-foot-6 while Reynolds is 6-foot-8.
The duo’s height presents a tough challenge for opposing guards. Expect to see Theo Pinson, Kenny Williams and Brandon Robinson matched up on them while in the game.
Reynolds gave the Tar Heels problems last season, scoring 21 points in the Green Wave’s 95-75 loss to open the season.
For UNC, the key will be rebounding.
The Green Wave average 39.4 rebounds per game, just four less than the Tar Heels who enter averaging 43.8 per game. In the win over Davidson, UNC dominated the glass outrebounding the Wildcats 54-23.
Senior Samir Sehic leads the team with 7.7 rebounds per game but Frazier is at an almost identical total at 7.6 this season. If UNC can’t dominate the glass, they could find themselves in trouble.
Another thing to monitor is how UNC looks early on. As mentioned before, they have played a lot of games in the past week which could be a factor.
Let’s see how that goes early on.
What you need to know
WHAT? Tulane Green Wave 6-1 (0-0 AAC) at North Carolina Tar Heels 7-1 (0-0 ACC)
WHEN? Saturday, December 3, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. ET
WHERE? Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
TV? ESPN2
RADIO? Tar Heel Sports Network
LINE? UNC -19.5
SERIES HISTORY: North Carolina leads series 15-1, including a win in the 2016 season opener.
PREDICTION? UNC 82, Tulane 68