UNC vs Ohio State: Preview, game info, prediction and more

The Tar Heels will hope to bounce back against Ohio State, following a head scratching loss to Wofford at home.

This Saturday, the Tar Heels will take on Ohio State, but first, we must talk about Wednesday’s game.

On Wednesday, the North Carolina suffered arguably their worst loss under Roy Williams. The Wofford Terriers came to the Dean Dome and controlled the game from the tip against North Carolina.

Take what you want from that game, but now it is time for the Tar Heels to find out who they really are. Are they the team that laid an egg against Wofford and Michigan State, or are they the team that manhandled Stanford, Michigan, and a handful of other teams?

Saturday’s game against the Ohio State Buckeyes will go a long way in showing that.

A common theme in the Tar Heels losses is something to be concerned about. They cannot score against bigger, more physical big men.

Say what you want about Wofford, but Cameron Jackson dominated the Tar Heels. He was more physical from the jump, and we saw that in the stats.

Plus, we all know how physical the Michigan State bigs are. This is something to keep an eye on going forward for the Tar Heels.

This game is a neutral site game in New Orleans, so Ohio State will not be afraid of the Tar Heels.

Let’s learn more about the Buckeyes.

One Ohio State player to watch…

Keita Bates-Diop is Ohio State’s best scorer and rebounder, which will make him and interesting matchup for the Tar Heels.

Bates-Diop a 6-7 junior forward, is averaging 18 points per game, but he is also doing it efficiently.

He is shooting 53% from the field, and 43% from three, which is best on the team with more than ten attempts.

The junior is an all-around solid player, but the one flaw in his game is his inability to shoot off the dribble. If the Tar Heels can close out hard on him, and make him dribble, his percentages fall.

Look for Luke Maye to guard him early, but Theo Pinson and probably Cameron Johnson will defend him some too.

The Tar Heels main goal will be to make somebody else beat them. The Buckeyes certainly have other players capable, but neutralizing Bates-Diop will be huge.

One UNC player to watch…

Cameron Johnson is back for the Tar Heels, and despite the loss to Wofford, he showed some promise on Wednesday.

Johnson poured in 10 points in only 17 minutes, but his presence was felt outside of the box score.

Joe Giglio, who writes for the News and Observer, does a good job of keeping up with the Tar Heels plus/minus numbers. The numbers from Johnson on Wednesday were impressive.

Johnson was +13 in 17 minutes, in a game the North Carolina lost. It is simple, despite being a small sample, the Tar Heels are a better team when he is on the floor.

He will probably be on a minutes restriction against Ohio State, but the Tar Heels need him.

Look for Johnson to play a big role in whatever kind of minutes he plays.

The difference maker…

The difference maker in this game will be the play of the North Carolina frontcourt.

That has been the Achilles heel of the Tar Heel offense this year, and it will not change against Ohio State.

The young big men have a little bit of experience in games on the road, but this will be a spectacle of sorts. The CBS Classic brings a lot of eyes, seeing as it has a few Blue Bloods.

This could either be another coming out party for Garrison Brooks and Sterling Manley, or another failure on a big stage. They did not perform well against Michigan State, so hopefully, they will be out for redemption on Saturday.

This will be another good barometer to see how far they have come.

Related Story: Roy Williams has harsh criticism for his team

What you need to know

WHAT? Ohio State (10-3, 0-0 Big Ten) vs. North Carolina (10-2, 0-0 in ACC)
WHEN? Saturday, December 23rd, 2017 at 1:30 p.m. ET
WHERE? Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
TV? CBS
RADIO? Tar Heel Sports Network
SERIES HISTORY: UNC leads the series 10-1
PREDICTION? UNC 76, Ohio State 68