UNC vs. Boston College: Preview, game info, prediction and more

Tar Heels look to rebound after back-to-back conference losses

After an impressive road win over Tennessee and subsequently reaching its highest ranking of the 2017-18 college basketball season, North Carolina lost three of its next five games.

The first of those three losses came at home against Wofford, a small school and member of the Southern Conference that has fewer NCAA Tournament appearances in its 20-year history than the Tar Heels have Final Fours during the Roy Williams era.

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After a convincing win over Ohio State in the CBS Sports Classic, North Carolina appeared to be back on track. But an unimpressive home win over Wake Forest to open up ACC play had Tar Heels fans questioning the team’s mettle.

And while it was too quick to jump ship on a top-15 team with just two losses on the season, perhaps there was more cause for concern than some wanted to admit.

The Tar Heels’ next two games, road tilts against 24th-ranked Florida State and No. 8 Virginia, would confirm some of the concerns that the Tar Heels’ naysayers had voiced just a week prior.

Although North Carolina’s loss to Florida State was close, and somewhat controversial in the game’s closing minutes, it was ultimately a very winnable game. The Tar Heels’ loss to Virginia three days later, though, was a game that the Cavaliers controlled from start to finish. Poor execution and an inexperienced front court doomed the Tar Heels, dropping their second consecutive game to an ACC opponent.

Now, having dropped 15 spots in the Associated Press Top-25 over the last two weeks, the Tar Heels are reeling and looking to recover against a Boston College squad that knocked off then-No. 1 Duke just one month ago.

One Boston College player to watch…

Ky Bowman set the world on fire last season in the Eagles’ lone game against the Tar Heels. His 33 points led all scorers and matched a career-high that he set twice during his freshman season.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – DECEMBER 30: Ky Bowman /

Boston College will play North Carolina just once this season, too, thanks to the ACC’s uneven scheduling. He’ll look to duplicate his success of a year ago against the Tar Heels when he hit 13-of-19 shots from the floor, including 7-of-9 from beyond the three-point line.

For the season, Bowman is averaging 15.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and five assists for the 11-5 Eagles, who have already won more games this season than they did in either of the last two seasons under head coach Jim Christian.

One UNC player to watch…

Kenny Williams has been one of North Carolina’s most consistent players this season. His 12.7 points per game are third on the team and he’s scored in double-figures in all but three games this season.

He’s hitting 50 percent of his shots from the floor and his 46.6 percent mark from three-point range makes him one of the best long-distance shooters in the conference. He also averages 3.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals and hits 75 percent of his shots from the free throw line.

All of that adds up to the junior shooting guard being one of the Tar Heels’ most reliable players this season. When Williams is hitting shots, the Tar Heels are able to spread the floor more, allowing for their raw and inexperienced front court to take advantage of one-on-one matchups in the post.

Difference maker…

The North Carolina front court has been, well, less than stellar at times this season.

Sure, there are growing pains to be had in the ACC, but the Tar Heels’ freshman trio of Garrison Brooks, Sterling Manley and Brandon Huffman combined to record just six points and nine rebounds in 30 minutes of play against Virginia. They made just one basket in that time, but committed six turnovers and four fouls.

CHAPEL HILL, NC – NOVEMBER 15: Sterling Manley /

When the Tar Heels are reduced to being a jump shooting team, they’re far less effective as an offense and become one-dimensional. When the UNC bigs are contributing, though, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, the Tar Heels are a much more potent team.

Roy Williams greatly prefers to run a traditional high-low offense with at least one big man roaming the paint. He’ll continue to try to make that work, but will turn to a small lineup from time to time, if the situation calls for it.

The North Carolina bigs will need to grow up fast for the Tar Heels to have a chance at winning the ACC regular season title for a third consecutive season.

Last time they met…

Saturday, January 21st, 2017. North Carolina traveled to College Park and beat Boston College 90-82. Justin Jackson led the Tar Heels with 22 points. Kennedy Meeks added 20 points and nine rebounds.

Ky Bowman led all scorers with 33 points, hitting 13-of-19 shots, including seven three-pointers. He did struggle with ball control, though, committing eight of the Eagles’ 15 turnovers.

North Carolina committed just 12 turnovers and won the rebounding battle 43-31. Nine Tar Heels logged 11 or more minutes in the game and each scored at least one field goal.

What you need to know

WHAT? North Carolina (12-4, 1-2 in ACC) vs. Boston College (11-5, 2-2 in ACC)
WHEN? Tuesday, January 9th at 8:00 p.m. EST
WHERE? Dean E Smith Center, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
TV? ACC Network, Watch ESPN (Tim Brando & Mike Gminski)
RADIO? Tar Heel Sports Network
LINE? UNC -1
SERIES HISTORY: UNC leads all-time series, 16-5.
PREDICTION? UNC 86, Boston College, 72

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