UNC Basketball: Tar Heels set to face Louisville in Chapel Hill

The Tar Heels take on the Cardinals in their conference home opener in the Dean Dome

For the first time in the Chris Mack era, the Louisville Cardinals travel to Chapel Hill. This will also be the first time that Mack and UNC head coach Roy Williams have squared off.

Mack was at his Alma mater, Xavier, for the past nine seasons, coaching the Musketeers to a 215-97 record, including 105 conference wins in the Atlantic 10 and Big East.

Louisville currently has a two-game losing streak against UNC, and has never registered a win in Chapel Hill. The last time the Cardinals defeated the Tar Heels was on February 1, 2016 in Louisville by a score of 71-65.

Two coaches later, the Cardinals are looking to improve from last season and have similar success to Mack’s teams at Xavier.

The Tar Heels look to remain undefeated in conference play, and tied atop the ACC standings. This will be one of two home games (Notre Dame) for the Tar Heels before they travel to Coral Gables to face off with the Miami Hurricanes next weekend.

Williams received win number 854 in the Tar Heels’ most recent game against NC State. A win against Louisville could momentarily move him past West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins.

Keys to the game for North Carolina

First and foremost, the Tar Heels need to protect the ball better. Even though they defeated NC State earlier this week, they committed 23 turnovers. The last time they committed over 20 turnovers and won was against Gonzaga. Eventually, this will catch up to the Tar Heels unless they turn things around.

The Tar Heels also need to continue to crash the glass, and win the rebounding battle on both ends. Luke Maye and Garrison Brooks have combined for 64 rebounds during the team’s current four-game win streak.

This game could come down to who makes more three-pointers. Kenny Williams is coming into form, and Cam Johnson continues to be one of the best three-point shooters in the ACC. At the same time, the Tar Heels need to defend the Cardinals three-point shooting as well.

Keys to the game for Louisville

Louisville needs to slow down the tempo significantly, and take high percentage shots. This Louisville team runs a slower pace, and has fewer possessions compared to most Division I teams.

The Cardinals generate most of their offense from the free throw line and inside of the paint. So far this season, the Cardinals are shooting 73% from the charity stripe in their five loses. That percentage needs to be at least 80% for them to come away with the victory.

They’ll need to force the Tar Heels to turn the ball over. This isn’t the best defensive Cardinal team, but if they can force at least 15 turnovers, that will jump-start their offense and put more pressure on the Tar Heels.

What you need to know

What? Louisville (10-5) at UNC (12-3)
When? Saturday, January 12 – 12:00 pm EST
Where? Dean E. Smith Center – Chapel Hill, NC
TV? ESPN
Radio? Tar Heels Sports Network
All-Time series? North Carolina leads 13-4
Prediction? UNC 80-67