UNC Basketball vs. Wake Forest: Preview, game info, prediction and more
By Zack Pearson
The UNC Basketball team goes on the road to take on Wake Forest Saturday as they hope to bounce back from a loss to Virginia
We all know what is coming next week.
North Carolina and Duke will meet for the first time this season in Durham on Wednesday but we really can’t get ahead of ourselves. Nor should the Tar Heels.
Before UNC and Duke meet, the Tar Heels are hitting the road and going to Winston-Salem for a matchup with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. UNC is looking to bounce back after losing to Virginia on Monday night, snapping a seven-game win streak in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
With the loss, UNC fell one game behind Duke for the top spot in the conference but there’s plenty of time still left in the season.
Taking care of business against a Wake team that is entering the game at 9-14 overall and 2-9 in conference play. The Demon Deacons have really struggled this season and have lost six of their last seven games with the lone win coming against Pitt.
The biggest problem for Wake Forest has been their defense.
They are giving up an average of 74.4 points per game this season which ranks 254th in the nation going into Saturday’s game. They are facing a Tar Heels team that is scoring 87.2 points per game and can really score in bunches.
For Wake, the main thing is going to be keeping UNC off the board. The Tar Heels usually win the battle on the glass and it leads to fast breaks and limits the second chances for opposing offenses.
The Demon Deacons don’t have a player averaging more than 10 rebounds a game, with the leader being Jaylen Hoard at 8.3. After that, there’s a big drop off with the next highest average at 5.6 per game in center Olivier Sarr. For the Tar Heels, Luke Maye is averaging 9.8 per game while Garrison Brooks is at 6.1 per game.
UNC is averaging nearly 5 more rebounds per game than the Demon Deacons and that trend should continue on Saturday.
It’s going to be interesting to see how UNC responds to the loss on Monday early on in this game, especially on the road. I expect them to come out hot and get out to a big lead.
Key to the game for UNC
Don’t let Wake hang around. There are no easy games in the ACC, especially on the road and despite Wake only having 2 wins in conference play the Tar Heels shouldn’t let them hang around in this game.
I mentioned in this preview to keep an eye on how UNC opens up this game. If the Tar Heels come out hot early, they can put it away by halftime then go into cruise control. Looking forward to Duke could be a problem and UNC needs to avoid this trap game on Saturday.
Keep an eye on the early start for the Tar Heels and if they have the ability to get up big and end it early on.
Key to the game for Wake Forest
Control the tempo. Everyone knows that UNC likes to get out and run the floor on fast breaks and when they do, they are really good. On Monday, Virginia was able to slow the pace of the game and limit those fast breaks by making shots and then rebounding on the defensive end.
Wake isn’t as good as Virginia but if they can find a way to slow down this game and execute on offense, they could shock the Tar Heels on Saturday.
Last Meeting
The two teams last met to open the ACC schedule last year on December 30th in Chapel Hill. Wake Forest gave UNC a scare as they stayed with the Tar Heels throughout the game.
After leading by 10 in the second half, UNC let Wake Forest hang around and the Demon Deacons almost pulled it off. Point guard Joel Berry hit a floater in the lane with about 10 seconds left to lift the Tar Heels past Wake.
Luke Maye finished with 17 points and 15 rebounds while Berry added 16 points in the win for the No. 13 Tar Heels.
What you need to know
What? UNC 19-5 (9-2) at Wake Forest 9-14 (2-9)
When? Saturday, Feb. 16, Noon.
Where? Lawrence Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
TV? ACC Network
Radio? Tar Heel Sports Network
All-Time series? North Carolina leads series 106-49
Prediction? UNC 90, Wake Forest 75