NCAA Tournament: UNC vs Auburn game preview, info, prediction & more
By Alec Lasley
UNC basketball heads into its 34th Sweet 16, taking on a streaking Auburn team with a lot of momentum after a blowout second round win over Kansas.
After a dominating performance against Washington in the Round of 32, North Carolina turns its attention to the fifth-seeded Auburn Tigers in a high-powered offensive matchup.
Auburn, who has won 10 games in a row, comes in as one of the hottest teams in the country.
After almost losing in their first round game against New Mexico State — thanks to an airball three at the buzzer — the Tigers flipped the script and never took their foot off the gas against Kansas in the Round of 32.
Led by their lighting quick back court of Bryce Brown (15.9 PPG) and Jared Harper (15.3 PPG), the Tigers offensive attack start and ends with the deep ball.
Ranked second in the NCAA in total three-pointers attempted, Auburn shoots it a lick under 38 percent, making 11.4 per per game, good for third in the country.
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Usually, most teams aren’t able to keep up with the pace of North Carolina, but if any team can try, it’s Auburn. With 10 guys who play more than 10 minutes a game, the Tigers have the mixture of depth and versatility to keep the pressure on the Tar Heels.
On the wings are a mixture of players with different skill sets. Malik Dunbar and Samir Doughty, 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-4, respectively, have terrific length for the Tigers and are two physical defenders who will test the Tar Heels’ second unit.
Chuma Okeke, a projected late first-round/early second round pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, is a 6-foot-8-inch hybrid forward who can do a little bit of everything.
Averaging 11.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, Okeke also shoots it at 38 percent from three. With his length and ability to score in multiple ways, if he is able to be that consistent third scorer for the Tigers, they might be able to keep this one tight until the end.
Key to the game for UNC
Don’t forget about the inside game.
Yes, this is the best three-point shooting UNC team under Roy Williams, but the Tar Heels can’t forget about what has always made the team successful; their inside game.
With the improved play of Nassir Little, averaging 19.5 points and shooting 71 percent from the field through the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, his motor has been the best part of the Tar Heels’ offense the last two games.
Whether it’s him finishing above the rim, or through contact, Little’s ability to rebound on the offensive glass and be a difference maker off the bench is something the Tar Heels can’t forget.
In addition to that, the great high-low play of Garrison Brooks and Luke Maye has been a killer against teams that don’t play a traditional two-big lineup, just as Auburn doesn’t.
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Key to the game for Auburn
It’s easy to say all the Tigers need to do in this game is make shots and they will keep it close. Obviously that is the case, but rebounding is what will keep this from being a blowout in the Tar Heels’ favor.
The Tigers have a lot of length and athleticism, but not a lot of big bodies that man the paint. Starting with Austin Wiley, the junior big man was a major part of the team’s outlook coming into this season but injuries have once again derailed his season.
At 6-feet-11-inches and 250 pounds, Wiley has yet to play over 13 minutes since Jan 16, and scored in single digits in seven out of the 11 games since returning to play in February.
The big man who has stepped up this season is Horace Spencer. The senior big has three double-digit rebound games this season, including a 17-rebound performance, but has just seven rebounds in the team’s last four games.
Guys like Anfernee McLemore and Danjel Purifoy will have to play bigger than they are and must be active on the glass if Auburn wants any chance to stay in the game.
Last Meeting
There has only been one meeting between the two teams and that took place in 1985.
The Tar Heels, who were ranked seventh in the nation, took on an unranked Auburn team and won by six, 62-56.
Kenny Smith led North Carolina with 22 points, while Auburn’s Frank Ford scored 17.
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What you need to know
What? (5) Auburn Tigers (28-9) vs (1) North Carolina Tar Heels (29-6)
When? Friday, March 29. 7:29 p.m. EST
Where? Sprint Center – Kansas City, Missouri
TV? TBS
Radio? Tar Heel Sports Network
All-Time series? North Carolina leads series 1-0
Prediction? UNC 88, Auburn 73