UNC Basketball vs Alabama: Game preview, info, prediction & more

UNC basketball faces off with Alabama Crimson Tide in first round of 2019 Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis

The North Carolina Tar Heels tip-off the 2019 Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis on Wednesday afternoon. Their first game is against the SEC’s Alabama Crimson Tide, and a victory could pit them against the Michigan Wolverines on day two of the tournament.

Alabama is 2-2 on the season with wins over Florida Atlantic and Furman. The Tide dropped a one-point game to Penn, and suffered a double-digit defeat to Rhode Island, and they’ve scored 80 points just once in those four games.

That could bode well for the Tar Heels, who for the first time in the 16-year tenure of Roy Williams, haven’t notched 80 points in any one of their first four games of the season. North Carolina has struggled on the offensive side of the court, with star freshman Cole Anthony being the only Tar Heel scoring more than 12 points per game.

Freshman center Armando Bacot appears to be gaining confidence, though, and his increased production over the team’s past two games has been much-needed. If he can continue to produce at the level he has over the last week, the Tar Heels offense is no longer one-dimensional, and much more capable of scoring at the rate Roy Williams expects. And if they can get healthy — particularly would-be starter Brandon Robinson and top reserve Sterling Manley — they’ll be a much more well-rounded team.

Key to the game for UNC

The Tar Heels have to find consistent offense, and a reliable second scoring option — and preferably a third, too. To this point, the only player that North Carolina has been able to count on from an offensive standpoint is Cole Anthony. That trend will eventually put the Tar Heels on the wrong end of the win-loss column, particularly against top-tier ACC opponents, as well as teams like Ohio State and Gonzaga.

On the other hand, the Tar Heels are the No.1 rebounding team in the nation, and second-chance opportunities can help make up for a somewhat lackluster offensive performance. Likewise, eliminating offensive rebounds and second-chance points from their opponents helps, too. And once they’re back to full health, they’ll be able to put more fresh bodies in the game, and continue to utilize their size advantage and endurance over their opponents.

Player to watch

Armando Bacot was fantastic against the Elon Phoenix last Wednesday night. The Tar Heels were down by a point at the intermission, and Bacot absolutely dominated the game’s second half with his best game to date. He finished the game with career-highs in points (22) and rebounds (14), and sparked the Tar Heels’ 14-point come-from-behind victory.

He hit 9-of-14 shots from the floor, and connected on 4-of-7 from the free throw line. He also added two assists, two steals and three blocks in 26 minutes of play. In doing so, he became the  first freshman to finish with 22 points and 14 rebounds in a game since Harrison Barnes had 24 and 16 against Long Island University in the first round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

Look for Bacot’s aggressiveness on the offensive end of the court to continue increasing as he gets more comfortable in the UNC offense. North Carolina is going to need consistency from the freshman big man in order to have a viable second scoring option to Cole Anthony.

What you need to know

What? No. 5 North Carolina 4-0 (1-0 in ACC) vs Alabama 2-2 (0-0 in SEC)
When? Wednesday, November 27, 2:30 p.m. EST
Where? Imperial Arena – Nassau, Bahamas
TV? ESPN
Radio? Tar Heels Sports Network
All-time series? UNC leads 7-4
Last meeting? UNC won 64-55 (1992 NCAA Tournament second round)
Prediction? UNC 77, Alabama 64