UNC Basketball vs. Ohio State: Preview, Game info, Prediction and more
By Zack Pearson
The UNC Basketball program takes on the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Dean Dome this week in a battle of Top 10 teams
The North Carolina Tar Heels return to action this week after completing a 2-1 record at the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas. UNC suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of then unranked Michigan but the Wolverines have climbed to No. 4 in the latest AP Top 25.
The schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Tar Heels coming back from the Bahamas. The loss dropped them to No. 7 in the polls and on Wednesday they will have to play another Top 10 team in No. 6 Ohio State.
This will begin a tough week for the Tar Heels, who will take on the No. 6 Buckeyes in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and then play a conference game at No. 5 Virginia on Sunday. It will be a huge week for them and at this point, getting out at 1-1 would be considered a win.
For the Buckeyes, they enter this game at 7-0 with wins over Villanova and Cincinnati this season but this will be their toughest test. UNC enters this challenge at 10-10 overall, losing their matchup at Michigan a year ago.
But they return home where they are 5-5 in the challenge overall but have won two-straight when hosting the games.
The Tar Heels will be going up against the two best defenses in college basketball in these next two games, beginning with the Buckeyes at No. 2. The KenPom rankings have Ohio State at No. 2 as they have been able to put the clamps down on opposing offenses, with an adjusted defense of 84.8.
It will be a big test for a UNC team that has yet to reach the 80-point mark this season and has really struggled to score in games. Outside of Cole Anthony, the Tar Heels haven’t had consistent scoring as it’s been Armando Bacot or Garrison Brooks stepping up, but rarely has a trio of scorers really come together.
This would be the perfect game for that to happen.
Let’s get into our game preview for Wednesday night’s showdown.
Key to Victory for UNC
Avoid the slow start. The Tar Heels are at home and it should be a nice atmosphere in the Dean Dome for this Top 10 matchup so UNC can’t come out flat.
Going up against this defense, UNC really needs a strong start and they need to hit their shots early on in this game. This could be one of those games where you’re down only 5 but it feels like 10 because of how good Ohio State is on defense. They can’t let that happen.
I’d like to see UNC come out and jump on the Buckeyes for an early lead. Get up double-digits in the first half and set the tone for the rest of the game. But in order to do that, UNC is probably going to need someone else besides Cole Anthony to but the ball in the bucket.
Doing so could go a long ways for the Tar Heels chances.
Player to Watch
Let’s go with Brandon Robinson. The senior left Friday’s game vs. Oregon after tweaking his ankle again. Although Robinson returned, there is still some concern.
He will be limited in Tuesday’s practice but it’s not expected that he misses the game. The wing is a key player on this UNC offense as a scoring option so having him healthy and producing is key for the Tar Heels.
We keep talking about others stepping up and scoring in addition to Anthony and Robinson is the main guy here to fill that role. Let’s hope he comes out and plays well against the Buckeyes and stuffs the stat sheet.
What you need to know
What? No. 6 Ohio State (7-0) vs. No. 7 North Carolina (6-1)
When? Wednesday, December 4, 9:30 p.m. ET
Where? Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
TV? ESPN
Radio? Tar Heels Sports Network
All-time series? UNC leads 11-1.
Last meeting? UNC beat Ohio State 86-72 on December 23, 2017.
Prediction? UNC 72, Ohio State 71