UNC Basketball vs. Northeastern: Game preview, info and more

The UNC Basketball program hasn’t had much luck in terms of playing their full schedule this year but that’s just the nature of college basketball in 2021. UNC was set to host Virginia Tech with the chance to earn a quadrant 1 win on Monday but that game was cancelled due to a COVID-19 positive test within the Hokies program.

From there, the Tar Heels had hoped to add an Atlantic Coast Conference game this week ahead of their showdown with Louisville on Saturday. They managed to find a game but it won’t be against an ACC opponent.

Instead, UNC will host Northeastern on Wednesday as they were able to find an opponent with a call out on Twitter.

The good news is that the Tar Heels do have a game this week and won’t have to play just three games in a span of three Saturdays. Ideally, UNC wanted to host a ACC opponent like Miami or Clemson, two games that were postponed earlier in the year but the logistics didn’t line up for that.

The Tar Heels will certainly take this game and hopefully use it as a way to earn a win and improved the record as the season winds down.

Northeastern enters this game at 9-7 overall but they can’t be taken lightly. They average 67 point per game this year and can score the basketball if UNC doesn’t play good defense. This could be a scenario where the Tar Heels do pickup a game and overlook their opponent, keeping them in the game too long. That would be a disaster for Roy and his team as they need to start stacking wins to feel better about their tournament chances.

The Huskies are led by sophomore guard Tyson Walker who is averaging 18 points per game while shooting 44.8 percent from the field. Walker is Northeastern’s best scorer and can light it up if UNC isn’t careful.

This is certainly a game UNC should win on Wednesday night and they need to come out early and make a statement, not allowing Northeastern to hang around.

Key to Victory

Dominate in the paint. The Tar Heels are going to have the rebounding edge against almost any opponent they play this season and Wednesday will be the case again. They are averaging 42.5 rebounds per game compared to the Huskies at 32.5 per game. UNC’s front court of Garrison Brooks, Armando Bacot, Day’Ron Sharpe and Walker Kessler should be able to dominate on Wednesday.

If the Tar Heels are really good in the paint, they can put this one away at home.

Something to watch

How does this team come out? They started Saturday’s game at Virginia flat, falling behind by double digits and having just five points in the first five minutes of the game. UNC has had a knack for starting slow this year and if they do that on Wednesday, they could be in danger.

UNC is the better team going into Wednesday’s game but they need to make sure they come out hot and don’t struggle scoring. The longer they allow the Huskies to stay in the game, the more nervous we will all get…

What you need to know

WHAT? Northeastern Huskies @ North Carolina Tar Heels (12-7, 7-5 ACC)
WHEN? Wednesday, February 17 @ 7:00 PM EST
WHERE? Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
TV? ACCX
RADIO? Tar Heels Sports Network
LINE? -16.5
LAST MEETING? UNC def. Northeastern 101-66 on March 15, 1991
ALL-TIME SERIES? UNC leads 1-0
PREDICTION? UNC 78, Northeastern 65

For more on the UNC Basketball program including a recap of this game, please check back with Keeping It Heel.