UNC Basketball vs. Virginia Tech: Game preview, info, prediction and more
The inconsistency of the 2021-22 UNC basketball team continued on Wednesday night, as the Tar Heels suffered a devastating loss to Pittsburgh at the Dean Smith Center.
With their NCAA tournament hopes taking a major hit with the loss, Hubert Davis and his team now have their backs against the wall. Over the final five games of the regular season (plus the ACC Tournament), the Tar Heels need to find a way to win out, which certainly won’t be easy to do.
Their first test after the Pittsburgh loss comes on the road, as the Tar Heels will travel to Virginia Tech for a Saturday afternoon contest. If you follow the UNC football program, you’ll likely remember how Blacksburg, Virginia can be a hostile environment for opposing teams.
Luckily, this is a familiar foe for North Carolina, as the Tar Heels defeated the Hokies a few weeks back on their home court. Since that matchup, Virginia Tech has been red-hot, as they’ll ride a six-game winning streak into this rematch.
As we again prepare to hear “Enter Sandman” being sung by the Hokie faithful, let’s preview Saturday’s matchup between the UNC basketball program and the Virginia Tech Hokies.
Key To Victory
We all know the motto: “Play hard. Play Smart. Play Together.”
Can the UNC basketball program do that for the entirety of a 40-minute contest?
The Tar Heels’ biggest issue on Wednesday night was the fact that they essentially didn’t compete throughout the first 30 minutes of action. It took until about the 10-minute mark in the second half for them to wake up and actually start chipping away at the massive deficit to attempt a comeback.
Unfortunately, this isn’t a recipe for success in regards to winning basketball games. North Carolina has to avoid slow starts and must find ways to get the ball in the basket early and much more often.
If they can get off to a good start, it will set the tone for the remainder of the game. Especially on the road, the Tar Heels can’t afford to play catch-up, as it will come back to haunt them if they fall into a similar scenario that they did against Pittsburgh.
Something To Watch
In the last matchup between these two teams, foul trouble impacted both sides. Armando Bacot was the only player to foul out, however, three Hokies starters had four fouls apiece.
Hubert Davis only utilized three players off the bench in that game — Justin McKoy, Puff Johnson, and Kerwin Walton. With McKoy possibly sidelined for a second straight contest, how deep does Davis go into his bench?
Can the Tar Heels once again get the Hokies in foul trouble? We’ve seen North Carolina have much more success when they can get their opponent’s best players off the floor for an extended period of time.
The key will be the matchups down low. Can Bacot and Brady Manek get the likes of Keve Aluma and Justyn Mutts in foul trouble? This could be a focal point for the Tar Heels in a game that they desperately need to win.
Last Meeting
On January 24, the Tar Heels relied heavily on their starters en route to a 78-68 victory over the Hokies in Chapel Hill.
Not only did all five UNC starters log 34 or more minutes, each one scored in double-figures as well. Sophomore guard Caleb Love led all scorers with 22 points, while R.J. Davis and Brady Manek each contributed 15 points in the victory.
Junior Armando Bacot put together a monster performance, as he scored 14 points while hauling in 20 rebounds. This performance marked his 15th double-double and his second (of now three) 20-plus rebound games of the season.
Projected Starters
No. 4 R.J. Davis (So., 6-0, 175) – 13.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.4 apg
No. 2 Caleb Love (So., 6-4, 195) – 15.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.6 apg
No. 1 Leaky Black (Sr., 6-8 200) – 4.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.5 apg
No. 45 Brady Manek (Sr. 6-9, 230) – 13.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.7 apg
No. 5 Armando Bacot (Jr., 6-10, 240) – 16.2 ppg, 12.1 rpg, 1.6 bpg
What To Watch For
WHAT? North Carolina Tar Heels (18-8, 10-5 ACC) at Virginia Tech Hokies (16-10, 8-7 ACC)
WHEN? Saturday, February 19- 4:00 p.m. EST
WHERE? Cassell Coliseum – Blacksburg, Virginia
TV? ESPN2
RADIO? Tar Heels Sports Network
LAST MEETING? UNC defeated Virginia Tech 78-68 on January 24, 2022.
ALL-TIME SERIES? UNC leads all-time 35-8
PREDICTION? Virginia Tech 71-67
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For more on the UNC basketball program’s upcoming game against the Virginia Tech Hokies, check back with the Keeping It Heel team.