UNC Basketball vs. UNCW: Game preview, info, prediction and more

UNC basketball is officially back, as the Hubert Davis-led Tar Heels will host UNCW in their season opener on Monday night. 

Ahh, the words we’ve all been waiting to hear…

UNC basketball is BACK!

The Tar Heels will kick off the 2022-2023 season with a non-conference home game against UNC Wilmington on Monday night. Heading into Hubert Davis’ second season at the helm, North Carolina will begin the season as the No. 1 ranked team in the country.

Of course, the preseason ranking is nice, but this year’s squad has aspirations of being No. 1 when the final buzzer sounds at the end of the season.

The redemption tour begins, as the Tar Heels return four starters along with inserting some newcomers who should make a big impact. This group will look to avenge last season’s national championship game loss to Kansas, one that ended the Tar Heels’ magical NCAA Tournament run.

For the third time ever, North Carolina will square off with UNCW. Although the Tar Heels are viewed as heavy favorites, they won’t be able to take anyone lightly this season.

Key To Victory

The key to victory is simple: set the tone early.

On opening night at the Dean Smith Center, the crowd will be ready for some UNC basketball. For the players, it will be important to feed off the energy and get off to a fast start, putting all the pressure on UNCW to keep up.

The Tar Heels need to stick to their strengths. Dominate the post in half-court scenarios and get out and run the floor in fast break opportunities. If they’ll able to do what they do best, they’ll win this one in comfortable fashion.

Something to Watch

The big story in this game is the official Tar Heel debut for Northwestern transfer Pete Nance. We’ll get an early glimpse of how Davis plans to utilize the big man throughout the 2022-2023 season.

This will also be the debut of the team’s freshman members. Although Jalen Washington is not quite yet ready for game action, the likes of Seth Trimble and Tyler Nickel could see some extended minutes in this one.

After relying on a very, very small rotation last season, Davis has stated his intention of getting more guys involved this season. It will be interesting to see how many guys see meaningful game action, and which players emerge as the first off the bench in this one.

Last Matchup

In 2019, the Roy Williams-led Tar Heels made their first-ever appearance at the Trask Coliseum in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Although freshman Armando Bacot suffered an injury three minutes into the game, North Carolina was powered by three big individual performances en route to a 78-62 victory.

Freshman Cole Anthony led the No. 9 ranked Tar Heels with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Junior Garrison Brooks was five of nine from the floor and eight of 10 from the free throw line, as he finished the game with 18 points and 12 rebounds.

Graduate transfer Justin Pierce, filling in for the injured Bacot, provided a much-needed boost off the bench. He recorded 18 points and 12 rebounds over 32 minutes of action. Sophomore Leaky Black contributed eight points and seven rebounds in the victory.

Projected Starting Lineup (With 2021-2022 Stats)

No. 4 R.J. Davis (Jr., 6-0, 175) – 13.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.6 apg
No. 2 Caleb Love (Jr., 6-4, 200) – 15.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.6 apg
No. 1 Leaky Black (Gr., 6-9 205) – 4.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.7 apg
No. 32 Pete Nance (Gr. 6-11, 230) – 14.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.7 apg (At Northwestern)
No. 5 Armando Bacot (Sr., 6-11, 235) – 16.3 ppg, 13.1 rpg, 1.7 bpg

What You Need to Know

WHAT? North Carolina Tar Heels  (0-0, 0-0 ACC) vs. UNC Wilmington (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
WHEN? Monday, November 7, 2022, at 9:00 PM EST
WHERE? Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
TV? ACC Network
RADIO? Tar Heels Sports Network
LINE? UNC -23
LAST MEETING? UNC defeated UNCW 78-62 on November 8, 2019, in Wilmington, North Carolina
ALL-TIME SERIES? UNC leads the series 5-0
PREDICTION? UNC 88, UNCW 65

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