UNC Basketball opens up Phil Knight Invitational against Portland

The UNC basketball program will be rather busy on Thanksgiving day, as they take on Portland in the first round of the Phil Knight Invitational. 

Hubert Davis and the UNC basketball program will be taking on their first true road test of the 2022-2023 season, as they take on Portland in the opening round of the Phil Knight Invitational.

What better way to spend your Thanksgiving than with some good food, great company, and of course, Carolina basketball!

The Tar Heels will match up with some quality opponents during this tournament, as they’ll look to knock off the host team in their opener to advance into the winner’s bracket.

This is when the schedule gets busier for North Carolina, as they will play four games over the next week, all of which will be on the road. Before we look down the road, what do the Tar Heels have to do in order to capture a Thanksgiving day victory?

Key To Victory

Armando Bacot is the key to victory for the Tar Heels, as they need him to get going early in this one.

When Bacot is on his game, the UNC basketball program plays at a higher level. If he can dominate from the word go (as he did in the victory against James Madison), North Carolina will have a very good chance to win this game.

If Portland decides to focus on the Tar Heels’ big man, the likes of Caleb Love and RJ Davis will have to shoot the basketball efficiently. With the attention focused on Bacot, the backcourt duo will have plenty of opportunities for open looks, which could help get both players on track from beyond the arc.

Bacot asserted his dominance against James Madison, as he looked like the preseason All-American player that we all know he can be. The hope is that he’ll continue to follow up on that strong outing with more big games moving forward.

Something to Watch

As the schedule gets busier, will Hubert Davis’ rotation increase?

North Carolina is scheduled to play five games over the next 11 calendar days. Prior to this, the UNC basketball program didn’t play more than two games in a single week.

Also remember- the Tar Heels opened up the season with a four-game homestand, whereas they’ll be on the road for the next five contests.

The starters have already logged a ton of minutes this season, as they all have averaged more than 30 minutes per contest. Will Davis rely on his typical rotation, or will he expand it to include a few more players?

In this instance, and with the big picture in mind, it may make sense to try and give the starting five a bit of a break to help them stay fresh.

Last Matchup

On November 23, 2017, the No. 10 ranked Tar Heels defeated the Pilots by a score of 102-78. Luke Maye led the way with a double-double performance (20 points, 10 rebounds), while four other players scored in double-figures.

Joel Berry contributed 18 points, while Kenny Williams added 17 of his own. Theo Pinson had 11 points and 7 assists, while Andrew Platek scored 12 points in just 10 minutes of action.

Projected Starters

No. 4 R.J. Davis (Jr., 6-0, 175) – 15.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.0 apg
No. 2 Caleb Love (Jr., 6-4, 200) – 17.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.3 apg
No. 1 Leaky Black (Gr., 6-9 205) – 8.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 0.8 apg
No. 32 Pete Nance (Gr. 6-11, 230) – 10.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.8 apg
No. 5 Armando Bacot (Sr., 6-11, 235) – 18.3 ppg, 11.8 rpg, 1.5 bpg

What You Need To Know

WHAT? North Carolina Tar Heels (4-0) vs. Portland Pilots (4-0)
WHEN? Thursday, November 24, 2022, at 1:00 PM EST
WHERE? Moda Center in Portland, Oregon
TV? ESPN
RADIO? Tar Heels Sports Network
LINE? UNC
LAST MEETING? UNC defeated Portland 102-78 on November 23, 2017
ALL-TIME SERIES? UNC leads the series 1-0
PREDICTION? UNC 94, Portland 78