Keeping It Heel
Fansided

UNC Basketball looking to rebound in first game of 2023

By Nick Delahanty

PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 30: R.J. Davis #4 of the North Carolina Tar Heels dribbles against Nelly Cummings #0 of the Pittsburgh Panthers in the first half during the game at Petersen Events Center on December 30, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 30: R.J. Davis #4 of the North Carolina Tar Heels dribbles against Nelly Cummings #0 of the Pittsburgh Panthers in the first half during the game at Petersen Events Center on December 30, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The UNC basketball program looks to start the 2023 calendar year on a good note, as they’ll host Wake Forest at the Dean Smith Center on Wednesday night.

Following a disappointing 76-74 loss against Pittsburgh to end 2022, the UNC basketball program looks to start the new year with a victory.

The Tar Heels will kick off their 2023 slate on Wednesday night, as they’ll host Wake Forest in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

9-5. 441. Wednesday, January 4, 2023. 448. ACCN. . 9 PM EST. 10-4

Sitting at 1-2 in ACC play, Hubert Davis’ team really needs a win against the Demon Deacons on their home floor. However, Wake Forest is no pushover, as they are coming off back-to-back home wins against Duke and Virginia Tech.

After wasting a nine-point second-half lead against Pittsburgh, the UNC basketball program once again fell out of the AP Top 25 poll this week. This might be a good thing for the Tar Heels, considering they’ve played better as an unranked squad.

Key To Victory for North Carolina

In our game preview prior to the matchup with Pittsburgh, my key to victory for the Tar Heels was to feed the post early and often.

Well, that’s not going to change in this one.

When North Carolina fed Armando Bacot, good things happened. When the team went away from their strength, that’s when everything started to take a turn for the worst.

The UNC basketball program is a much better team when Bacot is the focal point of the offensive attack, as this is the formula for success that the players must follow in order to get back on the winning track.

Something to Watch For

Earlier in the season, Caleb Love became the 80th UNC basketball player to record 1,000 career points.

It’s very possible that the number will increase on Wednesday night.

Fellow backcourt mate RJ Davis is just five points away from the milestone, as he is set to become the latest member of the group. North Carolina already has the most 1,000-point scorers in NCAA history and will add to that lead in the very near future.

Last Meeting

Last year’s matchup is one to forget for the Tar Heels, as they suffered a 22-point loss in Winston-Salem back on January 22, 2022.

Wake Forest’s Jake LaRivia scored a game-high 31 points, as he did a lot of his damage from the free throw line. He was fouled 10 times, resulting in 15 free throw attempts, 12 of which he made.

Brady Manek led the UNC basketball program with 22 points, while Bacot recorded his ninth straight double-double with a 12-point, 12-rebound performance.

Projected Starters

No. 4 R.J. Davis (Jr., 6-0, 175) – 15.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.2 apg
No. 2 Caleb Love (Jr., 6-4, 200) – 17.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.5 apg
No. 1 Leaky Black (Gr., 6-9 205) – 6.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.4 apg
No. 32 Pete Nance (Gr. 6-11, 230) – 11.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.8 apg
No. 5 Armando Bacot (Sr., 6-11, 235) – 18.5 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 1.3 bpg

Next. James Brown commits to North Carolina. dark

Follow us @KeepingItHeel on Twitter and like our fan page on Facebook for continued coverage of UNC basketball news, updates, and recruiting.

Home/UNC Basketball