Keeping It Heel
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UNC Basketball: Which team will snap their current skid?

By Nick Delahanty

CHAPEL HILL, NC - JANUARY 11: Armando Bacot #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels dribbles the ball during a game against the Clemson Tigers on January 11, 2020 at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Clemson won 76-79 in overtime. (Photo by Peyton Williams/UNC/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NC - JANUARY 11: Armando Bacot #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels dribbles the ball during a game against the Clemson Tigers on January 11, 2020 at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Clemson won 76-79 in overtime. (Photo by Peyton Williams/UNC/Getty Images) /
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On Saturday afternoon, both the UNC basketball program and the Clemson Tigers will look to snap their current losing skids. 

Needless to say, it hasn’t been an ideal stretch for either the UNC basketball program or the Clemson Tigers.

Saturday, February 11, 2023. 15-9. 2:00 PM EST. ESPN2. 432. 441. UNC -6.5. 18-6

The Tar Heels have lost three straight games over a six-day period, as there’s a lot of current panic among the fan base given this slump. For the Tigers, who are tied for first place in the ACC, have lost two consecutive games to Boston College and Miami.

We know one thing is for sure: one of these teams will end their losing skid on Saturday afternoon in Chapel Hill.

These next two games are huge for the UNC basketball program, as they hope to start trending back in the right direction in regards to earning an NCAA Tournament bid. Can the Tar Heels figure out their struggles and find a way to win on their home court on Saturday afternoon?

Key to Victory for North Carolina

If the Tar Heels want to win this one, they simply can not have a bad first half as they did against Wake Forest.

Especially with home-court advantage in their favor, North Carolina has to get off to a hot start. If they fall behind, it will simply put pressure on them, which is something that definitely won’t help a team who has struggled offensively.

Something to Watch For

Let’s face it: North Carolina has struggled to find an offensive rhythm.

In what seems like a ton of isolation basketball, can the Tar Heels find a way to share the basketball in an effort to find the open man? We’ve seen this group rely on individual opportunities, but it’s time that they settle in and stick with what works: feeding the post and getting Armando Bacot his touches in the post.

Last Meeting

In the only meeting between the two teams last season, the Tar Heels came away with a nail-biting 79-77 victory. With 3.1 seconds to play, Brady Manek connected on a basket to secure the victory for the UNC basketball program.

Projected Starters

No. 4 R.J. Davis (Jr., 6-0, 175) – 15.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.4 apg
No. 2 Caleb Love (Jr., 6-4, 200) – 16.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.9 apg
No. 1 Leaky Black (Gr., 6-9 205) – 6.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.3 apg
No. 32 Pete Nance (Gr. 6-11, 230) – 10.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.6 apg
No. 5 Armando Bacot (Sr., 6-11, 235) – 17.5 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 1.1 bpg

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