Keeping It Heel
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UNC Basketball: ACC Tournament Quarterfinal Preview

By Nick Delahanty

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 08: Pete Nance #32 of the North Carolina Tar Heels blocks a shot by DeMarr Langford Jr. #5 of the Boston College Eagles during the second half of their game in the second round of the ACC Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 08, 2023 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 08: Pete Nance #32 of the North Carolina Tar Heels blocks a shot by DeMarr Langford Jr. #5 of the Boston College Eagles during the second half of their game in the second round of the ACC Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 08, 2023 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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After putting together a dominant victory over Boston College, the UNC basketball program will take on Virginia in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals.

The UNC basketball program will play on back-to-back days for the first time since November, as they’ll take on No. 13-ranked Virginia in the quarterfinals of the annual ACC Tournament.

441. 446. UVA -2. 20-12. ESPN. Thursday, March 10, 2023. 23-6. 7:00 PM EST

Hubert Davis and the Tar Heels are coming off an impressive double-digit victory over Boston College and will look to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive on Thursday night. The Cavaliers will come in well-rested, as they’ll look to avenge a loss to the Tar Heels a few weeks ago in Chapel Hill.

Can North Carolina build off of Wednesday night’s success?

Key to Victory for North Carolina

In the win against Boston College, the UNC basketball program shot 54.8% from the floor and made just under 42% of their three-point attempts.

The duo of Caleb Love and RJ Davis were outstanding, as they executed not only from beyond the arc but by driving to the basket as well.

If the Tar Heels want to win the ACC Tournament, they must continue to shoot the basketball at a high level.

Virginia plays at a slow pace, as they are okay with a lower-score game. For North Carolina, making it a high-scoring game benefits them, as the ability to control the tempo while knocking down shots would put pressure on the Cavaliers.

As we all know, the UNC basketball program has been inconsistent this season, but can they string together another strong shooting performance on back-to-back nights?

Regardless of how it plays out, this will play a big role in tonight’s outcome.

Something to Watch For

Tar Heel fans held their breath as Armando Bacot went down with an ankle injury on Wednesday night.

Bacot did return to the game for limited minutes but fortunately was able to sit out the final 15 minutes of play due to the Tar Heels’ big lead.

Even though he’s expected to play, how effective (and healthy) will the star big man be by the time we reach tip-off?

Last Meeting

The Tar Heels defeated the then No. 6-ranked Cavaliers by a score of 71-63 on February 25 at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Pete Nance was the star for the Tar Heels, as he knocked down seven of his 10 shots for a game-high 22 points. He also was a big presence on defense, blocking four Virginia shot attempts.

Three other Tar Heels (RJ Davis, Caleb Love, and Armando Bacot) scored in double-figures, while Puff Johnson came off the bench to contribute eight points of his own.

Projected Starters

No. 1 Leaky Black (Gr., 6-9 205) – 7.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.5 apg
No. 2 Caleb Love (Jr., 6-4, 200) – 16.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.8 apg
No. 4 R.J. Davis (Jr., 6-0, 175) – 15.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.3 apg
No. 5 Armando Bacot (Sr., 6-11, 235) – 16.3 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 1.1 bpg
No. 32 Pete Nance (Gr. 6-11, 230) – 10.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.6 apg

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