UNC Basketball: ACC/SEC Challenge vs. Tennessee Preview
The UNC Basketball program is coming off a convincing win against Arkansas. They now welcome the Tennessee Volunteers to the Smith Center for a top-20 matchup.
The UNC basketball program and the Tennessee Volunteers both participated in feast week tournaments.
North Carolina finished 2-1 in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament with wins over Northern Iowa and Arkansas while suffering a two-point loss against Villanova.
Tennessee, on the other hand, went 1-2 in the Maui Invitational with a win against Syracuse and losses against Purdue and Kansas, the top two ranked teams in the country at the time. The two programs will now face off in the inaugural ACC/SEC challenge on Wednesday night in Chapel Hill, as North Carolina will be having a “White Out” for all fans in attendance.
Key to Victory for North Carolina
The Tar Heels were without sharpshooting guard Cormac Ryan against Arkansas due to an ankle injury. They were still able to shoot 43% from three-point range in his absence. It is unclear whether Ryan will play or not, but the team will need to step up again if he can’t play.
Seth Trimble provided a spark off the bench, scoring 12 points and grabbing 4 rebounds in 25 minutes. Trimble also knocked down both of his three-point attempts, both coming down the stretch in crucial moments.
Harrison Ingram will be a name to watch as well, as he provided 13 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists last Friday against Arkansas. Ingram was a key facilitator late in the game, finding Trimble in the corner twice for wide open three-pointers.
Like Arkansas, Tennessee is a very physical team. Tennessee is traditionally one of the best defenses in college basketball, so North Carolina will need to protect the ball. The Tar Heels did a good job at limiting turnovers, committing just ten against the Razorbacks.
It will also be important for Carolina to make their free throw attempts. The team attempted 35 against Arkansas and made 25. They’ll need to shoot better than 71% if they want to win against Tennessee.
Something to Watch For
Tennessee lost to Kansas (who was No. 1 at the time), and Purdue (the new No. 1) by a combined 13 points. Rick Barnes’ teams are known for not shying away from competition, and they continue that with a trip to Chapel Hill.
The Volunteers lacked scoring last season, and they solved that problem by picking up 6-foot-6 guard Dalton Knecht in the offseason. The former Northern Colorado star is averaging 17.5 points this season. In comparison, their next leading scorer Jordan Gainey averages just above 11 points per game. Knecht’s size will cause problems against North Carolina’s undersized backcourt. R.J. Davis and Elliot Cadeau are both under 6-feet tall, so look for Harrison Ingram or Jae’Lyn Withers to match up with Knecht on the defensive end.
North Carolina will look to get Armando Bacot going early. Bacot struggled in the Bahamas, making just 10 of his 27 shot attempts and scoring 10 or less in all three games. Tennessee will likely send 6-foot-11 forward Jonas Aidoo to guard Bacot. Pay close attention to those two, as one of them might find themselves in foul trouble early.
North Carolina will also look to get out in transition as much as possible. Tennessee is known for their methodical half-court defensive approach. The best opportunity for easy baskets for UNC will come by pushing the pace after a missed shot.
Last Meeting
The last matchup between these two programs occurred on November 21, 2021, on a neutral floor in Connecticut. Tennessee used a strong second half performance to beat North Carolina 89-72.
Carolina forward Brady Manek led all scorers with 24 points on 7-12 shooting, including 6-10 from three. Armando Bacot, R.J. Davis and Caleb Love also scored in double figures, scoring 16, 14, and 12 respectively.
The UNC basketball program leads the all-time series 10-2, with the first matchup occurring in 1911. Prior to winning in 2021, Tennessee’s last victory against the Tar Heels came in 1949 when they won 84-56 in Knoxville.
Projected Starters
No. 4 R.J. Davis (Sr. 6-0, 180) 18.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.7 apg
No. 5 Armando Bacot (Gr. 6-11, 240) 15.8 ppg, 11.7 rpg, 0.8 apg
No. 7 Seth Trimble (So. 6-3, 195) 5.3 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 0.7 apg
No. 24 Jae’Lyn Withers (Gr. 6-5, 195) 4.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 0.5 apg
No. 55 Harrison Ingram (Jr. 6-7, 235) 14.2 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.7 apg
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