UNC basketball program to close out the month of January with a trip to Atlanta

There's a big game ahead for the UNC basketball program this weekend, but before we get to that point, there's some business for the Tar Heels to take care of first.

The Tar Heels will head back to Atlanta, Georgia, this time to take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to continue ACC play. With a win, North Carolina would close out the month of January with a perfect 9-0 record, and would move to 10-0 in conference play.

Coming in as heavy favorites, North Carolina must avoid sleepwalking into this game. As we know, anything can happen in college basketball (especially in the ACC), as Georgia Tech would love to play spoilers and become the first ACC team to defeat the Tar Heels this season.

Key to Victory for North Carolina

Do NOT look ahead.

It is easy to look ahead to Saturday's anticipated matchup against Duke at the Dean Smith Center. However, you can't overlook anyone, as the most important business needs to be the business that's currently right in front of you.

Georgia Tech has struggled in conference play, losing seven of their last eight contests. During its current three-game losing streak, the Yellow Jackets have averaged just under 66 points per-game, as the UNC basketball program has yet to let up more than 70 points to an ACC opponent this season.

If the Tar Heels come in with that strong defensive mindset that they've shown, it could be very tough for Georgia Tech to keep up. Building a lead early and not letting up should be the focal point for the Tar Heels, as you want to come in with the competitive mindset to take over the game right from the jump.

Something to Watch For

Elliot Cadeau is coming off his best performance as a Tar Heel, as the true freshman guard scored 16 points and recorded six assists in the victory over Florida State. Over his last two games, Cadeau has scored double-digit points in each contest, as his ability to get to the rim has been a huge asset to the Tar Heels offensive attack.

This Tar Heels team is much better when Cadeau is on the floor, as his presence has been huge for this squad. Not only does he continue to facilitate within the offense, but picks his spots where he can take advantage of his speed and athleticism to capitalize at the rim.

Can Cadeau continue to build upon his last two performances? If he keeps playing at this level, it makes this Tar Heels team even tougher to match up with.

Last Meeting

The last meeting between these two teams came on December 10, 2022, as the UNC basketball program rolled to a 75-59 victory on their home floor. With the win, North Carolina was able to snap a four-game losing streak.

North Carolina had two players record double-doubles in this game. RJ Davis tallied 22 points and 10 assists, while Armando Bacot had 21 points to go along with 13 rebounds. Although the UNC basketball program connected on only three of 13 three-point field goal attempts, they still were able to shoot 47.4% from the floor.

Projected Starters

No. 2 Elliot Cadeau (Fr. 6-1, 180) 7.8 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 3.7 apg

No. 3 Cormac Ryan (Sr. 6-5, 195) 11.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.2 apg

No. 4 R.J. Davis (Sr. 6-0, 180) 21.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.3 apg

No. 5 Armando Bacot (Gr. 6-11, 240) 13.6 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 1.5 apg

No. 55 Harrison Ingram (Jr. 6-7, 235) 12.4 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 2.5 apg