Hubert Davis and the UNC basketball program will take a short trip down the road on Saturday afternoon to take on Kevin Keatts and the NC State Wolfpack.
The two in-state foes met three times a season ago, as the Tar Heels would like to forget the final meeting. North Carolina won the two regular season meetings while NC State got the better of the Tar Heels in their clash during the ACC Tournament.
Both teams look different than they did a season ago, and neither is off to the start to the 2024-2025 season that they envisioned, but let's make no mistake: this is a game that neither side wants to lose.
2024-2025 Season
North Carolina Tar Heels
Overall Record: 10-6
Conference Record: 3-1
Home Record: 6-1
Away Record: 2-2
Neutral Site Record: 2-3
North Carolina State Wolfpack
Overall Record: 9-6
Conference Record: 2-2
Home Record: 9-1
Away Record: 0-3
Neutral Site Record: 0-2
Key Players
North Carolina
RJ Davis (Gr. Guard) - 18.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists
Ian Jackson (Fr. Guard) - 15.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 0.8 assists
Seth Trimble (Jr. Guard) - 13.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists
NC State
Marcus Hill (Jr. Guard) - 12.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists
Jayden Taylor (Sr. Guard) - 12.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists
Dontrez Styles (Sr. Forward) - 9.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 0.4 assists
Keys to Victory for North Carolina
North Carolina must continue to build on their defensive effort that they displayed against SMU.
From having a ton of energy right out of the gate to making life difficult in the post, the Tar Heels put together arguably their best all-around performance in their latest victory. Jalen Washington's ability to block and altar shots played a huge role in that, as the junior center is showing glimpses of being the guy to handle the middle for the Tar Heels.
The Tar Heels need to keep it simple: force stops on defense. Being able to generate stops will only help the UNC basketball program, as their goal is to get out in transition and make the most of their opportunities in fast break situations.
Something to Watch For
A familiar face will suit up for the Wolfpack on Saturday, as former Tar Heel Dontrez Styles is playing out his senior season at NC State.
Styles, who played his first two seasons at North Carolina, transferred to Georgetown for a season before making his way back to his home state to join the Wolfpack. Mainly as a starter, Styles is averaging 9.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per-game.
During his time with the UNC basketball program, Styles struggled to find his way into the regular rotation. Now, Styles will have an opportunity for some payback against his former team as he looks to prove what they missed out on.
Projected Starters
No. 3 Elliot Cadeau (So. 6'1)
No. 4 RJ Davis (Gr. 6'0)
No. 9 Drake Powell (Fr. 6'6)
No. 11 Ian Jackson (Fr. 6'4)
No. 13 Jalen Washington (Jr. 6'10)