Riding a four-game winning streak, the UNC basketball program looks to keep the streak going on Saturday afternoon as they host the Stanford Cardinals in their first-ever ACC meeting between the two programs.
Although Stanford is new to the conference, the Tar Heels have some familiarity with their West Coast foe. Overall, North Carolina is 13-0 all-time against Stanford, including 3-0 in Chapel Hill.
Stanford is coming off a loss to Wake Forest earlier in the week, and have now lost three of their last five games. They'll look to get back on track against a Tar Heels squad that appears to be trending in the right direction.
2024-2025 Season
North Carolina Tar Heels
Overall Record: 12-6
Conference Record: 5-1
Home Record: 7-1
Away Record: 3-2
Neutral Site Record: 2-3
Stanford Cardinals
Overall Record: 11-6
Conference Record: 3-3
Home Record: 9-1
Away Record: 2-3
Neutral Site Record: 0-2
Key Players
North Carolina
RJ Davis (Gr. Guard) - 17.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists
Ian Jackson (Fr. Guard) - 15.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 0.8 assists
Seth Trimble (Jr. Guard) - 12.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists
Stanford
Maxime Raynaud (Sr. Forward) - 20.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists
Jaylen Blakes (Sr. Guard) - 14.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists
Oziyah Sellers (Jr. Guard) - 14.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.9 assists
Keys to Victory for North Carolina
Maxime Raynaud has been one of the best big men in the country this season. The 7-foot-1 big man from Paris, France is averaging 20.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per-game, as he's a player that can beat you on all three levels offensively.
For the Tar Heels, the frontcourt needs to step up to the occasion, as slowing down Raynaud would go a long way in the team's quest for a fifth consecutive victory. With the defensive effort we've seen from the UNC basketball program as of late, expect the Tar Heels to be swarming on the defensive side of the court in an effort to make stops, leading to opportunities in transition.
Something to Watch For
Ian Jackson has emerged as the UNC basketball program's top scoring option.
The freshman guard has scored 20 or more points in six of his last seven games, as the lone game he failed to score 20+ points was just two shy of the mark.
Now that Jackson is the main guy, expect teams to start game planning more for him. How will that change the Tar Heels offensive attack moving forward, and will another player (or players) step up given more opportunities that may present itself given the attention that will be focused on Jackson.
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)