UNC Basketball looks to end losing skid against No. 10-ranked Alabama

The UNC basketball program's trip to Hawaii did not go as planned.

After falling to Michigan State last Wednesday, their second consecutive loss, the Tar Heels traveled almost 5,000 miles back to Chapel Hill with just a fourth-place finish in the Maui Invitational to show for it.

And UNC's non-conference gauntlet only gets tougher on Wednesday. The Tar Heels will take on the Crimson Tide in a top-20 showdown inside the Dean Smith Center. They seek to earn a win in the ACC/SEC Basketball Challenge for the second-straight year.

2024-2025 Season

North Carolina Tar Heels

Overall Record: 4-3
Conference Record: 0-0
Home Record: 2-0
Away Record: 1-1
Neutral Site Record: 1-2

Alabama Crimson Tide

Overall Record: 6-2
Conference Record: 0-0
Home Record: 3-0
Away Record: 0-1
Neutral Site Record: 3-1

Key Players

North Carolina

RJ Davis (Gr. Guard) - 18.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists
Seth Trimble (Jr. Guard) - 16.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists
Elliot Cadeau (So. Guard) - 14.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists

Alabama

Mark Sears (Gr. Guard) - 16.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists
Grant Nelson (Gr. Forward) - 13.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists
Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (Gr. Guard) - 11.5 points, 1.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists *(ruled out for the remainder of the 2024-2025 season due to injury)*

Keys to Victory for North Carolina

Box. Out.

The Tar Heels struggled immensely on the glass in Hawaii. UNC's lack of size was on full display in all four games on the islands, being out-rebounded in three of them. With a team that already has its fair share of issues on the defensive end, its inability to close out possessions makes it nearly impossible to beat the top teams in the nation.

And Alabama thrives on the glass. The Crimson Tide rank third in the SEC in rebounding, averaging 43.9 boards per game.

The Tar Heels must find ways to attack the glass against Alabama or else they will be looking down the barrel of a three-game losing streak.

Something to Watch For

How will the memory of last year's game affect this one?

The Tar Heels fell 89-87 to the Crimson Tide in the Sweet 16 of last season's NCAA Tournament. Two players who will likely start on Wednesday, graduate guard RJ Davis and graduate forward Jae'Lyn Withers, both had infamously poor games in that contest against Alabama.

In total, five different Tar Heels who played in last year's game will see the court on Wednesday, including potentially the entire starting five.

Will UNC come out firing with extra motivation to right last year's wrong? Or will Alabama seek to prove that wasn't a fluke?

Projected Starters

No. 3 Elliot Cadeau (So. 6'1)
No. 4 RJ Davis (Gr. 6'0)
No. 7 Seth Trimble (Jr. 6'3)
No. 13 Jalen Washington (Jr. 6'10)
No. 24 Jae'Lyn Withers (Gr. 6'9)