UNC Basketball ready for clash with No. 4 Auburn in Maui Invitational semi finals

After an exciting comeback victory over Dayton, the UNC basketball program has a quick turnaround as they square off against No. 4-ranked Auburn in the semifinals of the Maui Invitational on Tuesday night.

The theme of the tournament thus far has been come from behind victories, as both teams featured in this contest battled back to advance in the winners column. Auburn, after putting together a disappointing first half, stormed back to defeat Iowa State, the No. 5-ranked team in the country, while we already know how the Tar Heels came back from a 21-point deficit to defeat Dayton.

Now, with a spot in the tournament championship game on the line, both teams will want to get off to good starts, something neither did on Monday night.

2024-2025 Season

North Carolina Tar Heels

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

Auburn Tigers

Overall Record: 5-0
Conference Record: 0-0
Home Record: 4-0
Away Record: 0-0
Neutral Site Record: 1-0

Key Players

North Carolina

RJ Davis (Gr. Guard) - 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists
Seth Trimble (Jr. Guard) - 17.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists
Elliot Cadeau (So. Guard) - 14.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 6.4 assists

Auburn

Johni Broome (Sr. Forward) - 20.2 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists
Chad Baker-Mazara (Sr. Guard) - 12.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists
Dever Jones (Sr. Guard) - 11.4 points, 2.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists

Keys to Victory for North Carolina

There's a couple of keys for the UNC basketball program in this game.

For starters, the Tar Heels must slow down forward Johni Broome. As rebounding and post toughness have been an issue for North Carolina, the Tar Heels need to do everything in their power to keep Broome as quiet as possible.

Like we saw when the Tar Heels faced off with Hunter Dickinson, expect a all hands on deck approach for this task.

Additionally, North Carolina has to play smarter basketball. The Tar Heels were a turnover machine in the first half of play against Dayton, as they settled down a bit in the second half. With a game in the Maui Invitational under their belts, North Carolina must do a better job of protecting the basketball throughout.

Finally, let's not go down 21 points tonight. Sure, comebacks are fun when they work, but this Auburn team is one that will keep its foot on the gas and won't let the Tar Heels come back into the game. It is critical to get out to a strong start and put the pressure on the Tigers from the jump.

Something to Watch For

Tonight will be a special moment for Elliot Cadeau.

Cadeau is childhood friends with Auburn guard Tahaad Pettiford, as the two will play against each other for the first time at the collegiate level. You know bragging rights are on the line between these two friends, with both hoping to lead their team to victory.

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)