The UNC men’s basketball program is coming off back-to-back wins for only the second time this season as they look to make it three wins in a row when they take on the No. 7 ranked Florida Gators in the third edition of the Jumpman Invitational. The event will once again be held at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Tar Heels and Gators have faced off six times previously, with North Carolina winning four of those six head-to-head meetings. They last faced off during the 2014-15 season with UNC coming out on top 75-64.
The Gators come into the matchup undefeated (10-0) with three wins over ACC teams (Florida State, Virginia, Wake Forest)
2024-2025 Season
North Carolina Tar Heels
Overall Record: 6-4
Conference Record:1-0
Home Record: 4-1
Away Record 1-1
Neutral Site Record: 1-2
Florida Gators
Overall Record: 10-0
Conference Record: 0-0
Home Record: 5-0
Away Record: 1-0
Neutral Site Record: 4-0
Key Players
North Carolina
RJ Davis (Gr. Guard) – 17.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists
Seth Trimble (Jr. Guard) – 15.4. points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists
Elliot Cadeau (So. Guard) - 11.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists
Florida
Walter Clayton Jr (Sr. Guard) 19.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists
Alijah Martin (Gr. Guard) 15.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists
Alex Condon (So. Forward) 12. 2 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists
Keys to Victory for North Carolina
Bench Production
In the win against La Salle the Tar Heel's bench outscored the starters 49-44. Largely due to Cade Tyson's breakout game where he scored a career high 23 points. If Tyson and the rest of the bench can continue this level of production UNC can hand Florida their first loss of the season.
Defense, Defense, Defense
UNC is among the worst defensive teams in the country. Currently ranks 327 out of 355 teams in scoring defense giving an average of 78.7 PPG. The Gators rank 17th in the country in scoring offense averaging 86.2 PPG. The Gators scored 28 of their 83 points in the paint in their win over Arizona State, while shooting 28 percent from beyond the arc. The Tar Heels must find a way to force the ball out of the paint.
Something to Watch for
Look for the Heels to feed Cade Tyson early once he comes off the bench in this one. His confidence is high and the Tar Heels should allow him shoot.
Projected Starters
No. 3 Elliot Cadeau (So. 6'1)
No. 4 RJ Davis (Gr. 6'0)
No. 7 Seth Trimble (Jr. 6'3)
No. 9 Drake Powell (Fr. 6'6)
No. 22 Ven-Allen Lubin (Jr, 6'8)