For the final time this season, the UNC basketball program will take the court at the Dean Smith Center.
North Carolina closes its home slate on Tuesday night as they host the Clemson Tigers. Not only will the Tar Heels celebrate 'Senior Night,' honoring the two senior members of the program: Elijah Davis and Seth Trimble, but they will also officially honor RJ Davis as his No. 4 is the newest addition to the rafters at the Smith Center.
As special of a night it should already be, the Tar Heels hope to end the night victorious one last time in front of the home crowd this season, something that they've done quite a bit this year.
2025-2026 Season
North Carolina Tar Heels
Overall record: 23-6
Conference Record: 10-5
Home Record: 17-0
Away Record: 4-5
Neutral Site Record: 2-1
Top-25 Wins: 5
Clemson Tigers
Overall record: 21-8
Conference Record: 11-5
Home Record: 12-3
Away Record: 6-4
Neutral Site Record: 3-1
Key Players
North Carolina
Caleb Wilson (Fr. Forward)- 20.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists
Henri Veesaar (Jr. Center)- 16.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists
Seth Trimble (Sr. Guard)- 14.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists
Luka Bogavac (Jr. Guard)- 9.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists
Hubert Davis provided a significant Caleb Wilson injury update following win over VT
Clemson
RJ Godfrey (Sr. Forward)- 11.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists
Carter Welling (Jr. Forward)- 10.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists
Jestin Porter (Sr. Guard)- 9.9 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists
Keys to Victory for North Carolina
Defend the perimeter and limit turnovers
These two teams are pretty similar in regard to the fact that they aren't shy shooting the basketball beyond-the-arc.
Is either team elite at it? Not quite.
Clemson struggled to shoot during its recent four-game losing streak, knocking down less than 30% of its three-point attempts. That won't stop the Tigers from trying, as they will attempt to get hot as the ACC Tournament is quickly approaching.
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UNC needs to defend the perimeter and ensure that Clemson dosn't get hot from outside.
The Tar Heels have been doing a pretty solid job of protecting the basketball, but they must continue that on Tuesday night against a very disruptive Clemson defense. The Tigers have had no issues forcing turnovers in ACC play and will look to disrupt the Tar Heels' offensive flow. This game could be decided by who makes the fewest mistakes, as we know North Carolina thrives when it can force missed shots/turnovers that ultimately lead to transition opportunities.
Something to Watch For
North Carolina has 17 victories this season on its home floor, tying a program record set during the 2011-2012 season. This season marks the first time the Tar Heels have won their first 17 games in a season in the Smith Center. During the 2016-17 campaign, UNC won all 17 of its home games, as this year's team has a chance to surpass that with a victory on Tuesday night.
Same as when a pitcher hasn't allowed a hit in a baseball game, we're not going to mention it specifically. However, it would be pretty sweet to see this form of history happen.
Projected Starters
No. 3- Derek Dixon
No. 7- Seth Trimble
No. 13 Henri Veesaar
No. 15- Jarin Stevenson
No. 44- Luka Bogavac
No. 6- Elijah Davis (will likely start as part of UNC's 'Senior Night' festivities)