UNC Basketball Preview: Final Contest of 2023 for the Heels


(Photo Courtesy Jim Hawkins/Inside Carolina) 

Chapel Hill - The #9 Tar Heels play their final home game of the year against the Charleston Southern Buccaneers at the Dean Smith Center.
 
During UNC's last contest against the former #7 Oklahoma Sooners, who now sit at #12 in this week's AP Polls, RJ Davis led the team in scoring once more. Racking up 23 points, four rebounds, five assists, and, more importantly, zero turnovers. In addition, Armando Bacot, Harrison Ingram, and Cormac Ryan all contributed to the double figures column. It's incredible to see the growth that Davis has made since last season, despite playing so well even then. From driving, shooting, and passing, among many others, Davis's game has reached a whole new level. However, the looming question remains whether this will be sustainable in the long run for North Carolina as a team; Davis cannot do it all by himself.
 
The Charleston Southern Buccaneers enter the Dean Dome with a win against the Kentucky Christian Knights by a score of 103-79 at home. The sophomore RJ Johnson, out of Matthews, North Carolina, and junior DJ Patrick, from Powder Springs, Georgia, led the way for the Buccaneers with 21 points each, followed by 19 points tacked on by Taje' Kelly, the Atlanta, Georgia native. The team averages 72 points per game while shooting 46% from the field and 36% behind the arc. Johnson leads the team in scoring with 17.3 points per game and converting 50% of his shots, including his 48% three-point percentage so far in the young season.

UNC is currently listed at 98.4% on the matchup predictor, according to ESPN Analytics.

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