Preview: #10 North Carolina in Search for a Win at the John Paul Jones Arena

(Photo Courtesy Jim Hawkins/Inside Carolina) 

Chapel Hill - Later this afternoon at 4:00 p.m. on ESPN, the #10 North Carolina will take on the Virginia Cavaliers on the road as they look to snap a losing streak at the John Paul Jones Arena that dates back until Sunday, January 6th, 2013, during the 2012-2013 season that featured freshmen Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson. The Tar Heels lost that game 61-52. UNC's all-time record against the Cavs stands at 23-22, taking advantage while at home, marking a standing of 15-7 but going 6-13 away from the Dean Smith Center. 

 

Armando Bacot kept the Tar Heels steady in their 96-81 victory against Virginia Tech last Saturday, entering with 25 points and 12 rebounds and shooting 11 of 16 from the field through his 30 minutes of game action. RJ Davis added 20 points to the stat sheet, along with five assists. The four-man, Harrison Ingram, had a huge game on the glass, snagging 17 boards, possessing such a knack for rebounding the basketball. Collectively as a team, Coach Davis' squad shot 52% on the game and 33% from behind the three-point line. In the paint, UNC kept their poise, scoring 54 of their total points compared to the Hokies 36. 16 points was the most UNC led throughout the 40 minutes, which came at 18:26 during the second half after RJ Davis drained a shot from downtown courtesy of Elliot Cadeau's pass. Despite the well-played offensive game by UNC, their defensive was not up to par with how it has shown in the past, especially in comparison to their electric 10-game winning streak last month. The Hokies shot 42% FG while matching the same number of threes at 7. Out of the last five matchups, this was the fourth time where the opponent has scored at least 80, an unfamiliar territory that needs to be fixed as the season progresses towards March. 

 

Coincidentally, Virgina's last game was also against the Hokies on the road at Cassell Coliseum, as they seemed out of sorts, resulting in their 75-41 loss. Isaac McKneely led the Wahoos with 11 points, shooting 50% from the field. The Cavaliers continued to hunt their shot but were unable to convert on their end of the floor as they finished the battle, making only 33% (17–52) of their attempts for the game. Credit to Virginia Tech for capitalizing on UVA's mistakes, coughing up 24 points on 12 turnovers—a game changer. Defensively, Virginia surrendered 51% FG and 35% 3PT while trailing at most by 36 points as a layup by Mylyjael Poteat brought the score to 69-33 during the final five minutes of the second half. 

Projected Starting Lineups 

Elliot Cadeau (FR)

RJ Davis (SR)

Cormac Ryan (SR)

Harrison Ingram (JR)

Armando Bacot (SR)

Reece Beekman (SR)

Issac McKneely (SO)

Andrew Rohde (SO)

Ryan Dunn (SO)

Jordan Minor (SR)

Key Matchup 

Between both teams' four men, Harrison Ingram and Ryan Dunn, is the game's individual matchup to be keen on. While Ingram does his damage offensively, he will be countered by the length and defensive prowess of Dunn. The Freeport, New York, native averages nine points, seven rebounds, and three blocks going into this afternoon's showdown. And he looks to combat Ingram's 13 points per game average on the defensive end while shooting 41% behind the arc. 

The Projected Winner by the Numbers 

UNC is listed at 65.4%, according to the matchup predictor on ESPN Analytics.