Tag: game preview

UNC Basketball vs. Notre Dame: Game preview, prediction and more

Tuesday will be the last time Armando Bacot ever dons a UNC basketball jersey in Chapel Hill. Will it be the same for RJ Davis?

And just like that, college basketball season is coming to a close.

The regular-season portion, that is. Conference tournaments start this week, then on Tuesday, March 19 – March Madness.

Riding a 4-game win streak, the first-place UNC men’s basketball team is in a solid position. The Tar Heels struggled with weekday losses last month, but a rare victory at UVA changed their course.

Tuesday will mark a sad day for North Carolina, though, as it celebrates Senior Night. That means the last-ever home games for Armando Bacot and Cormac Ryan, so there’s bound to be extra motivation to win.

Notre Dame continues to struggle in its first year without Mike Brey, though the Fighting Irish are on a mini, 2-game winning streak. They’ve beaten two solid teams in Wake Forest and Clemson, looking to grab a third in Chapel Hill on Tuesday night.

UNC survived a scare from NC State over the weekend, as the Wolfpack built an 8-point halftime lead behind hot shooting. The Tar Heels came out of the locker room a completely different team, as it forced 15 straight missed from NC State at one point.

Though North Carolina is in position for a strong seed in the Big Dance, Tuesday could easily qualify as a trap game. If the Tar Heels aren’t careful, Saturday’s game against Duke will decide the ACC Tournament’s top seed.

Game Preview: Gators ready for rematch vs Alabama Crimson Tide

The Florida Gators return home looking for a win over the Alabama Crimson Tide after falling to them the first time around. Here’s how they’ll be lining up.

The Florida basketball team is coming back to the Swamp and they’re coming back with a vengeance.

After suffering a loss in a marquee top-25 matchup with South Carolina on Saturday, Todd Golden and Co. have a chance for redemption on two different fronts. Obviously, the Gators want to get back on track with a win, but they’re also taking a second crack at the highly-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.

Florida also has a chance to spoil the fun for Alabama, who has a chance to capture the SEC regular season championship with a win on Tuesday (and help from other game results).

The Gators have won their last seven home games and the team will be celebrating Senior Night while taking on the Crimson Tide.

Here’s how both teams will be lining up on game day with tipoff slated for 7 p.m. ET.

UNC Basketball at Virginia: Game preview, prediction and more

The UNC-UVA basketball matchup has always provided intense battles, though most of them are low-scoring. Can the Tar Heels win on Saturday?

For the first time since late December, the ACC-leading UNC men’s basketball team does not have a mid-week game.

North Carolina (20-6, 12-3) is coming off a convincing, 96-81 victory over Virginia Tech last Saturday. This was exactly the type of game UNC needed, given it suffered yet another Tuesday loss to Syracuse the game before. Armando Bacot recorded yet another double-double, while four starters scored in double-figures.

The Tar Heels now turn their attention to the Virginia Cavaliers, who suffered arguably their worst loss of the season (75-41) against the Hokies on Monday. UVA (20-7, 11-5) is still contending for the ACC regular-season crown, as it trails North Carolina by just a game-and-a-half, but it’ll need to beat UNC on Saturday afternoon.

Odds are stacked against the Tar Heels for Saturday’s 4 p.m. ET tip-off, as they haven’t won in Charlottesville since Feb. 25, 2012. The Cavaliers employ a pace slow as molasses, draining the clock and looking for the perfect shot attempt, which runs completely different than North Carolina’s lightning-fast pace.

If UNC wants to win Saturday, it’ll need to score early and often. The Tar Heels’ style of play, if executed effectively, will put pressure on UVA by forcing it to play out of system and rush shots.

Let’s see a few things UNC needs to do on Saturday, in order to escape Charlottesville with a win:

UNC vs. Virginia Tech: Game preview, prediction and more

The UNC men’s basketball team is coming off a bad loss, while Virginia Tech enters Saturday off a good win. Who prevails this weekend?

For the third consecutive week, UNC’s men’s basketball team enters its weekend matchup off a Tuesday loss.

The most recent disappointment came at Syracuse in an 86-79 loss, when the Orange couldn’t miss a shot and the Tar Heels struggled to get comfortable against zone defense. North Carolina went up briefly late in the second half, only for the Orange to strike back immediately.

One noticeable thing that UNC head coach Hubert Davis failed to do was play his bench a lot, the same issue that got him into trouble last season. No reserve played more than Seth Trimble, who logged 11 minutes, while each starter played at least 30 (Cormac Ryan played the whole 40).

Both teams were pretty even in statistics, though Syracuse generated 10 steals to North Carolina’s four.

The Tar Heels will try and right the ship against Virginia Tech, which beat Florida State on Tuesday for its first win in four games. Not only does UNC need to bounce back, but it will also be Hokies guard Tyler Nickel’s first game since transferring out of Chapel Hill.

Virginia Tech is led by its high-scoring guard duo of Hunter Cattoor and Sean Pedulla, who combine for nearly 30 points per game. After center Lynn Kidd (13 points per game), no other Hokie averages double-digits.

If there’s one thing working in VT’s favor, it’s the fact at least nine players average 10 minutes.

What exactly does UNC need to do in order to nab just its third win in six games?

UNC at Miami (FL): Game preview, prediction and more

If UNC wants to maintain positioning atop the ACC, it has to beat Miami on Saturday. What do the Tar heels need to do exactly to win?

The UNC men’s basketball team looked sluggish, slow and unprepared during Tuesday’s rare home loss to Clemson.

North Carolina star center Armando Bacot and power forward Harrison Ingram even said so in Tuesday’s postgame presser. Head coach Hubert Davis highlighted the practices between the Duke win and Clemson loss weren’t great.

It’s tough to think of many positives, but despite the letdown, UNC still is first place in the ACC. There’s much less margin for error, but all is well again if the Tar Heels beat the University of Miami (Florida) on Saturday afternoon.

The Hurricanes were one of March Madness’ greatest surprises last year.

After winning the ACC regular-season title for just the second time, Miami lost in its second game of the ACC Tournament to eventual champion Duke. The Hurricanes hit the reset button en route to an historic run, making their first Final Four appearance in school history.

Miami still has stars Norchad Omier, Nijel Pack and Wooga Poplar from last year’s run, but it hasn’t played at the level many expected. Wins over a formerly-ranked Clemson and a tough Kansas State squad will certainly help its case come NCAA Tournament time, but a win over North Carolina Saturday is likely needed, too.

How can the Tar Heels avoid yet another letdown?

UNC Basketball vs. Clemson: Game preview, prediction, info and more

When the UNC and Clemson men’s basketball teams matched up in January, both teams were ranked. They’ll play each other again on Tuesday.

The college basketball world enjoyed a plethora of exciting games yesterday, but none more exciting that perhaps the Tobacco Road rivalry – UNC vs. Duke.

This game had all the hype surrounding it – both teams were Top 10 in the AP Poll, Top 2 in the ACC and featured a bunch of star power. Some could say Duke had the upper hand, winning its past two matchups in the Dean Dome, but there’s no doubt UNC is the better ballclub this year.

The Tar Heels pretty much dominated from the opening tip. Both rivals shot very similarly from the field (UNC 50%, Duke 50.7%) and were nearly even on the glass (UNC 35 rebounds, Duke 34), but it was North Carolina’s ball security that made the difference. UNC scored 10 points off turnovers in the first half – en route to building an 8-point halftime lead – complementing that with five turnovers throughout the game.

UNC and Duke won’t meet again until Saturday, March 9 in Cameron Indoor Stadium, meaning there’s a full month of basketball ahead.

North Carolina will now turn its attention to a reeling Clemson program, which just lost a 1-point heartbreaker against UVA yesterday. The Tigers (14-7, 4-6) were ranked when they hosted UNC during the first Saturday of 2024, but have struggled against conference opponents. Clemson has been competitive in several ACC losses (1-point defeats against Duke and UVA), so it makes you wonder if the Tigers are better than their record shows.

What do the Tar Heels, who just enjoyed double-doubles from Armando Bacot and Harrison Ingram, need to do for a season sweep of Clemson?

UNC Basketball vs. Duke: Game preview, prediction, info and more

UNC-Duke basketball is finally here, with the two archrivals facing off on Saturday, Feb. 3 inside the Dean Dome. Who will emerge on top?

The day sports fans have all been waiting for is nearly here.

On Saturday, Feb. 3, the 192nd installation of UNC-Duke will tip-off at 6:30 p.m. ET. North Carolina will be hosting this round, before heading to Cameron Indoor Stadium for the season finale on Saturday, March 9.

There’s suddenly a lot more pressure on the Tar Heels for Saturday, as they lost a disappointing, 74-73 battle at sub-.500 Georgia Tech on Tuesday night. UNC was able to battle all the way back and take a late 1-point lead, thanks to RJ Davis’ layup, only for that clutch bucket to be undone by Georgia Tech’s Naithan George.

Since losing to Pitt on Saturday, Jan. 20, Duke has won three straight games. The Blue Devils blew out ACC basement-dweller Louisville on the road, barely beat Clemson by one point and – on Monday – pulled away from Virginia Tech in a 10-point victory.

Last year wasn’t too kind to North Carolina in the Tobacco Road Rivalry, as it lost both games by just two possessions. The Tar Heels led late in the March 4, 2023 matchup in Chapel Hill, only for Duke to escape with a 62-57 victory.

This year, UNC leads the ACC and – outside of Tuesday – looks like a National Title contender. Duke is playing solid basketball, but is nowhere near the success it achieved last season.

UNC Basketball at Georgia Tech: Game preview, prediction, info and more

The North Carolina Tar Heels have historically dominated Georgia Tech in men’s basketball. They both match up on Tuesday in Atlanta.

Even with a scare against Florida State on Saturday afternoon, the UNC men’s basketball team kept its long winning streak intact and stayed undefeated atop the ACC.

North Carolina (17-3, 9-0) trailed by five at halftime, but nine quick points from Cormac Ryan and improved defense helped it regain the lead. National Player of the Year candidate RJ Davis gave the Tar Heels some much-needed breathing room late, knocking down a mid-range jumper and icing the game with a pair of free throws.

After returning to Chapel Hill for a short period of time, UNC will hit the road for a Tuesday night battle with Georgia Tech. This SHOULD be an easy victory for the Tar Heels, but it’s also a trap game.

If this were football, we already know what the result would be.

The Yellow Jackets (9-11, 2-7) fared well in the 2023 portion of their season, highlighted by a 72-68 upset of Duke on Saturday, Dec. 2.

Since the calendar turned over to 2024, Georgia Tech has only won one game – a road overtime upset of Clemson. The Yellow Jackets are coming off one of their worst games in the entire season, a 24-point loss against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.

Returning to McCamish Pavillion could prove valuable for Georgia Tech, but they have to face a red hot North Carolina team.

What should we be looking at for the Tar Heels?

UNC Basketball at Boston College: Game preview, info, prediction and more

A red-hot UNC basketball team and decent Boston College team collide on Saturday, Jan. 20 at 2:15 p.m. ET. Who is going to win?

As former UNC basketball standout Justin Jackson said recently, it’s never easy winning an ACC game on the road.

Up to this point, the ACC-leading Tar Heels (14-3, 6-0) have played well away from home. They’re 6-3 in those contests – 3-3 in neutral-site events, plus a perfect 3-0 in true road games.

Where Carolina’s about to play next, however, is no easy task.

UNC will put its 7-game winning streak to the test on Saturday, Jan. 20, facing a feisty Boston College squad looking to win its second-consecutive game. The Eagles (11-6, 2-4) have historically struggled, but are looking to nab their first winning record since the 2017-2018 campaign.

The Tar Heels were scared by Louisville on Wednesday night, but pulled away late for an 86-70 win. While Carolina guard RJ Davis led all scorers, Jae’Lyn Withers stole the show with a double-double against his old team.

Boston College started the year hot, winning its first four games and ending non-conference play 9-3. This is great for a program that hasn’t won many games in years’ past.

The Eagles are a dangerous offensive team, with four players averaging double-digits in points. Tall, sharp-shooting Quinten Post is the main offensive cog, leading Boston College in points (16.9), rebounds (7.4) and blocks per game (2.1), plus his 44.4 percentage mark from downtown in second-best on the team.

Let’s take a deeper dive into what UNC needs to do for its eighth-consecutive victory.

Eagles eliminated from playoffs after 32-9 loss to Buccaneers

Eagles eliminated from playoffs after 32-9 loss to Buccaneers

The Eagles are set for a dramatic overhaul following the team’s shocking 32-9 loss to the Buccaneers in the wild-card round of the NFC playoffs.

Philadelphia was 0-11 on third and fourth downs combined, tallying 268 total yards on ten offensive drives in a sloppy affair that saw missed tackles and no answer for the Tampa blitz as the Eagles were held to 38 rushing yards on the night.

Baker Mayfield outplayed Jalen Hurts, going 22-36 passing for 337 yards, three touchdowns, and 0 interceptions with a 119 quarterback rating.

Rachaad White was strong on the ground, rushing 18 times for 62 yards on the night.

The Eagles will now head into an uncertain offseason, having lost six of the final seven games played, and an overhaul could include head coach Nick Sirianni with the likes of Jim Harbaugh, Bill Belichick, and others available after mass changes around the league.

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