It’s amazing what beating just one team can do for a team’s season.
On Saturday afternoon, the UNC men’s basketball team took down Virginia, 54-44. Not only was it the Tar Heels’ first time winning in Charlottesville since Feb. 25, 2012, but it also was a victory that, coupled with the Duke loss, moved them back into sole possession of first place in the ACC.
North Carolina isn’t on a hot streak, per se, but it has won consecutive games for the first time since January, when exceptional defense led to a 10-game winning streak.
UNC will return home for the first of three straight home games on Monday, Feb. 26, as it hosts an ice-cold Miami squad. The Hurricanes have lost six straight; their last win came against Virginia Tech on Saturday, Feb. 3.
Despite its recent struggles, Miami still has plenty of talent on its roster: Norchad Omier, Nijel Pack and Wooga Poplar to name a few. This is the same Hurricanes squad that, minus a few departures, is one season removed from its first Final Four appearance in program history.
If the Tar Heels aren’t careful, they could be staring a fourth-consecutive weekday loss in the face. This has trap game written all over it, but the hope is Saturday’s big win will be enough of a motivating factor for North Carolina.
Let’s check and see some areas we need to be looking at for Monday’s game: