For the first time since Saturday, Dec. 2, the UNC men’s basketball team will play a game in North Carolina.
The Tar Heels will take on Oklahoma inside the Spectrum Center, at 9 p.m. ET, in Wednesday’s highly-anticipated Jumpman Invitational. The Sooners, who currently sit at seventh in the latest AP Poll, are 10-0 with signature wins over Providence, Arkansas, USC and Iowa.
UNC’s played a significantly tougher schedule than Oklahoma, facing the likes of Villanova, UConn and Kentucky, but sits at 7-3 and 11th in the AP Poll. A Tar Heel victory against a strong Sooners team would be the perfect bounce-back, but the Heels need to get more balanced production, excel in areas they’re typically strong in, plus not commit late-game mistakes.
Carolina and Oklahoma haven’t played since the 2009 NCAA Tournament, but both have become accustomed to deep runs over the past several years. The Sooners came close to their first National Title in 2016, making the Final Four, while UNC is two years removed from a title game appearance against Kansas.
Will this matchup start a new rivalry? Who knows, but it’ll pit two high-scoring squads against each each.
Let’s dive into a couple things you should be looking out for in Wednesday’s clash.