Previewing UNC basketball’s final non-conference matchup against Campbell

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Dec 21, 2024; New York, NY, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Ven-Allen Lubin (22) steals the ball away from UCLA Bruins forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images

The North Carolina Tar Heels still have a long way to go in proving they’re an NCAA Tournament team, but upsetting UCLA on Saturday, December 21 went a long way towards proving UNC belongs in the Big Dance.

North Carolina staged another double-digit, second-half comeback to beat the ranked Bruins (10-2, 2-0 Big 10), 76-74, on the First Day of Winter. Ian Jackson delivered in his hometown, scoring a career-high 24 points off the bench, leading many to believe Jackson should start going forward.

Eight days later, the Tar Heels return to the basketball court. UNC will host in-state opponent Campbell University on Sunday, Dec. 29 at 8 p.m., a game in which UNC should win decisively.

The Camels (5-7) are struggling during their second season in the Colonial Athletic Association, with consecutive losses to Morgan State and Longwood in their back pockets. Two of Campbell’s victories came against non-Division I opponents in Newberry (SC) College and Pfeiffer University, while Campbell’s other wins are against Division I teams with sub-.500 records.

North Carolina is still trying to figure out its rotation, but we know that Jackson is a valuable freshman who should be starting. Ven-Allen Lubin is the Tar Heels’ best option at center, despite being just 6’8.” Guard play will decide victories, as we watched last Sunday. UNC doesn’t need everyone to be a star if it wants to win, but it needs more consistency from its starting lineup.

Let’s take a deeper dive into UNC’s final non-conference matchup, which we hope gives it needed momentum heading into ACC play.

Key to victory for UNC

Dec 21, 2024; New York, NY, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lazar Stefanovic (10) tries to get past North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) during the second half at Madison Square…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/previewing-unc-basketballs-final-non-212230304.html

Author : Tar Heels Wire

Publish date : 2024-12-27 21:22:00

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