UNC basketball vs Miami: Score prediction, scouting report for RJ Davis, Tar Heels

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UNC basketball hasn’t won five games in a row this season.

The Tar Heels (18-11, 11-6 ACC) have an opportunity to change that against Miami (6-22, 2-15) on Saturday (Noon, ESPN) at the Smith Center.

Entering March, UNC continues to stare at the possibility of missing the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three seasons. The Tar Heels are included in 14 of 115 bracket projections on Bracket Matrix, meaning they likely need to win out and make a run at the ACC Tournament in Charlotte.

The Heels have a 28-10 overall record against Miami, including a 13-5 mark at the Smith Center. The teams have split the last four games in the series, but UNC has won three of the last four in Chapel Hill.

Here’s a preview, some players to watch and a score prediction for UNC vs Miami.

RJ Davis, UNC basketball offense on a roll

After averaging 67.4 points per game across its last five losses, UNC averaged 90.5 points during its four-game winning streak. Now the Tar Heels get to face a Miami team that has allowed an average of 81.5 points across four straight losses. UNC guard RJ Davis, who scored 20 points with five assists in the Tar Heels’ win at Florida State, had a Smith Center-record 42 points last season against the Hurricanes. Davis could be in line for another big performance in his penultimate game at the Smith Center.

Will Matthew Cleveland’s injury keep him out vs UNC?

Matthew Cleveland, Miami’s leading scorer at 16.3 points per game, has missed consecutive games due to a left ankle injury. Cleveland has started 19 of 26 games this season and averaged 26.4 points during a seven-game stretch from mid-January into mid-February. He had 32 points in the Hurricanes’ last win, a 91-84 victory against Syracuse. If the 6-foot-7 wing returns Saturday, UNC’s Drake Powell is likely to draw that defensive assignment.

Cade Tyson building confidence for Tar Heels

It hasn’t been the type of season Cade Tyson expected to have at UNC, but the Belmont transfer has shown signs of growth in…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/unc-basketball-vs-miami-score-090253052.html

Author : The Fayetteville Observer

Publish date : 2025-02-28 09:02:00

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