The Tar Heels return to action later tonight, as they host Campbell in the finale of the non-conference portion of the season, with ACC play starting on Wednesday. It’s been a week since we last saw UNC on the basketball court, and it was arguably the biggest win of the season, as they erased a 16-point deficit in the second half, to beat UCLA, who was ranked inside the top-20 at the time, to earn their most significant win of the 2024-25 season to date. In the game, Ian Jackson continued his emergence as a difference maker for this team, and in the process, unlocked a four-guard lineup that could turn the season around for the Tar Heels, who find themselves 7-5, after starting the season ranked inside the top-10.
Campbell enters tonight’s game with a 5-7 record, with their most recognizable wins coming against Navy and Green Bay. The Fighting Camels only have one player that’s averaging double figures scoring in Jasin Sinani, who leads them in scoring (12.4), and in rebounding (5.3). To further prove their struggles so far this season, Campbell is among the nation’s worst rebounding teams, averaging just over 31 rebounds per game. UNC has played quality non-conference competition this season, which has tested the team in more ways than one, Unfortunately, that can’t be said about tonight’s opponent, who is traveling to Chapel Hill, to collect a paycheck, to help finance their own program.
One of the issues with the non-conference schedule that Carolina put together this season has been all the time off in between games, it hasn’t really allowed this team to find a rhythm on either of the floor, Carolina is once again coming off another long break, but the rest should be looked at as a positive thing, because after tonight, it’s 19 straight games against ACC competition, before the ACC Tournament, which may determine UNC’s NCAA Tournament standing. The team went its separate ways after the UCLA game but gathered back in the Smith Center on December 26th to begin preparation for tonight’s game, which should erase any of the holiday hangover possibilities.
Many people believe that the win over UCLA was a turning point for the Tar Heels this season, and ultimately the next couple of months will determine just that. Carolina doesn’t have any bad losses, but the UCLA win, was just their second quality win, after squandering chances against Kansas, Michigan State, and Flordia. The four-guard lineup may be what saves this season, but there are still things that need to be corrected with that lineup on the floor, and that is what tonight offers. A chance to clean things up on both ends of the floor, before the start of conference play. Here’s what to watch when the team takes the court for the final time in 2024 later this evening:
Fast Start: Assuming that Hubert Davis starts the lineup that finished the game against UCLA, it’s fair to expect a quicker start than what we’ve seen from this team so far this year. Once again against UCLA, Carolina trailed by double-digits in the opening frame, and by as many as 16 in the second half, before completing the comeback. Hubert Davis has been adamant about that style of play not being sustainable, and he’s been proven correct. With Ian Jackson on the floor, there is a different energy on the floor with this team, that everyone responds to in a positive manner. With that being said, this is not a game where Carolina should fall behind and have to work themselves back into the game. This team is capable of dictating the way the game is going to be played across the entirety of 40 minutes. Tonight would be a good time to start doing just that.
Dominate the Glass: The biggest hindrance to playing four guards, is that it opens you up to be dominated on the glass, but that shouldn’t be the case tonight. On paper, Carolina is +8 in the rebounding department, despite their leading rebounder being Seth Trimble, at 4.8 per game. On the other side, Campbell is among the worst rebounding teams in college basketball, averaging just 31.2 rebounds per game as a team. Carolina is still looking for answers at the 5 spot, even though Ven-Allen Lubin has done a solid job, despite being undersized. If there’s any hope of Jalen Washington starting to look like the player the staff had hoped he’d be back in the preseason, tonight is the final chance for him to get some confidence in himself, before ACC play. Nonetheless, this shouldn’t be a game that is competitive on the backboards.
Perimeter Shooting: The Tar Heels have yet to shoot the ball well from the outside, and that needs to change before league play begins. Ian Jackson is shooting over 40% but expect that number to dip, as his volume in shots begins to uptick. Both RJ Davis and Elliot Cadeau are shooting under 30% from behind the arc this season. That’s not sustainable in terms of leading to wins on a nightly basis, once the calendar turns to 2025. With more guards on the floor, hopefully, it generates better looks from the outside, because this team will need to shoot its way to wins, with as little frontcourt production as they’ve gotten so far this season.
Series History:
This is the first-ever meeting between UNC and Campbell.
KenPom:
North Carolina - 28th overall. Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 118.8 (20th) Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 98.5 (49th)
Campbell - 295th overall. Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 98.7 (325th) Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 109.5 (225th)
NET:
North Carolina - 32nd.
Campbell - 316th.
TV Info:
Tonight’s game will start at 8 PM and will be televised on the ACC Network.
The Four Corners Podcast:
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