Heel Tough Blog: Virginia Tech Preview

@UNCMBBStats

After outlasting Louisville on Monday night, the Tar Heels are back in action this evening at home against Virginia Tech, as the final homestand of the season moves forward. The win over Louisville was highlighted by the best game of Seth Trimble’s career from a scoring perspective, as the senior guard scored 30 points, on 11-16 shooting. After getting down 23-13 early on, Carolina went on an extended 43-17 run to build a 56-40 lead, before going on to win 77-74, as poor free-throw shooting got the Cardinals back into the game. The win improved UNC to 3-1 without Caleb Wilson, and it was reported during Monday’s game that he will be back on the floor next Saturday at Duke. 

If Virginia Tech has any hope of making the NCAA Tournament, they need a win over  UNC tonight to start its march towards hearing its name called on Selection Sunday. The Hokies are 18-10 on the season, including being 7-8 in the ACC, and according to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, the Hokies are among his “Next Four Out” for NCAA Tournament consideration. The Hokies are a well-balanced scoring team, as they have 5 players who average double figures in scoring, led by Amani Hansberry, and his 14.7 points per game. The other Hokies to average double figures include Ben Hammond (12.6), Neoklis Avdalas (12.1), Toni Lawal (11.9), and Jailen Bedford (11.4). 

The win over Louisville was the best win without Caleb Wilson, but it also showed two key areas this team has to improve upon if they want to play deep into the NCAA Tournament. They were able to win the game, despite shooting 9-19 at the foul line, which led Hubert Davis to say he has to pray for his team to improve their foul shooting. The other area where this team continues to struggle is on the glass, as they were outrebounded by 9, including 16-7 on the offensive glass. That set the scene for Wednesday’s practice, where Hubert Davis addressed his team before they took the floor, talking about the importance of them improving on the glass, as the regular season winds down, and tournament play is on the horizon. 

The quest for perfection at home will be tested for the second-to-final time this season, with Senior Night on Tuesday against Clemson. Carolina has been at their best inside the Smith Center this season, earning marquee wins over Kansas, Duke, Louisville, and others. Here’s how they stay unbeaten, against a team desperate for a season-defining win. 

1. Seth Trimble Stay Aggressive: Henri Veesaar’s return has opened up the floor more for Carolina’s guards, and they need to take advantage of that. In the win over Syracuse last Saturday, Seth Trimble only took one shot in the first half before scoring 13 points in the second half, leading UNC to the win. On Monday, he scored a career-high 30 points, with 16 in the first half and 14 in the second half. That aggression needs to carry over into tonight’s game, as they are in more need of his scoring, with Wilson sidelined. When he’s aggressive, it makes the game easier for his backcourt mate, Derek Dixon, as well as Luka Bogavac, who has found more rhythm and consistency in the second half of the season. The shot over Duke was a career-defining moment for Trimble. The win over Louisville was a career-defining game for him. What UNC needs is for those two moments to become part of a career-defining stretch, with his final home game on Tuesday night. 

2. Be Prepared Defensively: What makes Virginia Tech so hard to guard is that there’s hardly a time when there’s not a capable scorer on the floor. Not only do they have 5 double-digit scorers, but they have 7 players that average nearly 8 points per game, and they’ll need all that offensive firepower on display tonight. That means that Carolina needs to be locked in from the start, and it probably means that they can’t double-team anyone, because the ball will be able to find a Hokie that can put the ball in the basket. 

3. Free Throws: Carolina has won their last two games, despite shooting 54% from the foul line and 47% from the foul line, respectively, but that won’t last too much longer. With nearly 5 days in between games, you can imagine that this has been a big talking point and an emphasis in practice, but there’s only so much the coaching staff can do. This simply comes down to being tough enough to make shots, while not being guarded. 

Series History: 

• Carolina is 74-17 all-time against Virginia Tech, with a 21-7 mark against the Hokies since they joined the ACC. In Chapel Hill, Carolina is 34-6, including being 9-1 in the Smith Center. 

KenPom: 

• North Carolina - 28th overall. Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 122.1 (32nd) Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 100.7 (39th) 

• Virginia Tech - 58th overall. Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 116.7 (71st) Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 103.0 (58th) 

NET: 

• North Carolina - 26th. 

• Virginia Tech - 53rd. 

TV Info: 

• Tonight’s game will tip at 8:30 on ESPN2. 

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