Heel Tough Blog: Wofford Preview
It’s game day for Carolina Basketball, as the Tar Heels return to action tonight at home against Wofford, looking to improve to 2-0 on the young 2026-27 season. Carolina opened the season, and the Michael Malone Era, on Monday with an 80-72 win over Western Carolina, in a game that was more tightly contested than it should’ve been, considering the Catamounts were picked to finish 8th in the SoCon this season. After the win, Michael Malone expressed his frustration with the rebounding woes that continue to plague UNC, with his team being outrebounded 41-32. It was the first time they were outrebounded at home by a mid-major program since the season-opening win over Winthrop, back to open the Matt Doherty Era, in 2000-01. With three days off in between games, and plenty of time to review the film and practice, there’s pressure on Carolina to show improvement from what we saw on Monday night.
Wofford will arrive in Chapel Hill, off a 90-59 loss to Tennessee back on Tuesday night, knowing they have an opportunity to secure a third straight win at UNC. The Terriers were ultimately blown out by the Vols, but they trailed 34-30 at the break, and they themselves controlled the glass for the majority of the first half, meaning they should be able to compete with Carolina on the glass. Wofford was picked to finish third in SoCon this year, and they had two players earn preseason all-conference honors, in guards Cam Lowe and Chace Whatley.
When you have a roster that costs over $20 million dollars, and you’re paying your coach over $8 million dollars, patience isn’t something that exists with a fan base as passionate as the UNC fan base. With that being said, there needs to be a grace period, and allow this roster, which features 11 new players, to learn each other and how to play with each other. Malone said after the win on Monday that this is a team that takes three steps forward and then two steps back, something that we saw plenty under Roy Williams, but NIL and rev-share have changed expectations, and the patience level within a fan base, and even the media that covers the team.
This is the second straight game at home, as Carolina opens the season on a six-game homestand, the longest such homestand to open a season, and the longest homestand in the history of the Dean Dome. Here’s how Carolina can snap a two-game losing streak at home to Wofford and improve to 2-0 under Michael Malone:
Control the Tempo: In the win over Western Carolina, Carolina only played 71 possessions, but they scored on 36 of them, and averaged over 1.2 points per possession. For all the offensive issues in the half-court, this team needs to generate scoring opportunities in the open floor and utilize their length and athleticism in transition. The best way to run is to generate misses and secure defensive rebounds, which has been a struggle for this Carolina team in the preseason and in the regular season. Michael Malone did throw out a little full-court press for a possession or two, but with Keita in foul trouble, opted to go away from it. Wofford is going to want to limit possessions and make this a 60-65 possession game. Carolina can win that way, but they are better equipped to play a higher possession game, so they need to be proactive about finding ways to speed the game up.
Defend the Perimeter: Western Carolina shot 41% from behind the arc on Monday, on 10 made triples as well. Against Tennessee, Wofford was only 6-27, but they will look to attack Carolina from beyond the three-point line. There will be many lineups that Wofford will put on the court, where all 5 guys are capable of making shots from the outside, so we’ll see how Keita and Samodurov handle themselves on the perimeter. Regardless, Carolina can’t allow Wofford to get hot from the perimeter, or like on Monday, they’ll find themselves in a dogfight deep in the second half.
Compete on the Glass: 41-32. That was the rebounding advantage that Western Carolina had over UNC earlier this week, and that was after Charlotte outrebounded North Carolina 36-30 in exhibition play. Jarin Stevenson and Sayon Keita combined for just 4 rebounds again, drawing the ire of Michael Malone after the game. On Tuesday night, Wofford was outrebounded by Tennessee 42-34, but the Terriers won the battle on the offensive glass, 13-11. Evan Ramsey and Cutter Sisk are two names to watch tonight, as both are 6-9 or taller, and both weigh 265 pounds, which will prove to be a test for a thin UNC front line. Carolina is getting the rebounding it needs from Avdalas and Terrence Brown, but there needs to be more from Stevenson and Keita for this team to hold it’s own on the glass.
Series History:
The Tar Heels are 4-2 all-time against Wofford, but just 3-2 in Chapel Hill, with Wofford having won the last two times, once in the Smith Center, the other in Carmichael.
KenPom:
North Carolina - 50th overall. Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 114.4 (42nd); Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 97.1 (56th)
Wofford - 290th overall. Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 99.9 (264th); Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 110.9 (316th)
TV Info:
Tonight’s game airs on the ACC Network, with the tip set for 7 PM.
The Four Corners Podcast:
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