ACC Basketball: UNC takes step closer to league title with win over Louisville

UNC has a two-game lead on Louisville, Duke, Florida State and Notre Dame for the ACC basketball regular season title.

In what was supposed to be the game of the night in college basketball, the No. 8 North Carolina Tar Heels defeated the No. 7 Louisville Cardinals rather handily, 74-63, in Chapel Hill.

Roy Williams’ team is now one step closer to an ACC regular season title as they improved to 24-5 overall and 12-3 in the ACC and has a two-game lead on Louisville, Duke, Florida State and Notre Dame.

North Carolina was led by Justin Jackson (21 points on 6-of-17 shooting), Joel Berry II (15 points on 5-of-13 shooting), Kennedy Meeks (14 points and 10 rebounds) and Theo Pinson (13 points and six rebounds). They shot 37 percent from the field, 39 percent from beyond the arc, had 10 assists on 23 field goals and completely outplayed the Cardinals on the glass (46-33 in rebounding category).

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Meanwhile, the Cardinals had just one player who scored in double figures (Donovan Mitchell with 21 points) and they shot an ugly 5-of-20 from beyond the arc. Add in 16 turnovers, and it’s tough to win on the road against a top 10 team with limited offensive production.

But this night was all about the Tar Heels’ ability on the offensive end of the floor. When everyone is clicking (Meeks and Berry have been inconsistent all year), this is a team that is tough to defend. Jackson can knock down threes, attack the basket and create his own shot. Berry is the quarterback of the offense, as he can score (from both downtown and on pull ups) and distribute to his teammates. Meeks, Tony Bradley and Isaiah Hicks all have the strength, size and touch to score inside. And with Pinson finally healthy, the Tar Heels have another player that can occasionally score a decent chunk of points.

Even Louisville, who is fifth in the KenPom ratings in adjusted defensive efficiency, had difficulty stopping the Tar Heels’ offensive attack.

This win also bodes well for UNC’s chances of earning a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament. Why? Not only does the ACC’s regular season champion deserve a number one seed, but UNC’s resume is stellar — they have nine top 50 wins and 14 top 100 wins. Their RPI is three and their strength of schedule is 18th nationally. With games against Pittsburgh, Virginia and Duke remaining, the Tar Heels are in solid shape heading into March.

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The Cardinals are also a team in contention for a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament, but they are on the outside looking in even with winnable games against Syracuse, Wake Forest and Notre Dame coming up. Rick Pitino’s team has work to do.

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