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NCAA Basketball: North Carolina, Kentucky clash in Las Vegas

By Drew Dinnhaupt

Dec 7, 2016; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari talks with guard De'Aaron Fox (0) and guard Malik Monk (5) during the game against the Valparaiso Crusaders in the second half at Rupp Arena. Kentucky defeated Valparaiso 87-63. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 7, 2016; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari talks with guard De'Aaron Fox (0) and guard Malik Monk (5) during the game against the Valparaiso Crusaders in the second half at Rupp Arena. Kentucky defeated Valparaiso 87-63. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports /
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We may find out how good the Kentucky Wildcats truly are on Saturday, as they face UNC in an NCAA basketball top 10 showdown.

Two programs rich in history and tradition, 6th-ranked North Carolina and 7th-ranked Kentucky clash in one of the best non-conference games all year. The consensus top 10 teams are a combined 19-2, with those two losses, one from each team, coming to opponents ranked inside the top 10 in the most recent AP poll (Indiana and UCLA).

Related Story: Kentucky rolls through Hofstra in Brooklyn

The group from Chapel Hill, technically the road team in this match-up, was fantastic to start the year, but has struggled as of late. The Tar Heels got off to a 7-0 start, including double-digit blowouts over 17th ranked Wisconsin and Oklahoma State, and defeated teams by an average margin of 30.1 points. A 9-point loss at Assembly Hall is the lone loss for the Tar Heels.

Despite the incredible start, UNC has not looked like the same team recently, and it was evident in their two most recent games against Davidson and Tennessee. UNC defeated Davidson (5-3) by only nine. The Tar Heels shot only 37 percent from the field and were outscored in the second half.

North Carolina looked terrible against a 5-4 Tennessee team, winning by just two points and were down by as many as 15 points in the first half. The comeback effort surely was excellent, but North Carolina, ideally, shouldn’t struggle against teams like Davidson and Tennessee, especially at home.

UNC is led by junior forward Justin Jackson (15.5 points), a Wooden Award watch list nominee.

Junior guard Joel Berry II has stepped into a new role on this squad, being the secondary scorer this year. In addition to his 14.8 points per game and 4.8 assists per game, he is shooting 49 percent from the field and 42 percent from downtown.

Their front court consists of Isaiah Hicks (12.7 points), Kennedy Meeks (12.5 points, 9.3 rebounds) and freshman Tony Bradley (9.3 points). The trio accounts for 45 percent of UNC’s rebounds per game, which ranks 4th in the nation (45.5).

As a group, North Carolina is magnificent statistically. The Tar Heels rank inside the top 20 in both points per game (88.0) and assists per game (18.3). Their 66.8 points allowed per game is the 80th best in the nation, and they have held teams to under 70 points on seven occasions this year.

Kentucky, who was once ranked number one in the nation, heavily relies on their phenomenal core of freshman to lead their team. Three of their top four scorers are new freshman faces on campus.

Guard Malik Monk (19.2 points) has been shooting much better than people thought he would. Monk is taking about 15 shots per game and is shooting 47 percent from the field. Monk is the team’s primary shooter, though he was known more for his athleticism and slashing ability in high school.

Sophomore guard Isaiah Briscoe has improved significantly from last year. His 16.6 points per game are a seven point increase from 2015-16.

The team’s best all-around player has undoubtedly been De’Aaron Fox, who recently had the first Kentucky triple-double since 1988. His stats,15.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.9 rebounds, are SEC Player of the Year caliber. Even though his offensive production has been magnificent, his defense is even better.

The Wildcats are unbelievable offensively. Their 94.4 points per game is the third best in the nation. Kentucky has posted over 90 points on seven occasions this season. They also rank in the top 10 nationwide in both assists per game and rebounds per game.

Kentucky’s defense is surely a different story. John Calipari’s group ranks outside the top 125 in the country for points allowed per game. Low-major programs like Cleveland State, UT-Martin and Hofstra were all able to post over 70 points when facing Kentucky.

These two programs could not match-up more evenly. Not only do their rankings fall consecutively, their stats are nearly identical in points per game, assists per game, rebounds per game, points allowed per game and field goal percentage.

Next: Five games to watch on a superb Saturday in college hoops

This game is complete toss-up when it comes to predicting the victor, but because of Kentucky’s dominant offense, I think the Wildcats slightly edge the Tar Heels. Make sure to tune into CBS on Saturday!

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