ACC Basketball: Red hot Seminoles take on Tar Heels in Chapel Hill

Can the one-loss Seminoles remain unbeaten in ACC basketball play at North Carolina?

The No. 9 Florida State Seminoles head to Chapel Hill to square off against the No. 11 North Carolina Tar Heels at 2 p.m. ET Saturday afternoon. This contest features two of the three highest-ranked ACC teams at the moment, according to the latest AP Poll. Both are ranked in the top three in the ACC standings as well.

The visiting Seminoles are the hottest team in college basketball right now. Florida State has won 12 straight games, including three straight games against ranked ACC opponents. Five weeks ago, FSU was unranked. Two weeks ago, this group was ranked No. 20 in the nation. Now, they are a fierce top-10 opponent that looks virtually unbeatable. They are currently 16-1 and have the second most wins in the NCAA.

The depth on Florida State’s squad this season is unbelievable. 13 players average at least 7.5 minutes per game and average 3.4 or more points per game. The ‘Noles have possibly the nation’s deepest team.

Florida State has a fantastic scoring trio in Dwayne Bacon (team-leading 17.8 points), Jonathan Isaac (12.1 points), and Xavier Rathan-Mayes (11.1 points). Although Florida State is a very deep group, these three typically lead the team in the scoring column.

The explosive and high-scoring offense Florida State runs is the most preeminent aspect of their game. Their 86.7 points per game ranks as the 13th best in the nation and second-best among ACC teams — behind North Carolina. The aforementioned trio contributes to over 47 percent of the teams points.

As fantastic as the Seminoles’ offense is, they struggle virtually everywhere else. They allow nearly 70 points per game on average and grab under 40 rebounds per game. The former ranks outside the top-100 in the nation, while the latter ranks as 70th in the country.

The hosting Tar Heels have won their three most recent ACC contests after suffering a shocking 12-point upset at Georgia Tech. They currently stand at 15-3. This will be their first match-up against a ranked ACC opponent.

North Carolina will be without their most impactful freshman in forward Tony Bradley (concussion), who averages 8.1 points per game and 5.7 rebounds per game. There is no timetable for when Bradley will return after suffering a concussion in the first half against Wake Forest on Wednesday.

Forward Justin Jackson leads all scorers for UNC, as the junior averages 17.7 points per game. Junior guard Joel Berry II leads the team in assists (4.6) and steals (1.5). His 15.6 points per game is second on the team.

North Carolina’s senior big men have been beyond outstanding this year. Kennedy Meeks is averaging nearly a double-double with 12.9 points per game and 9.7 rebounds per game. The 6’10”, 260 pound paint presence has posted a double-double on six occasions this year. Isaiah Hicks averages 12.2 points per game, the third highest on the team, while shooting a team-best 60 percent from the field.

Unlike Florida State, North Carolina brings a much more balanced attack. They rank inside the top 10 nationally in points per game (89.3), own an NCAA-best 45.6 rebounds per game and average 18.6 assists per game.

The Tar Heels are the heavy favorite in this contest, as Vegas makes them a seven and a half point favorite. Despite being the lower ranked team, North Carolina does have home court advantage at the Dean Smith Center, one of college basketball’s most hostile environments. Additionally, the Tar Heels are significantly better on the glass, and rebounding can completely change the outcome of a game.

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While Florida State is cruising on a colossal winning streak and has better depth, it is difficult to favor the Seminoles. I project a Tar Heels victory by no more than five points. It may take more than 40 minutes to determine the winner of this game.