The Tar Heels take on a battle-tested team in the Bucknell Bison. If they’re not careful, they may have a fight on their hands.
TV schedule: Wednesday, Nov. 15, 8:00 p.m. ET. ACC Network
Arena: Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
The 9th ranked team in the country, North Carolina is 1-0 so far after an 86-69 victory against Northern Iowa. The star of the game was former walk-on phenom Luke Maye, who scored 26 points in just 28 minutes of play. He added ten rebounds for his double-double effort. Freshman Garrison Brooks chipped in 14 points and six boards.
Senior Theo Pinson struggled throughout the game, going 1/6 from the field and only putting up three points. That’s noticeable due to his starting backcourt mate Joey Berry out for a month after breaking his hand in frustration playing video games. He likely won’t be able to participate in the upcoming PK80 tournament.
But first, they have to take care of Bucknell, who return all of their top players from their first place Patriot League finish last year. A trio of seniors lead the way for the Bison, with Stephen Brown handling the point, Nana Foulland the top big man, and Zach Thomas the best overall player.
Although the Bison lost to Monmouth in a heartbreaking 79-78 defeat, Thomas busted out with a career-high 31 and 16. He followed it up with 24 points and ten boards in a 101-73 blowout against the Arkansas Razorbacks. While Bucknell is unlikely to be an at-large team, they are the prohibited favorite in the Patriot League this season and nothing has changed that view.
For North Carolina, the goal is to remain relatively healthy and set up a rotation for the foreseeable future. Is Maye going to be the best player on the Tar Heels before Berry returns? Also, who’s going to guard the Bison’s Thomas? At 6’7 he’s a potential mismatch for Roy Williams and UNC, who don’t have a Justin Jackson type player to deal with him.
Next: North Carolina 2017-18 preview
Bucknell has a legit chance to ruin a higher seeded team’s NCAA tournament if they can make it. Meanwhile, they’ll show the Tar Heels what might happen if underestimated. I’m not predicting an upset, but won’t be shocked if one occurred.
Prediction: North Carolina 86 – Bucknell 82