North Carolina has a quick turnover after a comeback road win over Tennessee. Will the team be focused to beat a Wofford team with a lethal scorer?
TV schedule: Wednesday, Dec. 20, 9:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Arena: Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
The No. 5 North Carolina Tar Heels (10-1) survived a tough test in Knoxville to Tennessee, escaping with a 78-73 win. Joel Berry led all scorers with 21 points, while Kenny Williams and Luke Maye each chipped in with 15.
Roy Williams and UNC trailed for most of the game, but it was the defense of the Tar Heels that changed their fortunes, as the Vols were limited to just a few made field goals in the final eight minutes.
The biggest development may have come from the youngsters in the frontcourt. Freshmen Garrison Brooks and Sterling Manley combined for 19 points and 16 rebounds in the win. This is important because, as of now, Maye has been the only consistent post threat.
Even with Pitt grad transfer Cam Johnson coming back (potential small 4 in a lineup), at least one other frontcourt player needs to be a reliable option for coach Williams to have down the road.
As UNC gets these issues handled before league play starts, they take on a Wofford (7-4) team who already has taken out an ACC team. The Terriers as a basketball team do not pose too much of a threat, but 6’4 shooting guard Fletcher Magee is one of the best players in the country no one heard of.
The junior currently averages 24.1 ppg and has yet to score less than 14 points in any game this season. He’s yet to miss a free throw (29/29), and has made 52/90 three-pointers already, good for 58%. In the two games against power conference teams, Magee dropped 32 points in a loss at Cal and scored 36 in the upset win over Georgia Tech.
Next: ACC power rankings heading into Christmas
The game plan for North Carolina is very simple. If Theo Pinson (likely the one tapped to guard Magee) can slow down the leading scorer, this game will get ugly. And even if Magee still goes off, the Tar Heels can still win in a shootout. This game comes down to whether they fully moved past the Tennessee game. With the vets on this team, that’s likely to happen.
Prediction: North Carolina 82 – Wofford 64