North Carolina vs. Florida State: College basketball game preview, TV schedule

CHAPEL HILL, NC - DECEMBER 06: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels directs his team during their game against the Western Carolina Catamounts at the Dean Smith Center on December 6, 2017 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina won 104-61. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

The Seminoles gave everything they had in a tough loss at Duke. Will the team have anything left emotionally against the Tar Heels?

TV schedule: Wednesday, Jan. 3 7:00 p.m. ET. ESPN2

Arena: Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee, Florida

There might not possibly be a tougher stretch for any team to start conference play than what Florida State 11-2 (0-1) has to deal with. After having to play in from of the Cameron Crazies at Duke, this week’s slate includes both UNC and Miami, both ranked in the top 15 in the country.

What makes the 100-93 loss really painful for Seminole fans is that two of their best players, Braian Angola (23 points) and Phil Cofer (28 points) each had career-highs. Add 15 three-pointers in that game, and Florida State couldn’t have done better offensively. The good news is that they won’t have to deal with a better offense for a long time.

Of course, that’s not saying that North Carolina 12-2 (1-0) can’t score at a high level either. The biggest reason has been Luke Maye, who’s become one of the top forwards in the country and is ranked No. 10 in Busting Brackets latest Player of the Year Rankings.

Alongside him is point guard Joel Berry, who averages over 17 ppg. He, with both Kenny Williams and Theo Pinson, form a great perimeter both on offense and defense.

The Tar Heels are currently seeded along the 2 line in the first Busting Brackets Bracketology edition. It’s not surprising considering the number of quality wins they already possess. Florida State is the 9 seed in the same region, which means as of now fans can rest easy, but could easily be out by the next Bracketology release.

Next: Missed chances theme in ACC power rankings

In some ways, this game will come down to the battle between Maye and Cofer, particular how the Seminole forward guards the ACC POY candidate. North Carolina survived at home versus Wake Forest in the last game played, but I suspect the Seminoles lock them down on defense in a defensive struggle. Look for Leonard Hamilton to get his team to bounce back.

Prediction: North Carolina 65 – Florida State 68

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