North Carolina vs. UCLA: 2018-19 College basketall game preview, TV schedule
After disappointing losses, North Carolina and UCLA battle for 3rd place in the Las Vegas Invitational. Which blue blood program leaves the event going 0-2?
TV schedule: Friday, November 23, 4:00 pm ET. Check Local Listings
Arena: Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada
Arguably the best college basketball game on Thanksgiving day was the battle between North Carolina and Texas in the semifinals of the Las Vegas Invitational. It was a high-scoring game with the teams going back-and-forth but a missed three-pointer by Luke Maye gave the Longhorns the edge. The Tar Heels fell with a final score of 92-89, unable to overcome Kerwin Roach’s career-high 32 points.
Freshman guard Coby White had a phenomenal game, leading all scorer with 33 points on 7/10 three-point shooting. Senior Cam Johnson had 16 points while Maye finished with 11 and nine rebounds on 5/15 shooting.
While UNC was competitive in their loss, that can’t be said for UCLA, who was destroyed in their semifinals matchup with the Michigan State Spartans. The margin of defeat was 20 points but the Bruins were down by nearly 30 in the first half, getting destroyed on the three-point line. Kris Wilkes led the team with 15 points but freshman center Moses Brown had just five points in the game, his most disappointing effort thus far. With the team having four easy games to start the season, they failed their first real test of the 2018-19 season.
With so many underclassmen expected to get major minutes in this game, there will be a ton of unknowns about who’ll be the x-factor that could turn the tide on this game. This could be the big opportunity for First-Team All-ACC performer Luke Maye to remind folks why he was a favorite to win the Conference Player of the Year Award in the preseason. So far, he hasn’t been as good with opponents focusing more and more on him defensively. But with such a young UCLA frontcourt with limited defensive skills, Maye could have one of those 30-point and 15-rebound efforts that he had numerous times last year.
PAC-12 Power Rankings. dark. Next
The Pac-12 has struggled as a league while the ACC has looked like one of the best conferences in the country as expected. Even with a loss, UNC will have plenty of chances to get quality win. Not so much for UCLA. And while the Tar Heels still need work on the defensive end, the Bruins need even more work. North Carolina should win this one easily.