North Carolina vs. Louisville: 2018-19 College basketball game preview, TV schedule

North Carolina returns home to play Louisville after winning four-straight including its first two ACC games while the Cardinals have won one at home and lost another on the road.

TV Schedule: Saturday, Jan. 12, Noon ET, ESPN

Arena: Dean E. Smith Center, Chapel Hill, NC

North Carolina was 8-3 at one point after falling to Kentucky in the CBS Sports Classic. It was a classic hangover after defeating Gonzaga at Chapel Hill. The Wildcats were due for a quality win and both are classic blue blood programs. The Tar Heels knocked off Davidson, Harvard, Pittsburgh on the road and then battled rival North Carolina State for a great road game.

Louisville has picked up some nice wins this season. They beat Michigan State at home and Seton Hall on the road. The Cardinals had a winning streak snapped by Kentucky as well in a classic rival game. Louisville was able to knock off Miami, but the Hurricanes aren’t really a good team this year. Then they went to overtime and lost to Pittsburgh.

It’s really hard to figure out the Cardinals right now. They got swept in their early-season Tournament by Tennessee and Marquette. Louisville also lost at Assembly Hall to Indiana. None are bad losses. But they should’ve beaten the Panthers. It’s an ACC road game, but if Chris Mack wants to take Louisville to the Tournament in his second season, he needs some good ACC wins.

North Carolina had three losses at the end of December and everyone was freaking out. Texas was the first loss at the Las Vegas Invitational. The Longhorns were good at the time, but are really struggling to score points right now. Nothing new for Shaka Smart. Back on point. The Tar Heels have four true road wins which are more than a lot of teams right now. UNC has two quality wins and UCLA could get better by racking up wins in the Pac-12. If you count Texas as a good team, there aren’t any bad losses.

This is the least experienced Louisville team we have seen in a while. A few guys are transfers and most haven’t averaged more than six points per game in their Cardinals career. Ryan McMahon and V.J. King were expected to be the main players this year. McMahon is fifth with eight points per game, to go along with 2.5 assists and 23 three-pointers. King is buried with 5.5 points per game and three boards.

North Carolina had all the expectations to be a final four team again. Luke Maye was one of the preseason All-Americans for his scoring, offensive rebounding and potential to shoot the three. He about a rebound or two short of averaging a double-double. He’s just under 15 points per game, has made 18 three-pointers and is averaging just over two offensive boards per game.

The return of Cameron Johnson and Kenny Williams made UNC great as well. Johnson leads the team with 16 points, almost six boards two assists and 39 made three-pointers. He did fall because of an injury against the Wolfpack, but it ended up just being cramps which is wonderful news. Williams, on the other hand, has been struggling to find his shot all season with under 10 points per game and just 16 three-pointers.

Jordan Nwora is the man for Louisville. He was a top-100 recruit last year and went from under six points per game to over 17 this season. Nwora stands at six-foot-eight, averaging eight boards and has made 31 three-pointers. Mack has to be really pleased with what he’s getting out of his sophomore that can extend defenses. Christen Cunningham is the only other Cardinal in double-figures. He’s a grad transfer from Samford who averaged over 11 points per game there and is now Louisville’s starting point guard.

I could go on and on about all the other great players for North Carolina. Nassir Little was one of the best recruits this year but hasn’t started at all because Roy Williams doesn’t trust him. Coby White is the freshman that is starting, playing the point guard position, shoots the deep ball well but has attempted 78 from the outside. Garrison Brooks is the last guy I’ll mention because he’s taken a giant leap from last season’s freshman campaign. The sophomore is averaging nine points per game, six boards while grabbing over two offensive rebounds per game.

North Carolina has a super deep bench. There are 16 guys that have played in at least 10 games. They normally bring about five off the bench though. Louisville plays a very strong nine with a possible tenth here and there. The Cardinals lack of experience will play a role on the road, but they have guys that can make shots. As long as Nwora is doing his thing, Louisville should stay in the game. But North Carolina has serious talent to pull away late.

Prediction: North Carolina 83, Louisville 76