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UNC basketball: 2018-19 keys to winning at Wake Forest

By Jason Burgess

CHAPEL HILL, NC - FEBRUARY 09: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts in the second half of their game against the Miami Hurricanes at Dean Smith Center on February 9, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. UNC won 88-85 in OT. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NC - FEBRUARY 09: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts in the second half of their game against the Miami Hurricanes at Dean Smith Center on February 9, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. UNC won 88-85 in OT. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /
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CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA – FEBRUARY 11: Sterling Manley #21 of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts during the second half of a game against the Virginia Cavaliers at the Dean Smith Center on February 11, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Virginia won 69-61. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA – FEBRUARY 11: Sterling Manley #21 of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts during the second half of a game against the Virginia Cavaliers at the Dean Smith Center on February 11, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Virginia won 69-61. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

UNC Basketball is looking to bounce back from a loss to Virginia when they travel to Wake Forest on Saturday. Here are the keys to a Tar Heels’ win.

North Carolina (19-5, 9-2) had a chance on Monday to knock off Virginia and officially proclaim the ACC a 3-team race, but, when Coby White’s three-pointer, that would’ve given the Tar Heels a 62-59 lead at the under four-minute media timeout was disallowed, UNC Basketball only scored two more points and fell 69-61.

They still have two shots at Duke to have a say in who wins the regular-season title, first at Cameron Indoor on Feb. 20 and then in the regular-season finale on March 9 at home. But first, Roy Williams’ team will look to get back on the winning track on Saturday when they travel to Wake Forest (9-14,2-9) to take on the Demon Deacons.

It’s not as this loss knocked UNC out of the conversation, with it being their first chance at Virginia or Duke this season, it did knock them down the hill a bit. Four of the team’s five losses have come to teams that are currently ranked in the top 16 in the country, they also have a convincing 13-point win over No. 3 Gonzaga in their back pocket.

The Tar Heels can’t afford to overlook Wake Forest and ahead to their matchup with Duke on Wednesday. Despite the difference in records, the Demon Deacons’ two league wins have come at home, against a nationally ranked N.C. State and Pittsburgh. They have also knocked off a Davidson team that looks to have taken control of the Atlantic 10, that was in Winston-Salem as well. Here are some keys to ensure UNC doesn’t get caught taking Wake Forest too lightly.

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