UNC Basketball: Keys to victory for Tar Heels on the road at UNCW

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CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 06: Garrison Brooks #15 of the North Carolina Tar Heels blocks a shot by TJ Gibbs #10 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half at the Dean Smith Center on November 06, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina won 76-65. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

2. Overwhelm the Seahawks with Size

North Carolina’s primary lineup features 6-foot-7 Justin Pierce, 6-foot-8 Leaky Black, 6-foot-9 Garrison Brooks, and 6-foot-10 Armando Bacot. On the bench, Brandon Huffman (6-foot-10) and Walker Miller (6-foot-11) can also give the Tar Heels size.

That’s a problem for a UNCW team who saw Devontae Cacok — who led the Seahawks in points (15.2), rebounds (12.3) and blocks (0.7) per game last year — graduate over the offseason, leaving UNCW with a roster lacking in interior size. Redshirt sophomore and Valparaiso transfer Marten Linssen, who stands at 6-foot-8, is the Seahawks’ tallest player, which is a problem when going up against a perennial top rebounding team full of ACC talent.

UNCW hauled in 55 rebounds in their opener against Johnson & Wales, but UNC isn’t some Division-III from Charlotte. The Seahawks can out-rebound a lesser basketball program, but not a UNC team that just out-rebounded a strong Notre Dame team 51-31 on Wednesday (and managed to out-board both Winston-Salem State and Villanova in the team’s two exhibitions).

Brooks and Bacot will provide the Heels with two huge matchup advantages throughout the game, advantages that they should capitalize on. UNC doesn’t need to ditch its perimeter game, but attacking the basket and feeding the post shouldn’t be turned down.

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