North Carolina vs Purdue: 2021-22 college basketball game preview, TV schedule
By Joey Loose
North Carolina and Purdue match up at the Hall of Fame Tip-off Tournament; will the Tar Heels or Boilermakers get a huge early win this season?
TV schedule: Saturday, November 20, 4:00 pm ET. ESPNN
Arena: Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut
Their record may be unblemished, but the early going hasn’t been easy for North Carolina (3-0). First-year head coach Hubert Davis has won his first three games, but the last two have been much closer than expected, winning battles last Friday against Brown and a few days ago on the road at Charleston. How will the Tar Heels respond against a much better opponent?
North Carolina has had no issues scoring the ball, with guard Caleb Love (19.0 ppg, 4.3 apg) leading the way offensively. The Tar Heels have a pair of very talented forwards, with Oklahoma transfer Brady Manek (17.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg) and junior Armando Bacot (18.0 ppg, 9.3 rpg), who led the way with 24 points and 12 rebounds in that battle with the Cougars a few days ago.
The Tar Heels sit at 18th in the most recent AP Top 25, but the ratings system don’t hold them in such high regard, sitting way down at 52nd in the most recent KenPom ratings. According to those ratings, their defense isn’t even top 100, though the offense has held its own, averaging 90.3 points per game. The play hasn’t been fantastic to this point, but these forwards are tough and the Tar Heels can still put things together.
On the other side, Purdue (3-0) has certainly looked like one of the best teams in the nation this season, even if they’ve yet to really be tested to this point. The Boilermakers have taken care of their first three games of the year, all against mid-majors at home, highlighted by blowing out a solid Wright State program by 44 points this past Tuesday.
These Boilermakers have really come together, led by a pair of sophomore standouts. Center Zach Edey (18.7 ppg, 10.3 rpg) has been a real force while guard Jaden Ivey (15.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg) is developing into a real star at Purdue, scoring 27 points in a win over Indiana State. There are playmakers all over this lineup, with senior guard Sasha Stefanovic (13.7 ppg) establishing himself as a sharpshooter and senior forward Trevion Williams (11.7 ppg, 9.3 rpg) putting up a 20-point, 13-rebound effort against Wright State.
Purdue is living up to the hype so far, sitting at 6th in the AP Top 25 and 4th in the most recent KenPom ratings. Their offensive is dynamic, ranking 2nd in offensive efficiency, with the Boilermakers shooting the lights out of the ball in their first three games. It’s still early and it was all against mid-major programs, but this Purdue team is making waves already.
For the Tar Heels, the immediate question is if their defense can figure things out against one of the best offenses in the nation. The Boilermakers have been shooting at a high rate this season, and their defense really came together in their most recent game. North Carolina needs to find a way to utilize their star forwards, though Edey is waiting for them in the post.
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If Purdue plays smart offense, then they shouldn’t have trouble dealing with this North Carolina defense. This may be a matchup of two ranked teams, but North Carolina finds itself overmatched in this showdown. The Tar Heels haven’t been forcing turnovers and will need to win that battle to take home the victory against an efficient Boilermakers offense. It’s hard to imagine things suddenly coming together in North Carolina, though this should be a competitive game.