Arkansas vs North Carolina: 2023-24 college basketball game preview, TV schedule
By Joey Loose
It’s Arkansas against North Carolina in an intriguing third place matchup at the Battle 4 Atlantis; which of these teams salvages the trip to the Bahamas with another nice win?
TV schedule: Friday, November 24, 1:00 pm ET. ESPN2
Arena: Imperial Arena in Nassau, Bahamas
While they have been in the last three Sweet Sixteen’s, Arkansas (4-2) hasn’t played great basketball in the last week and really needs to get back on track. After three straight home wins to start the season, the Razorbacks lost a head-scratcher against UNC Greensboro before heading to the Bahamas. Their time at Atlantis has involved a double-overtime win against Stanford and a tough loss to Memphis.
Houston transfer Tramon Mark (16.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg) has been a major addition for the Razorbacks, though Temple transfer Khalif Battle (15.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg) just had 21 points off the bench in that Thursday loss to the Tigers. Another important piece is sophomore forward Trevon Brazile (11.4 ppg, 8.6 rpg) who missed a lot of last season but has been vital for Eric Musselman’s squad. Davonte Davis (9.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg) is hoping to continue making an impact and had 15 points on Thursday.
The Razorbacks sit at #20 in the AP Top 25 but will likely fall out of that poll next week. They’re down to 38th in the most recent KenPom update, ranking right around 40th in both offensive and defensive efficiency. During these recent struggles, they’ve been let down on both sides of the ball, with the shooting in particular dreadful since arriving at Atlantis.
A somewhat familiar foe awaits them, as North Carolina (4-1) is a team that’s seen the Razorbacks several times in the NCAA Tournament in recent memory. The Tar Heels got the season off to a solid start after last season’s disappointment but suffered their first loss of the year on Thursday in overtime to Villanova. Can they bounce back in this third place game?
The Tar Heels have plenty of talent on this roster though it starts with Armando Bacot (19.5 ppg, 12.0 rpg) who has been one of the nation’s best rebounders the last few seasons. Fellow longtime Tar Heel RJ Davis (14.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg) had a team-high 23 points against Villanova in that tough loss. Stanford transfer Harrison Ingram (13.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg) is still just a sophomore and had 20 against the Wildcats, while fellow transfer Cormac Ryan (9.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg) put up 18.
North Carolina enters play at #14 in the national rankings but likely falls a few spots, even with a win over the Razorbacks. These Tar Heels are sitting at 17th in the KenPom rankings, with the offensive looking just a bit better than the defense through nearly three weeks. They have been successful in limiting their opponents’ shooting, and Bacot makes this one of the nation’s better rebounding units.
Arkansas has been trending in the wrong direction across the last week and this is a major opportunity for them to turn things around. They barely survived a Stanford team that’s a few steps below these two squads, though it’s a matter of how consistent their defensive can be against the Tar Heels. Memphis was fantastic from inside the arc and this North Carolina squad can follow that blueprint.
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It’s still only November and it’s not dire straits for either of these teams, though this might be a more desperate Arkansas squad that could be dangerous. The Razorbacks are filled with talent, old and new, but those top two for the Tar Heels have been getting the job done. We’re leaning towards North Carolina to secure a trip-saving win over Arkansas.
Prediction: North Carolina 80, Arkansas 74