UNC Basketball: 3 takeaways from shootout victory over Tennessee Vols

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 29: Harrison Ingram #55 and Elliot Cadeau #2 of the North Carolina Tar Heels react during the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers at the Dean E. Smith Center on November 29, 2023 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

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UNC Basketball forward Harrison Ingram (55) and guard Elliot Cadeau Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

UNC Basketball earned a huge early season win Wednesday night over Tennessee, racing out to a 22-point halftime lead before hanging on to win by eight.

In notching their second straight win against a ranked SEC foe, the Heels got contributions up and down the roster, and their win helped the ACC salvage a tie in the first-ever ACC-SEC Challenge.

More than just being a shiny bauble on the Tar Heels’ resume when March rolls around, Wednesday’s win showed that UNC has the ability to beat very good teams, a feat it never really managed to accomplish last season.

The Heels will next face a Florida State team on Saturday afternoon that also appears to be better than last season’s iteration, even though the Seminoles enter the game on a down note after losing a big lead to Georgia in their own ACC-SEC showdown. Still, the Seminoles are 4-2 with wins over UNLV and Colorado, and Leonard Hamilton always has his team ready to play Carolina. The ACC as a whole looks to be improved, with not just UNC and Florida State appearing to have taken a step forward, but Clemson and Wake Forest, too, after they bested Alabama and Florida, respectively, in their own ACC-SEC Challenge contests.

What do we know about the Tar Heels as they prepare for their first conference game? And what can we take away from their win over Tennessee?

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