3 keys for UNC Basketball versus UConn in 2023 Jimmy V Classic

It’s a great time to be a sports fan right now. The College Football Playoff has dominated the airwaves since the controversial decision to include Alabama over Florida State, while the NBA In-Season Tournament has surprised many by being a rousing success. The NFL is its typical juggernaut self, and the hot stove is heating up in Major League Baseball, as Shohei Ohtani and many other big names are expected to sign in the next week.

It’s the time of year when college basketball often gets lost in the shuffle, but ignoring college hoops would be a mistake. There have already been dozens of fantastic matchups, and tonight features one of the best yet when Carolina and UConn face off in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden.

UConn is the defending national champion, and despite losing key contributors Adama Sanogo, Andre Jackson, Jr., and Jordan Hawkins from a year ago, they’ve looked up to the challenge of defending their title in the season’s early going.

Carolina has also looked the part of a national championship contender in the season’s first month, having moved up to ninth in the AP poll on the heels (pardon the pun) of a three-game winning streak over Arkansas, Tennessee, and Florida State.

UNC seems well on its way to putting last season’s underachievement behind it, but there’s a world of difference between improving upon one of the most disappointing seasons in program history and knocking off the defending champs. Here’s what the Heels will need to do to get a statement win at MSG.