The UNC basketball program passed its first postseason test with flying colors, defeating Notre Dame by 20 in their ACC Tournament opener.
Now, the question remains: will they be ready for their next test, one that comes on Thursday afternoon in Charlotte?
It’s a quick turnaround for the Tar Heels as they get set to take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament. Both teams have a lot to play for, as they are both viewed by many NCAA Tournament analysts to be “bubble teams” with Selection Sunday just a few days away.
Heck, it’s very likely the case that the loser of this game won’t make the NCAA Tournament field, while the winner will still probably have some work to do in order to battle their way into the field.
All that matters for the Tar Heels is this: continue holding on to that “win or go home” mentality, because tomorrow isn’t a guarantee by any means.
2024-2025 Season
North Carolina Tar Heels
Overall record: 21-12Conference Record: 13-7Home Record: 12-3Away Record: 6-6
Neutral Site Record: 2-3
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Overall record: 21-10Conference Record: 13-7Home Record: 13-3Away Record: 6-6
Neutral Site Record: 2-1
Key Players
North Carolina
RJ Davis (Gr. Guard) – 17.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.8 assistsIan Jackson (Fr. Guard) – 13.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 0.9 assists
Seth Trimble (Jr. Guard) – 11.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists
Wake Forest
Hunter Sallis (Sr. Guard) – 18.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.8 assistsCameron Hildreth (Sr. Guard) – 14.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists
Tre’Von Spillers (Sr. Forward) – 9.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 0.8 assists
Last Meeting
The Tar Heels and the Demon Deacons met once during the 2024-2025 regular season, a game in which Wake Forest pulled off a one point victory in front of their home crowd.
A 12-2 run late in the game helped put Wake Forest up by 9, but the Tar Heels would storm back to cut it to a one possession game. The Demon Deacons would hold on to capture their sixth consecutive victory at the time.
RJ Davis led all scorers with 21 points while Elliot Cadeau had an impressive 14-point, 13-assist double-double performance.
Keys to Victory for North Carolina
In the first meeting, the UNC basketball program faced a ton of foul trouble, as Wake Forest attempted 17 more free throws (a 27-10 advantage).
A neutral court playing field should help even the playing field a bit, but it is extremely vital for the Tar Heels to stay out of foul trouble.
Again, we hate to harbor on this, BUT, Wake did see a very different UNC squad than the one that has been taking the court as of late. For the Tar Heels, it’s simple (yet extremely repetitive):
Protect the basketball, get some timely stops, get out in transition, and, oh yeah, continue knocking down threes.
Something to Watch For
After a 21-point outburst, one that included seven made three-pointers, Jae’Lyn Withers proved once again that he’s simply on fire.
Having played only 10 minutes in the first meeting, it will be interesting to see how Withers, along with Ven-Allen Lubin (who also did not start in that game) match up with Wake Forest’s front court.
We’d love to see Withers drain seven three-pointers again, but let’s just hope that he can knock down a few to help provide much-needed floor spacing for the guards to work with.
