Opponent Preview: Everything to know about No. 7 North Carolina

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Syracuse dropped to 10th in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings following a 77-68 home loss to Clemson Saturday. Former SU guard Joseph Girard III led the Tigers with a game-high 18 points and reached 2,000 career points in his return to the JMA Wireless Dome.

Though Clemson held a 37-24 advantage at halftime, Syracuse tied the game at 60-60 with 3:37 remaining. From there, however, the visitors embarked on a 7-0 run to stave off the Orange. J.J. Starling and Chris Bell notched 16 apiece while Judah Mintz tacked on 14.

Come Tuesday, SU plays North Carolina for the second time this season. In their first meeting at the Dean Smith Center, UNC won 103-67. The Tar Heels enter off of a 75-72 away victory over Miami and currently rank as a No. 2 seed in ESPN’s Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology update.

Here’s everything you need to know about No. 7 North Carolina (19-5, 11-2 ACC) before Tuesday’s matchup:

All-time series

North Carolina leads 17-6.

Last time they played…

Syracuse suffered a 103-67 defeat in Chapel Hill on Jan. 13, marking its worst-ever loss in the ACC. A Bell 3-pointer two minutes in put SU up 3-2 — its first, and last, lead. North Carolina embarked on a 17-4 run and eventually headed into halftime with a 52-30 cushion. It finished with a season-high 58 points in the paint.

UNC guard RJ Davis notched a game-best 22 and Armando Bacot clinched his eighth double-double of this season. Mintz led the Orange with 21 points and Quadir Copeland added 16.

KenPom odds

North Carolina has a 78% chance of winning, with a projected score of 79-71.

The Tar Heels report

North Carolina boasts one of the best rosters in college basketball. To its veteran core of Davis and Bacot — both frontrunners for the Naismith Men’s Player of the Year Award — UNC added transfers Harrison Ingram (Stanford) and Cormac Ryan (Notre Dame) while bringing in highly-touted freshman Elliot Cadeau.

The Tar Heels’ plethora of newcomers has offset the loss of star guard Caleb Love (Arizona) and deserted memories of a disappointing 2022-23 season. Currently atop the ACC rankings, North Carolina has picked up impressive victories over Tennessee, Oklahoma and Wake Forest — all part of a 10-game win streak ranging from Dec. 2023 to January.

On offense, UNC has the luxury to feed Bacot and Ingram inside for layups or close-range jumpers. Occasionally, a kick-out feed for Ryan is executed. And, if either aforementioned option is closed off, Davis thrives in isolation situations.

Displaying a free-flowing brand of basketball, North Carolina’s wealth of experience explains its seamless play. Ingram is a junior and Ryan is in his fifth year. Bacot and Davis, both upperclassmen, reached the Final Four in 2022. Cadeau is the lone first-year starter.

For a team filled with NBA-caliber stars, the Tar Heels rarely opt to play hero-ball or chuck up ill-advised shots. They share possession and stay disciplined defensively — a huge component in their conference-leading 82.5 points per game.

How Syracuse beats North Carolina

The Orange have to decide and capitalize on better shot choices Tuesday. SU can’t settle on perimeter heaves or highly-contested efforts like it did against Clemson. Quick, manageable baskets can be attained by placing Davis in mismatch situations opposite Mintz, Starling or Bell. Another avenue entails drawing Bacot away from the paint for uncontested lay-ins.

The margin of error for Syracuse forward Maliq Brown is slim-to-none. Given sparse frontcourt options, Brown will have to stay out of foul trouble despite being tasked with guarding Bacot. Bell and Justin Taylor, likely Ingram’s defenders, need to contain their assignment but stay alert if called upon for help defense. Both struggled in limiting Clemson’s Ian Schieffelin which resulted in conceding back-breaking buckets down the stretch.

Crashing the defensive glass — an issue that has plagued SU all season long — is also paramount as UNC secures an ACC-best 41.4 combined rebounds per game. If the Orange can corral boards and get out in transition, their chances remain slim but present.

Stat to know: 92.5

North Carolina ranks sixth in the country in defensive adjusted efficiency. This means for every 100 opposing offensive possessions, it allows just 92.5 points scored: less than a single point per possession. Though UNC’s in-conference blocks and steals numbers don’t fly off the page, it’s the ability to stifle teams and force misses that render the Tar Heels one of the nation’s top-10 teams.

Player to watch: RJ Davis, guard, No. 4

A White Plains, N.Y., native, Davis averages 21.5 points per game on 43.2% shooting from the field. He recently achieved a career-high 36 against Wake Forest on Jan. 22 in an 85-64 North Carolina win.

Davis hits 3’s at over a 40% clip and possesses speed and a shifty crossover to make up for his 6-foot frame. One of 10 finalists for the Jerry West Award — given annually to college basketball’s best shooting guard — Davis has emerged as UNC’s undisputed leader.