Syracuse may be without Buddy Boeheim (ankle) as it welcomes North Carolina for the last men’s basketball game in the Carrier Dome before renovations. The Orange (16-12, 9-8 Atlantic Coast) have won two in a row, toppling Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh. The Tar Heels are in the midst of a historically bad season and have lost seven of eight. 

Here’s the UNC scouting report before Saturday’s 4 p.m. tipoff. 

All-time series: Syracuse trails, 12-4

Last time they played: SU dropped one to then-No.5 North Carolina on the road. Tyus Battle led four double-digit Orange scorers with 29 points, five rebounds and five assists. Frank Howard also dished seven assists while scoring 11. Syracuse led by nine after four minutes. Eventual top-10 NBA draft pick Coby White starred with 34 points and six threes. He also hit 10 free throws, guiding North Carolina to 37 total attempts from the line. The contest was tied at 63 apiece in the second half but an 8-2 UNC run decided the score. 

The Tar Heels report: The 2019-20 North Carolina season can be distilled into head coach Roy Williams’ soundbites. On Nov. 28, Williams said he’s done the “worst job with this team in 31 years as a head coach.” On Jan. 7, on his weekly radio show, he called this iteration of the Tar Heels, “the least gifted team I’ve ever coached in the time that I’ve been back here.” 

North Carolina is on pace to miss its first NCAA Tournament since 2010, already clinching a losing regular-season record. UNC is one of the worst offensive teams in the country, per KenPom, ranking near the bottom of Division I in 3-point shooting (28.8%), two-point shooting (46.9%), and free throws (66.6%). Star freshman Cole Anthony missed a chunk of the season with a partially torn right meniscus and returned on Feb. 1 against Boston College. Anthony leads the Tar Heels with 19.4 points per game and is still projected to be a first-round selection in June’s draft. Garrison Brooks and Armando Bacot round out UNC’s main threats. Brooks averages 15.7 points per game and the 6-foot-10 Bacot leads North Carolina with 36 blocks. Both rebound efficiently, too, averaging 8.5 and 8.2 per contest, respectively. 

Brooks led UNC in its last contest, scoring 30 in an 85-79 win over North Carolina state, and ended a seven-game skid. 

How Syracuse beats North Carolina: The Orange will need to control their defensive glass and limit UNC’s second chances. The Tar Heels don’t pose many threats offensively and, aside from Anthony, the 2-3 zone should force them into bad shots. For Syracuse’s offense, expect a 3-point barrage. North Carolina allows 35% of its opponents points to come from deep, the national-average is 30.7. If Syracuse can get out and run, it could take advantage of a rare talent-advantage over UNC for a third-straight win.  

Stat to know: 35.2 — North Carolina’s offensive rebound percentage, which ranks 14th in the country. By comparison, SU’s last opponent, Pitt, ranked 47th.

KenPom odds: Syracuse has a 74% chance to win the game, with a projected final score of 77-70. 

Player to watch: Cole Anthony, guard, No. 2

The New York native might be the best opposing player to step foot on Jim Boeheim Court this season. He nearly averaged a triple-double in high school and hasn’t scored fewer than 15 points since returning from surgery. 

Published on February 28, 2020 at 1:29 pm

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