The Tar Heels lead the all-time series 17-7 over the Orange, but the last time this matchup was in the Dome last season, Syracuse basketball topped No. 7 North Carolina 86-79.
The Tar Heels are looking for a win to get back on track in their quest to return to the NCAA Tournament, while the Orange can almost certainly cement their place in the ACC tournament with a win on Saturday.
Syracuse (11-14, 5-9) and North Carolina (14-11, 7-6)
6 p.m. EST
ESPN
Syracuse Sports Network/ 97.7 The Hill
The Tar Heels currently sit in Joe Lunardi’s bubble for the NCAA Tournament, as a “First Four Out” team. With few opportunities to improve their resume until their March 8 matchup with Duke, UNC will need to be perfect the rest of the season to play their way into the tournament.
The Tar Heels are led by RJ Davis, averaging 17.3 points per game. UNC does their damage on the offensive end, scoring 80 points per game which is second in the ACC and 47th in the country. However, they have struggled on the defensive end, giving up 76.6 points per game.
However, this is likely due to their fast tempo, which ranks 25th in the country. The Tar Heels do not have a deep rotation, switching between an 8- or 9-man rotation for each game, which has been stretched thin at times due to their pace.
Syracuse’s Eddie Lampkin Jr. will have a size advantage over any forward that the Tar Heels will put on the floor. So If UNC wants to have a successful trip to the Dome, they will need to dominate the painted area.
The Orange are coming off of a disappointing loss on the road to ACC bottom-feeder Miami. In the loss, three players scored in double-figures, led by J.J. Starling and Eddie Lampkin Jr. who had 25 and 22 points respectively. However, Syracuse basketball struggled to stop the Hurricanes on the defensive end, as Miami shot 55.4% from the field.
The one-two punch of Starling and Lampkin has been the main reason that Syracuse has stayed in games late in the season. Starling has scored 25 points or more in his last two games, and six times this season. While Lampkin’s 22 points and 13 rebounds, was his seventh double-double in his last 11 appearances.
The Orange are also one of the best rebounding teams in the ACC. Their 37.9 rebounds per game, are the fourth-best in the conference. However, they give up 78.2 points per game, which is the second-worst in the conference.
If the Orange can counteract North Carolina’s fast tempo and dominate the painted area, Syracuse basketball will have a good opportunity to pick up their sixth conference win of the season.
UNC should come into the dome looking to avenge their disappointing loss to Clemson. Expect Syracuse to get out to a good start, but in the end, they will need to play a full 40-minute game to keep it close.
