The Tar Heels will become the third ACC program to visit the rock in a seven year-span, in addition to their 2016-matchup hosting Miami and next season’s matchup against Wake Forest. Berry must limit his mistakes and beat the Cardinals’ press to give UNC a chance in this game. That included 16 offensive rebounds for the Tar Heels.
North Carolina 74, Louisville 63. Starting this week off, the computer was picking 55% winners against the spread for the season for a profit of $13,650… Try a Free 7-day trial – Become a member today! . But they’re not ready to raise a banner just yet with a dreaded Saturday-Monday pairing of road games at Pittsburgh and at Virginia before closing at home against Duke on March 4. North Carolina’s last loss came on the road at rival Duke earlier this month.
Led by Berry and Jackson, who will likely score 20 points for the ninth time in ACC play, the Tar Heels will finish the job.
Pitino also bemoaned North Carolina’s 46-33 rebounding advantage.
A career 30 percent 3-point shooter, Jackson has hovered around the 40-percent mark all season, having knocked down at least two 3-pointers in 14 straight games. North Carolina has won four of the last six in this series, but Louisville has covered the spread in three of the last four against the Tar Heels.
But it was an exchange with a fan during halftime that’s getting just as much, if not more, attention than the game itself. Snider leads the way for Louisville, averaging a team-high 4.1 assists compared to only 1.5 turnovers.
Sophomore Donovan Mitchell scored 21 points in the loss.
The OVER is 9-2 in Louisville’s last 11 games and 5-0 in its last five games for totals bettors.
Everything about the experience was new, even for the team’s senior leaders, right until the moment the No. 1 seed was captured in the final game at Duke – and right on into the ACC tournament.
Pitino said North Carolina junior swingman Justin Jackson has become one of the premier players in the college game based on his production. The Cardinals are one of the top defensive teams in the nation, but can really score when they need to.
He has struggled noticeably this season against ranked opponents and as a result, continues to be the team’s x-factor in big matchups like this one.
North Carolina finding openings time after time in the defense, with all those soft spoken UofL defenders not communicating, not making themselves heard, paying for it. The Tar Heels will make their first-ever appearance in Boone, NC, in 2022.
“But North Carolina is a classy place, and one person doesn’t speak for the rest of the people”. The Orange’s win meant that the Tar Heels, with a victory of their own, could take a full two-game lead atop the ACC standings.