After Saturday’s 36-point shellacking of Syracuse, UNC men’s basketball head coach Hubert Davis boiled down the emotions of his team to one word: joy.
There’s plenty to be happy about in Chapel Hill recently, as the No. 4 Tar Heels (13-3, 5-0 ACC) sit atop the ACC, riding a six-game win streak into a matchup with the Louisville Cardinals (6-10, 1-4 ACC) at the Dean E. Smith Center on Wednesday.
The Tar Heels have been firing on all cylinders, ranking top-20 in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. Their 103 points against Syracuse was the most they’ve scored against an ACC opponent since dropping 113 points on N.C. State on Feb. 5, 2019.
Despite ranking last in the ACC, this Louisville team has a lot of fight. The Cardinals’ last two matches include a road win over Miami and a valiant late effort in their six-point loss to N.C. State.
Here are two keys for UNC to stay hot in its upcoming matchup with Louisville:
Feed the post
Outside of three free throws, UNC’s first 19 points against Syracuse came from the paint. Talented bigs like graduate Armando Bacot and sophomore Jalen Washington were able to showcase their skills inside, with their quick and powerful moves leading to easy layups.
“As a group, we just did a good job getting to the paint, getting easy layups, getting offensive rebounds, and that was really our main key for the whole game,” Bacot said following Saturday’s win.
Against a Louisville squad that lacks in height and strength in the front court, the UNC big men have another great opportunity to take advantage of mismatches and showcase their abilities under the basket.
The interior threat that North Carolina poses also opens up the three-point line for a Tar Heel offense that has shown the ability to knock down the deep ball. Senior guard RJ Davis ranks second in the ACC in three-pointers made per game. Meanwhile, junior forward Harrison Ingram is shooting at a 40.6 percent clip from behind the arc and sophomore guard Seth Trimble’s reworked jump shot has made him a formidable threat as well.
Continue the full-court press
North Carolina has held its past five opponents to under 40 percent shooting, an achievement it hasn’t earned since the 2019-20 season. Its impressive defense thus far has extended beyond the half court, where the full-court press has proven to give teams trouble bringing the ball up the floor.
The press was a turning point in UNC’s comeback win over Florida State on Dec. 2, highlighted by a 22-point run. That was the first time the Tar Heels implemented the full-court defense this season, and the players eagerly responded to its success.
“I went into the huddle and I said ‘Guys, do you like this, do you want to continue to do this?” Davis said after the FSU game. “They said ‘Coach, let’s keep doing it.’”
The full-court press has since been a focal point in North Carolina’s defense, with its use expanding outside of late-game trailing scenarios. The Tar Heels brought pressure early in Saturday’s game against Syracuse; the Orange struggled to inbound the ball and conceded turnovers, allowing UNC to jump out to an early lead.
North Carolina can make another statement by setting the tone early against Louisville. If the Tar Heels continue to put their foot on the gas and refuse to let up on their defensive intensity, they can continue their domination in conference play.