For all the folks who said the North Carolina Tar Heels blowout of Duke last week was tainted due to Zion Williamson’s blowout, they better think again. UNC followed that win over the Dookies with a thorough trouncing of a good Florida State team and knocked off Syracuse, who won in Cameron Indoor earlier this season, over the weekend. There is a rematch with Duke looming in the final regular season tilt, and Zion could be back. In the meantime the Heels will attempt to keep their share of the ACC lead with a Saturday road matchup against the Clemson Tigers.
North Carolina Tar Heels at Clemson Tigers
Date and Time: Saturday, March 2, 2019, 6 p.m. ET
Location: Littlejohn Coliseum, Clemson, SC
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North Carolina at Clemson TV Coverage: ESPN
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The Heels are on a roll having won four straight games and 11 of their last 12. During that stretch they have wins over four ranked opponents, including the takedown of then No. 1 Duke. The only blemish was an 8-point home loss to Virginia, which has been ranked all season and has just two losses. UNC upped its overall record to 23-5 and kept pace with UVA at the top of the ACC standings by taking out Syracuse, improving to 13-2 in league play in the process.
With an overall record of 17-11, Clemson is on the tournament bubble and could sure use a win over a ranked foe to pad its resume. With games against Notre Dame and Syracuse to close the regular season, this is their final chance. The Tigers are 1-6 against AP ranked teams at the time of the playing with their only success coming against Virginia Tech a month ago.
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It was just a matter of time before Coby White broke out of his shooting slump, and he did it in a big way against Syracuse. White made 11 of 16 shots and 7 of 10 triples for 33 points in an overtime win over Miami Feb. 9. Like most freshmen he hit a wall and the shots stopped dropping. In four games after that outburst, White made just 17 of 56 shots and struggled against Duke hitting 3 of 14 from the floor with nine points and six turnovers.
I guess playing the Orange was all White needed to end his slump. He scored 15 points in the first half and finished with 34 on 9 of 14 shooting, which included 6 of 11 from deep, and all 10 free throws. White upped his season average to 15.9 points per game, second behind Cameron Johnson for team lead.
The Heels were able to win despite White’s ineffectiveness and Roy Williams didn’t appear to be too concerned. “He’s the best scoring point guard I’ve coached. I knew he was bound to make some because he hadn’t made any the last three or four weeks.”
Last Meeting
With a number of players at high-profile programs sticking around for only one season, or others transferring because they don’t like the system or coach, it’s hard to gauge how a result from a season ago can impact today’s proceedings. For Clemson, it’s a different story. Four of the five starters from last year’s club are back and they all remember UNC’s visit to Littlejohn Coliseum on Jan. 30.
The Tigers ended a 10-game losing streak to the Heels with Marcquise Reed and Elijah Thomas making big plays. Reed scored 20 points, including a three that put Clemson up for good near the end of the second half. Thomas scored 11 points with six rebounds and six blocks. His late layup padded Clemson’s advantage and the Tigers posted an 82-78 win. Six players who hit the floor in that game last season for Clemson are back, including Reed, who leads the team with 19 points per game, and Thomas. Shelton Mitchell and David Skara are the other two starters.
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The Tigers haven’t enjoyed the success they had last season, but a win over UNC will make their season, and improve their tournament chances. In many ways it’s been a disappointing campaign. The Tigers returned their top four scorers from a team that reached the Sweet 16 last year and more was expected. Maybe it’s time for this veteran group to kick things up a notch. They’ve been strong defensively and will need to pressure UNC into bad shots and mistakes. It isn’t easy, but the Tigers have that memory from last season, and they certainly have the talent.
College Basketball Score Prediction: Clemson 75, North Carolina 71
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