After a week off, Carolina returns to action tonight, as they host American, in the second home game of the season. The last time we saw the Tar Heels, they fell short to the #1 team in the country, the Kansas Jayhawks, 92-89, in a game that highlighted the fight this team has, but also the areas they need to start improving upon, to navigate a difficult non-conference schedule. This is the last game Carolina will play, before traveling to Hawaii, first to take on the Rainbow Warriors, before starting play in the Maui Invitational against Dayton, the Monday before Thanksgiving.
American enters tonight's matchup with a 1-2 record, with a win over Harvard, and losses to La Salle and Siena. The Eagles are out of Washington D.C. and they compete in the Patriot League, a one-bid league for the NCAA Tournament. Colgate has ran that league for the last handful of seasons, but American was picked to finish second in the league this season, and with their unique playing style, will be a nice challenge for Carolina. They have three players averaging double figures scoring, led by Matt Rogers, who averages 13.3 points and shoots 42% from behind the arc. A common theme with this American team is that all of their double-digit scorers, all shoot 41% or better from behind the arc, and as a team, they shoot 37% from behind the three-point line.
It’s been a week since the last time the Tar Heels last played a basketball game, and one has to wonder, what adjustments Hubert Davis and his coaching staff will have made in the time off. Does Hubert opt to start Ven-Allen Lubin over Jalen Washington tonight? Will they be more aggressive defensively, and utilize the full-court press to speed the opponent up? Only time will tell, but given the sense of urgency Hubert Davis has operated with both in the preseason and the first week of the regular season, we should expect to see multiple adjustments, on the floor tonight. Here’s what to watch tonight, as Carolina looks to earn their second win of the season:
Defend the 3: Like always, American is constructed to shoot the ball from the outside, and their only chance at pulling the upset is to shoot well from behind the arc. The Eagles don’t have the size or the depth to hang with the Heels on the inside, but given their shooting prowess, they can keep themselves in the game, with a shooting night similar to what Elon put together on opening night. Drake Powell’s length needs to be utilized more often than what we’ve seen so far. You put him on the floor with Seth Trimble simultaneously, Carolina will have more length to contest shots, in addition to being able to run the opponent off the three-point line. If American makes double-digits three-pointers, there’s a scenario where they are still in the game in the second, just like Elon was, but if Carolina can defend the perimeter like they did last week in Allen Fieldhouse against Kansas, it’s hard to see the Eagles being able to compete over 40 minutes.
Dictate Tempo: American knows that they can’t get into an open floor game with the Tar Heels, which is why Carolina should be overly aggressive in trying to speed the game up. The Heels have done a good job running of makes, and misses, but they can always play faster. American is going to want to take the air out of the ball and make Carolina defend for the entire 30 seconds. The Heels need to press after makes and trap out of timeouts to speed them up and make them play faster than they are built to play, or comfortable to play.
Get Role Players Involved: Carolina’s backcourt has done what it’s needed to do in the first two games of the season, to give the team a chance to win. There’s no denying that Carolina needs more from their role players, and you can’t count on Jae’Lyn Withers being a consistent scorer every night on the floor. The freshmen are still learning and developing, but Hubert Davis needs more from Jalen Washington and Cade Tyson for this team to reach its fullest potential. Washington showed flashes against Kansas but needs to be more consistent. As for Tyson, who only played 63 seconds against the Jayhawks, is clearly struggling adjusting to the ACC level. Tonight, you’re going up against an overmatched opponent, and Hubert Davis should force-feed the ball to these two guys, to get them in rhythm on the offensive end of the floor, and some confidence instilled in them, before departing for Hawaii.
Series History:
This is the first-ever matchup between UNC and American.
KenPom:
North Carolina - 16th overall. Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 117.9 (8th) Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 96.9 (51st)
American - 243rd overall. Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 102.7 (197th) Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 108.9 (284th)
TV Info:
Tonight’s game will tip at 8 PM, on the ACC Network.
The Four Corners Podcast: