It’s game day for Carolina Basketball, and the Tar Heels will look to snap a two-game losing streak, as they host a struggling Boston College team this afternoon in the Smith Center. Earlier this week, Carolina lost on the road to Wake Forest, in another game that was there for the taking, but Carolina wasn’t able to close the deal down the stretch. The loss dropped Carolina to 12-8 on the season, and 5-3 in the ACC, putting the team squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble, for the third time in four seasons under Hubert Davis. This game marks a stretch that will ultimately define the season, with important games against Pittsburgh (twice), Duke and Clemson to follow. How Carolina performs over the next two weeks, will more than likely determine their postseason chances.
Boston College hasn’t had the season that they had hoped to have, as they enter today’s contest with a 9-10 record, and they are 1-7 in the ACC. To make matters worse, they haven’t won a road game all season long, and their lone ACC win is their only win against a power conference school so far this season. Donald Hand Jr leads the team in scoring at over 14 points per game, but overall this is a team that struggles to score the basketball, averaging just over 69 points as a team, which ranks 301st nationally.
Carolina did get some good news in the middle of the week, when they landed 2025 five-star prospect Caleb Wilson, who committed to UNC over Kentucky. While that doesn’t do anything for this season, it gives Hubert Davis a boost off the court, because there’s no way that he isn’t feeling the pressure, with where the team is at right now. His commitment might serve as a sign of things to come, with Carolina expected to be much more aggressive in the NIL space that dominates recruiting at the high school, and the transfer portal level, something that hindered the program last off-season when looking for a big man to replace Armando Bacot.
The unfortunate part about today’s game is that Carolina has nothing to gain, but everything to lose. Beating Boston College isn’t going to change anyone’s opinion about this team, or its potential. A loss? A loss would almost ensure Carolina would have to split with Duke, and more than likely sweep Pittsburgh, and win at Clemson, to feel confident about being an NCAA Tournament team come Selection Sunday. Here is how Carolina can avoid a home loss that would qualify among the worst we’ve seen in the last 25 years:
Energy, Effort, Enthusiasm: These are the words that Hubert Davis lives by, and what he demands from his team on a nightly basis. Unfortunately, Carolina hasn’t always played with those three qualities, and it’s a reason why they are where they are right now. This team needs to come out of the tunnel, and play like its season is on the line, because it very well could be. There’s needs to be a tone set right from the beginning, that they are going to play harder, for a longer period of time than Boston College is. They need to be willing to run back on defense, rotate defensively, dive on the floor for loose balls, and make the extra pass that takes the offense to a more efficient level. More importantly, Carolina needs to have fun doing all those things, and remember that this is a game, and you should play with joy in your heart, and relieve the pressure that they are currently feeling.
Get Captain Jack Back in Action: Carolina desperately needs Ian Jackson to return to form from the first handful games of ACC play, where he was scoring 20 points on a consistent basis. He scored 7 first half points against Wake Forest, but failed to score in the second half, and didn’t seem to trust his shot. Without him scoring, we’ve seen how hard it is for this team to score at a high level against ACC competition, and even when Elliot Cadeau or Seth Trimble step up their scoring, it doesn’t have the same impact as when Ian Jackson is putting the ball in the basket.
Turnovers: The best way for Boston College to hang around in this game, is by Carolina to give away scoring chances, and walk away with empty possessions.
Series History:
Carolina is 23-9 all-time against Boston College, including a healthy 21-5 since they joined the ACC. In Chapel Hill, Carolina is 8-3 against BC, and they have won 17 of the last 18 overall.
KenPom:
North Carolina - 32nd overall. Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 115.0 (49th) Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 96.3 (29th)
Boston College - 219th overall. Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 105.1 (200th) Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 109.6 (235th)
NET:
North Carolina - 39th.
Boston College - 231st.
TV Info:
Today’s game will tip at 2:15 on the CW Network.
The Four Corners Podcast:
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