While Jim Snider is in the midst of a busy month, he’s probably used to it by now.
University of Wisconsin men's basketball coach Greg Gard speaks to the media Tuesday ahead of the ninth-seeded Badgers' matchup with the eighth-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels in the NCAA tournament Friday night at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana.
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University of Wisconsin senior D'Mitrik Trice speaks to the media Sunday night after the Badgers drew a ninth seed in the NCAA tournament and a first-round matchup with the eighth-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels Friday in Indiana.
University of Wisconsin senior Brad Davison speaks to the media Sunday night after the Badgers drew a ninth seed and a first-round matchup with the eighth-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels in the NCAA tournament Friday in Indiana.
University of Wisconsin senior Micah Potter speaks to the media Tuesday ahead of the ninth-seeded Badgers' matchup with the eighth-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels in the NCAA tournament Friday night at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana.
5 things to know about North Carolina, Wisconsin's NCAA Tournament foe
Young guards take charge
North Carolina guard Caleb Love (2) dribbles against Duke during on March 6.
North Carolina’s inconsistency this season was due in part to the growing pains of freshmen guards Caleb Love and Kerwin Walton.
Love, a heralded recruit out of St. Louis, has started 25 of the Tar Heels’ games this season and is second on the roster with 10.5 points per game. Having the ball in his hands has led to good things for North Carolina, with his 3.74 assists per game ranking eighth in the ACC. But his 3.29 turnovers per game contributed to a team-wide ball-handling problem. North Carolina led the ACC in committing 14.8 turnovers per game, which ranks 275th in Division I, andit had five games with at least 20.
Beasts on the boards
North Carolina forward Armando Bacot (5) and Duke guard DJ Steward fight for a rebound on March 6.
The Tar Heels look to have a distinct advantage in rebounding when they take on UW this week. North Carolina outrebounded opponents by nearly 11 throughout the season, the best rebounding margin in Division I. Forwards Armando Bacot (8.0), Day’Ron Sharpe (7.7) and Garrison Brooks (6.8) lead the way.
North Carolina led the ACC and third in the nation in rebounding (43.1 per game). It led the country in offensive rebounding with 15.89 per game. The Tar Heels also lead the nation with a 41.3% offensive rebounding percentage.
Shooting woes remain
North Carolina guard Kerwin Walton shoots against Iowa on Dec. 8, 2020.
The Tar Heels, much like the Badgers, haven’t had a consistently good stretch of shooting all season. North Carolina ranks 154th in the country in field-goal percentage (44.1%) and is shooting 48.9% on 2-pointers, which ranks 208th in the nation. The Tar Heels were 13th in the ACC and 270th in Division I at 31.7% from 3-point range.
Bacot, a 6-foot-10 sophomore forward, is shooting 62.7% from the floor to lead the team. Garrison Brooks’ 47.6% is the next highest among starters. Walton is the only 3-point shooter making outside shots above a 33% clip. Just 20.2% of North Carolina’s total shots attempted come from 3-point territory, while 40.5% of UW’s shot are from beyond the arc.
Star-studded recruiting class
North Carolina guard R.J. Davis (4) dribbles against Duke on March 6.
The 2020 recruiting class was a boon for the Tar Heels.
Sharp and Kessler were ranked as the No. 12 and No. 14 overall recruits in the class by ESPN, while Love was No. 18. Love was ranked as the No. 14 overall prospect by 247Sports, and all three were five-star recruits.
Late-season wins earned bid
North Carolina forward Armando Bacot (5) shoots while Florida State center Balsa Koprivica defends during a Feb. 27 game.
North Carolina was firmly on the bubble at the start of January after dropping its first two ACC games. But the Tar Heels put together enough wins to nab a spot in the NCAA Tournament despite a semifinal exit in the ACC tournament.
A sweep of Duke, including a four-point win on the road, a blowout of Louisville on Feb. 20 and a win over Florida State on Feb. 27 boosted the resume, then a Quadrant 1 win over Virginia Tech in the ACC tournament quarterfinals put the Tar Heels over the top.
Snider
