5 things to know about North Carolina, Wisconsin's NCAA Tournament foe
COLTEN BARTHOLOMEW
Updated
After a disappointing regular season, both the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team and North Carolina’s are looking to turn the page and make a run in the NCAA tournament.
For a blue-blood program like UNC, finding itself in a matchup of 8 and 9 seeds is a rarity. This is only the second time in coach Roy Williams’ 15-year tenure that the Tar Heels are seeded lower than the six line — they were also an 8 seed in the 2013 tournament.
North Carolina guard Caleb Love (2) dribbles against Duke during on March 6.
Associated Press
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.
North Carolina forward Armando Bacot (5) and Duke guard DJ Steward fight for a rebound on March 6.
Associated Press
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.
North Carolina guard Kerwin Walton shoots against Iowa on Dec. 8, 2020.Â
Associated Press
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.
North Carolina guard R.J. Davis (4) dribbles against Duke on March 6.
Associated Press
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.
North Carolina forward Armando Bacot (5) shoots while Florida State center Balsa Koprivica defends during a Feb. 27 game.Â
Associated Press
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.
State Journal beat reporters Colten Bartholomew, Jim Polzin and Todd Milewski get together over Zoom to discuss NCAA tournament news for the Badgers men’s basketball, men’s hockey and women’s hockey programs.
The Badgers arrived in Indiana last Wednesday for the Big Ten tournament and will remain in the same hotel in downtown Indianapolis until they’re eliminated from the NCAA tournament.
