Tuesday night was an encouraging outing for the North Carolina Tar Heels, who defeated the Wyoming Cowboys, 76-63.
At times, it felt like the typical performance for this particular group, as the Tar Heels led 31-29 at halftime, in part due to a lack of rebounding. However, the Tar Heels unleashed an onslaught out of the gates in the second half, en route to separating themselves from Wyoming.
North Carolina will look to build upon that momentum when it hosts the Georgia Bulldogs on Friday night. Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup against one of the under-the-radar SEC teams.
How To Watch, Listen to UNC Basketball vs. Wofford
Date: Nov. 13
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: Dean E. Smith Center (Chapel Hill, NC)
TV: ESPN2
Listen: 97.9 The Hill
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As noted, the Tar Heels arguably had their best, most cohesive stretch of basketball in the second half against Wyoming. Yes, North Carolina beat Wofford by 39 points in the previous game, but it was individual brilliance rather than a team performance. While there were individuals who struggled mightily on Tuesday night, it was the first time you saw the team playing off of each other in free-flowing form.
Watching whether North Carolina can carry that strong performance in the second half into Friday night will be the main development to keep tabs on against Georgia. If the Tar Heels expand on what they showed during that span in their upcoming game, it will prove they’re moving in the right direction.
Until this problem is fully resolved, the effectiveness on the glass will continue to be a talking point heading into each North Carolina game. After allowing 15 offensive rebounds in the first half against Wyoming, the Tar Heels held the Cowboys to four in the final 20 minutes.
While Tuesday night was an encouraging outing, multiple individuals – Neoklis Avdalas, Matt Able, and Jarin Stevenson – were uncharacteristically quiet. I was extremely disappointed with the Virginia Tech transfer, who recorded one point, four assists, and one rebound while shooting 0-of-2 from the field and 1-of-5 from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, Able and Stevenson need to be more aggressive to produce at a high level. I’m not concerned with those two.
Lastly, Sayon Keita and Maximo Adams were two marquee freshmen entering the fray that Tar Heel Nation couldn’t wait to see. It’s been a polar-opposite experience for them: Adams hit the ground running and has been an immediate impact player. On the other hand, it’s taken time for Keita to acclimate to his role. However, the former FC Barcelona center finally had his first elite performance of the season, recording 13 points, eight rebounds, six blocks, and three steals against the Cowboys.
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