Where: McKale Center, Tuscon, AZ
When: January 27th, 1:00 PM
TV: CBS
Records: UNC 18-2, Arizona 14-5
Win or lose this game will be incredibly important in the grand scheme of the season pointing towards March. UNC will be on the road in a hostile environment playing a team which will likely end up being a #4 or 5 seed when it comes time to hand out the brackets. So in every respect this game is as much about gaining experience for March as it does winning another out of conference game.
Aside from the home court, Arizona is a team which great guard play which could give UNC trouble if it ends up disturbing the perimeter game enough. UNC, which has struggled with turnovers lately, really needs to get that issue under control in this game since Arizona is very capable of capitalizing on those miscues. For UNC it is a simple matter of keeping the game up-tempo and hope that the razor thin depth on the Lute Olson bench ultimately is the Wildcats' undoing.
I would expect UNC to assert the interior offense as much as possible and attempt to carve out a nice perimeter game despite the guard play on the other side. This game will also be an excellent test for the defense which has had trouble with great guard play but at the same time proved against both Clemson and Virginia they are capable of locking down. In the end the UNC depth and quality of depth should rule the day thought I expect the game to be close.
UNC 78 Arizona 74