Where: Dean Smith Center, Chapel Hill, NC
When: Saturday, January 16th, 2:00 PM
TV: ESPN
Livestats: SCACC Hoops
Records: UNC 12-5, 1-1 ACC; GT 12-4, 1-2 ACC
1. UNC is great in bounce back games.
2. UNC is great at home
3. Georgia Tech is a talented but poorly coached team what is grossly inconsistent as proven by losing to Georgia, beating Duke, then losing to Virginia.
Yeah, that should about cover it since I have no idea what is going to happen on the court with this Tar Heel team. Roy Williams says they have to get better at everything. No argument there from me but I also think for that to be the case Roy has to tinker with the lineup some to get more minutes to players who can make positive contributions.
As for Georgia Tech, the Jackets have talent, especially on the interior. That is bound to offer UNC some trouble and test the thinning frontline that now misses Tyler Zeller. Gani Lawal averages 15.1 ppg and 9.1 rpg. Freshman Derrick Favors also pulls nearly nine boards per game while averaging a tick over 11 ppg. However the player to watch might be Zachary Peacock who, at 6-8 could be one of those matchup issues for the Heels. Peacock is a capable three point shooter having hit 13 of 27 so far this season and 57% overall from the floor. Peacock will be plenty dangerous from anywhere on the court. Georgia Tech also rebounds the ball extremely well which is not a surprise given their interior talent. Of course Georgia Tech is also as turnover happy as UNC can be on average. Iman Shumpert is a decent PG but not overly impressive. The rest of the guard play is likewise underwhelming.
The bottom line for UNC in this season of extremely ragged play defending home court is an extremely high priority. UNC has zero wins in true road games. While no one believes they will go winless on the road, winning the home contests is an absolute must. Since both teams are coming off rather bad losses, both will be motivated to step up. The notable difference is I tend to think Roy Williams with his team at home will be able to get them on track better than Paul Hewitt on the road. Otherwise things might really get dicey and I personally can do without that.
UNC 82 GT 74