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Here is how the Tar Heels match up statistically with the Blazers of UAB.
| North Carolina | UAB | |
| Conference | ACC | CUSA |
| Record | 4-1 | 5-2 |
| KenPom Rank | 13th | 120th |
| Points per game | 80.2 | 81.8 |
| Points per possession | 1.1 | 1.09 |
| Offensive Efficiency(Rank) | 114.8(16th) | 107.7(86th) |
| Defensive Efficiency(Rank) | 94.9(28th) | 103.7(173rd) |
| Tempo(Rank) | 72.7(47th) | 73.1(42nd) |
| Offensive eFG% | 51.4% | 47.3% |
| Defensive eFG% | 45.9% | 46.8% |
| Field Goal % | 49.3% | 43.8% |
| 3P FG% | 38.8% | 31.5% |
| Offensive Reb Rate | 36.8% | 42.0% |
| Defensive Reb Rate | 75.1% | 71.7% |
| TO Rate | 18.6% | 19.0% |
| FT Rate | 56.3% | 50.1% |
| KenPom win probability | UNC 75% | |
Stats sources: KenPom and Statsheet
This will mark only the second time Roy Williams has faced one of his former North Carolina assistants in a game. He face ex-Kansas assistants many times before since Haase is the first UNC assistant under Williams to take a head coaching job, this is a new. Haase, in his second season, has begun to build the program to reflect his philosophies.
Along those lines it is interesting to see how certain stylistic elements are similar. The tempo is virtually the same, the points per game and possession are similar and UAB actually has a better offensive rebounding rate than UNC does right now. These elements in particular have been strengths of the UNC program under Roy Williams and Jerod Haase has carried it with him to UAB in his second season.
Among some of the numbers not included here is UAB is one of the worst team in the country in forcing turnovers. That's not a figure of speech, UAB is literally 349th out of 351 teams in defensive turnover rate and last in defensive steal percentage. That would seem to indicate UAB doesn't pressure the ball much or is particularly aggressive in the passing lanes. I say "seem" because I haven't seen UAB play but for both the steal and TO rates to be that low is intriguing.
Also of note is UAB's experience. KenPom has the Blazers as the 20th most experienced team in the country with 2.36 years of average experience. That makes this game, being played at UAB, very dangerous for the Tar Heels.
Note: First paragraph changed. I mistakenly said this was Williams first game against a former UNC assistant. That was incorrect. UNC played UAB last season. My apologies.