First up is Tuesday against No. 20 Clemson, a team they beat 87-79 on Jan. 16. That's followed by North Carolina's first game against Pittsburgh this season.
The key in those games: Defense.
North Carolina gave up 95 points and 15 3-pointers in an overtime loss to North Carolina State last Saturday, and 80 points and another 12 3-pointers in a loss to Virginia Tech.
The Tar Heels are 194th nationally in scoring defense at 72.7 points per game, and are 316th guarding the arc, allowing teams to hit nearly 38 percent of their 3-point shots.
"I mean we've just been one of the worst defensive teams, if not the worst defensive team I've ever coached," North Carolina coach Roy Williams said. "The kids are great kids. They've got to buy into it 100 percent, not 80 percent. We've got to get better. I've got to do a better job with it."
Chapel HillClemson #CarolinaSZN
The last meeting with Clemson ended in an 87-79 Tar Heels victory, keeping them undefeated in 59 all-time games at the Smith Center.
This time, the Tigers (17-4, 6-3) will be at home, but playing without forward Donte Grantham, out for the season with a torn ACL. Clemson also has lost 10 straight to North Carolina and has to play with a short turnaround after playing on Sunday.
"Obviously, it's a difficult turnaround for us, a team we've had a hard time playing against lately, so we've got to figure some things out," Clemson coach Brad Brownell said.
Comments
Post a Comment