North Carolina, Louisville seek quality win early in ACC slate

Field Level Media|published: Tue 31st December, 17:58 2024

Dec 29, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Ian Jackson (11) with the ball in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Neither Louisville nor visiting North Carolina will ring in 2025 as a ranked team, but that does not mean the Atlantic Coast Conference rivals will not have much at stake when they face off on Wednesday.

This will be one of the few chances either team has to post a notable win in conference play. Of the ACC's 18 teams, just six are in the top 60 of the NCAA's NET Rankings. North Carolina (8-5, 1-0 ACC) is No. 39, and Louisville (8-5, 1-1) is No. 60.

Coach Hubert Davis' Tar Heels are 16th in the nation in scoring at 86.5 points per game. However, he told reporters after Sunday's 97-81 win over Campbell that their success relies on how they perform on the other side of the court.

"The only thing that I focus on is that for this year's team to reach its full potential, we need to be a really good defensive and rebounding team," he said.

North Carolina has been outrebounded five times this season, losing four of those games.

Freshman guard Ian Jackson has posted career highs in points in back-to-back games, getting 26 against in Sunday's win. RJ Davis, last season's ACC scoring champ, leads the team with 18.8 ppg.

Elliot Cadeau leads the conference in assists (6.2 apg), posting a career-high 12 against Campbell.

Louisville coach Pat Kelsey told reporters Tuesday that where North Carolina is ranked does not matter to him.

"This is a very, very talented, dangerous edition of their program, and we've got to be at our best to beat them," Kelsey said.

The Cardinals, like the Tar Heels, have won two straight. Injuries took a toll on them earlier this season, but Kelsey's squad welcomed back Aboubacar Traore in Saturday's 78-76 victory over Eastern Kentucky. The transfer from Long Beach State, where he averaged 8.4 rebounds per game in three seasons, had been out since mid-November with a broken arm.

Chucky Hepburn leads Louisville in scoring (15.2 ppg) and assists (5.2 apg) and tops the ACC with 2.8 steals per game. Terrence Edwards Jr. (14.7 ppg) has scored 19 or more points in each of the last five games.

--Field Level Media

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