UNC basketball vs Kansas prediction: Scouting report, pick for Tar Heels vs Jayhawks

North Carolina basketball and Kansas meet again Friday (7 p.m., ESPN2) in a top-10 matchup between the bluest of bluebloods.

The ninth-ranked Tar Heels (1-0) will play the top-ranked Jayhawks (1-0) at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence for the first time since 1960.

UNC and Kansas have combined for more than 4,700 wins, 37 Final Four appearances and 10 NCAA championships. The programs have split 12 meetings, with the Jayhawks earning the latest victory by beating the Tar Heels in the 2022 national championship game.

Here are some things to know and a score prediction for the Tar Heels’ trip to Kansas.

UNC basketball’s Jalen Washington, Jae’Lyn Withers vs Kansas basketball’s Hunter Dickinson

Armando Bacot, UNC’s all-time rebounds leader, is gone and the Tar Heels face a tall task in slowing down Kansas center Hunter Dickinson. An All-American as a 7-foot-2 center and the favorite to win Big 12 Player of the Year, Dickinson dealt with a foot sprain in the preseason but returned to the lineup in the Jayhawks’ 87-57 season-opening win against Howard. He had 16 points and six rebounds in 21 minutes.

Jalen Washington, UNC’s 6-foot-10 junior center, will likely be matched up with Dickinson. Washington, who had eight points and four rebounds in 21 minutes against Elon, will arguably have the greatest influence on Dickinson as an active cutter and screener. Washington needs to keep Dickinson on the move as a defender.

Then there’s 6-foot-9 forward Jae’Lyn Withers, the Tar Heels’ top athlete on the interior. Withers had a double-double performance with 10 points and 10 rebounds in the season opener. His range and athleticism as a defender will be vital for UNC as it tries to limit Dickinson.

Tar Heels need stellar showing from RJ Davis, Elliot Cadeau, Seth Trimble

UNC has one of the best backcourts in the nation with All-American guard RJ Davis, sophomore facilitator Elliot Cadeau and junior two-way standout Seth Trimble. Each of those players will need to have a big night in…

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Author : The Fayetteville Observer

Publish date : 2024-11-07 09:05:00

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