North Carolina is conscious that the trajectory of its season is inflicting some alarm, and one other matchup looms massive for the Tar Heels once they go to Clemson on Monday night time.
North Carolina (14-10, 7-5 Atlantic Coast Convention) has endured a bumpy stretch, however the Tar Heels are coming off Saturday’s 67-66 residence victory in opposition to Pitt.
“I believe it is best to play like that each day, each possession, whether or not it is shootaround, apply, sport,” North Carolina coach Hubert Davis mentioned. “It is not a way of urgency. It is a sense of emergency.”
Clemson (19-5, 11-2) will probably be simply two days faraway from conquering No. 2 Duke, with Saturday night time’s 77-71 victory ending the nation’s longest profitable streak at 16 video games.
“Our guys mustered up the spirit and vitality,” Tigers coach Brad Brownell mentioned. “… A giant one for us and one other one approaching Monday.”
Followers stormed the court docket postgame to have fun the end result in opposition to Duke. The Tigers are hoping that the passion expressed from the group might be replicated all through Monday night time’s sport.
Clemson will probably be going for a trifecta of types on its residence court docket in opposition to faculty basketball’s bluebloods. The Tigers have toppled Kentucky and Duke at Littlejohn Coliseum.
“This place is simply particular when it is like this,” Brownell mentioned. “Clearly, it has been like this a number of occasions this 12 months now and I am very grateful for that. I do know our gamers are. It actually impacts the end result of the sport.”
The Tigers covet these conditions and are decided to rise to the event.
“Understanding we’re constructed for it,” mentioned guard Chase Hunter, who had 14 factors and 7 rebounds in opposition to Duke. “We have been in lots of shut video games, massive video games. Ensuring we keep assured.”
Two of North Carolina’s ACC victories are one-point choices. Different tight video games have not gone the Tar Heels’ manner.
“We really feel like we have been in that place so many occasions, and we have been on the flawed aspect of it,” North Carolina guard Elliot Cadeau mentioned. “So it feels good to be on the great aspect of it now.”
The Tar Heels felt higher about their ball-handling after committing six turnovers Saturday. Now it is an opportunity for the Tar Heels to generate momentum.
“It is one thing we are able to use to get ourselves rolling,” ahead Ven-Allen Lubin mentioned. “Particularly since we’ve a fast turnaround for Clemson on Monday, it will get us on the correct path.”
North Carolina guard RJ Davis, who has led the workforce in scoring in 11 video games this season, has 2,505 profession factors to rank seventh in ACC historical past.
Clemson confirmed the flexibility of its lineup by taking pictures 63.4 % on 2-point makes an attempt in opposition to Duke. Viktor Lakhin had 22 factors on 9-of-12 taking pictures.
Ian Schieffelin, who’ll go into the North Carolina sport in search of his tenth double-double of the season, has 28 double-digit rebounding outings in his profession.
“We have got an older group of fellows, who’ve been by way of lots of video games,” Hunter mentioned. “It exhibits on the market once we play. We play with lots of grit, lots of toughness.”
Apart from defeating San Francisco and Penn State on Nov. 25 and 26, the Saturday-to-Monday turnaround will mark the shortest time between video games this season for Clemson.
–Subject Degree Media