UNC travels to Syracuse for Rematch with Orange

Written by Sharon Thorsland

For the second time this season, North Carolina takes on Syracuse and both teams will be looking to bounce back from lopsided losses. The 16th-ranked Tar Heels head to upstate New York on the heels of a blowout loss to NC State that dropped them to 5-4 in the ACC, 21-6 overall. The Orange just got clobbered by Duke on Monday night, their worst loss since joining the ACC. They’re now 15-12 (6-8 ACC) and fighting to not miss the NCAA tournament for the fifth straight season. Tip-off is set for 1:00 on WBT.

These teams just faced off less than three weeks ago at the Smith Center, a game that started out as a blowout but ended up closer after the Heels rested their starters. Syracuse has gone 2-2 since that game, with impressive wins over Cal and SMU and losses to Virginia and the Blue Devils. Lack of consistency continues to be an issue but the Orange have shown they have the talent to compete with anyone. The Tar Heels will be without star freshman Caleb Wilson as he remains sidelined with a broken hand, and the status of big man Henri Veesaar is still up in the air after he missed the last two games with an illness and lower body injury. That’s key in this matchup, as the two combined for 39 points and 20 rebounds in the first game against Syracuse. The good news for UNC is that the Orange have no one taller than 6’9 in front court and have struggled against bigger teams this season.

Sophomore forward Donnie Freeman remains the go-to guy for Syracuse, leading the team in scoring with 17 points a game. Guards Nate Kingz, JJ Starling and Naithan George also average in double figures, although Starling is just 5 of 19 from the floor over the last two games. Center William is super athletic and run the court. He’s had some big games this season and averages 7.5 rebounds, but the Tar Heels held him to just two points in the first matchup. Charlotte native and former Myers Park standout Sadiq White, Jr. hasn’t gotten a lot of minutes lately but can provide a spark. The Tar Heels have to find a way to slow down Freeman, as the Orange struggle when he’s not scoring. Speaking of struggling, the Heels did that in a big way Tuesday night, going just 5-33 from behind the arc against the Wolfpack. That cannot happen again or this game could spiral out of control quickly.

This UNC team should be motivated to right the ship against the Orange. After the loss to the Wolfpack, Wilson addressed his teammates and basically told them to step up their game. Look for them to do that and get back in the win column Saturday. Go Tar Heels!