The UNC basketball program looks to start the 2023 calendar year on a good note, as they’ll host Wake Forest at the Dean Smith Center on Wednesday night.
Following a disappointing 76-74 loss against Pittsburgh to end 2022, the UNC basketball program looks to start the new year with a victory.
The Tar Heels will kick off their 2023 slate on Wednesday night, as they’ll host Wake Forest in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Matchup
Wake Forest Demon Deacons Basketball
10-4
North Carolina Tar Heels Basketball
9-5
Wednesday, January 4, 2023
9 PM EST
Sitting at 1-2 in ACC play, Hubert Davis’ team really needs a win against the Demon Deacons on their home floor. However, Wake Forest is no pushover, as they are coming off back-to-back home wins against Duke and Virginia Tech.
After wasting a nine-point second-half lead against Pittsburgh, the UNC basketball program once again fell out of the AP Top 25 poll this week. This might be a good thing for the Tar Heels, considering they’ve played better as an unranked squad.
Key To Victory for North Carolina
In our game preview prior to the matchup with Pittsburgh, my key to victory for the Tar Heels was to feed the post early and often.
Well, that’s not going to change in this one.
When North Carolina fed Armando Bacot, good things happened. When the team went away from their strength, that’s when everything started to take a turn for the worst.
The UNC basketball program is a much better team when Bacot is the focal point of the offensive attack, as this is the formula for success that the players must follow in order to get back on the winning track.
Something to Watch For
Earlier in the season, Caleb Love became the 80th UNC basketball player to record 1,000 career points.
It’s very possible that the number will increase on Wednesday night.
Fellow backcourt mate RJ Davis is just five points away from the milestone, as he is set to become the latest member of the group. North Carolina already has the most 1,000-point scorers in NCAA history and will add to that lead in the very near future.
Last Meeting
Last year’s matchup is one to forget for the Tar Heels, as they suffered a 22-point loss in Winston-Salem back on January 22, 2022.
Wake Forest’s Jake LaRivia scored a game-high 31 points, as he did a lot of his damage from the free throw line. He was fouled 10 times, resulting in 15 free throw attempts, 12 of which he made.
Brady Manek led the UNC basketball program with 22 points, while Bacot…
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