Game Alert: #4 North Carolina vs. #16 Wisconsin 9:30 Maui Championship

[SWFLCUSE]

This game will be a good opportunity to scout a pair of our future opponents. The Tar Heels have blasted everyone they've played this season including a 32 point victory over Okie State last night. They haven't played any other name teams, but also smoked three quality mid-majors in Chattanooga, LBSU, and Hawaii. UNC has five double digit scorers in Joel Berry(16.3), Justin Jackson(16), Isaiah Hicks(14.7), Kennedy Meeks(13.5) and Tony Bradley(11.5).

On the other side Wisconsin has a couple of decent wins over Tennessee and Georgetown (TBD how good these wins actually are). The Badgers only loss so far this season came at the hands of a Creighton team that will challenge Xavier and Nova for the Big East Championship this year. Wisconsin has a less balanced scoring attack with only three guys in double figures; Bronson Koenig(17.6), Ethan Happ(11.6), and Nigel Hayes(11.2).

I will be watching the battle down low between Hicks, Meek, and Bradley vs Happ and Hayes. Lots of high quality bigs in this game. Bradley has really impressed me early this season, I was expecting him to contribute out of necessity for UNC, but I wasn't expecting this kind of production this early in his career. He has scored in double figures in every game this season and has pulled down at least five rebounds in every game but one(Okie St.).

I'm taking the Tar Heels in this one 88-76.

 

[jordoo]

I'm certainly looking foward to this game. I always love big games in college basketball but when I know SU is one of the better teams it makes it much more interesting for me.

UNC looked very good against OkSt for the part I watched yesterday. They had no issues with them at all. Wisc destroyed Gtown on the glass, just embarrassed them and yet never really pulled away as much as they should have IMO. They look like a very solid team all around that is methodical and nonexplosive offensively. I agree that UNC takes this one.

 

[asj410]

Wisconsin has been demolishing opponents on the boards. They're at a +19.4 margin through 5 games (we're at +11.4 through our first 4 games). I think our game in Madison is going to come down to rebounds. If we get crushed on the boards again like last year, it's going to take lights-out shooting to overcome that. Creighton was -15 on the boards against them and needed 50% shooting to take them out.

 

[jordoo]

Wisconsin has been demolishing opponents on the boards. They're at a +19.4 margin through 5 games (we're at +11.4 through our first 4 games). I think our game in Madison is going to come down to rebounds. If we get crushed on the boards again like last year, it's going to take lights-out shooting to overcome that. Creighton was -15 on the boards against them and needed 50% shooting to take them out.

Rebounding will be very important but last year they crushed us on the glass and we were winning right until the very end. This year we are a much better team than we were last year while they are basically the same team a year older. The big difference is this is a true road game in a tough place to play. I don't think we have to win the rebounding battle but we can't get crushed like last year either.

 

[asj410]

Rebounding will be very important but last year they crushed us on the glass and we were winning right until the very end. This year we are a much better team than we were last year while they are basically the same team a year older. The big difference is this is a true road game in a tough place to play. I don't think we have to win the rebounding battle but we can't get crushed like last year either.

Agreed. I definitely don't think we need to win on the boards. In fact, I don't think we will and wouldn't be surprised if we end up -10 for the game. We just have to really crash the boards hard and not get blown out in that aspect of the game. The fact that we got killed on rebounds last year, only shot 35%, and still managed to nearly win the game is encouraging. And Roberson and Lydon only combined for 6 total rebounds. If Robey is plugged in this Tuesday, we're solid.

 

[SWFLCUSE]

6-0 UNC at the U16. Wisconsin is 0-9 from the field and 0-3 from deep. Carolina hasn't been much better and is 3-8 and 0-3 deep. The difference early has been rebounding. The Tar Heels are up 10-4 in rebounding early.

 

[cuseattle]

Early 8-0 lead for Carolina.

 

[SWFLCUSE]

11-3 at the U12, sloppy game so far.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

11-3 at the U12, sloppy game so far.

Actually Wisky should be happy that they held UNC to only 11 pts in the first ten minutes

 

[SWFLCUSE]

Actually Wisky should be happy that they held UNC to only 11 pts in the first ten minutes

I think that has more to do with pace. UNC isn't able to get out and run the way they want to and it looks like Wisky's halfcourt D is frustrating them. Neither of these teams have impressed me all that much tonight, and don't scare me. Can't wait for the ACC-B1G challenge this year.

 

[SWFLCUSE]

15-11 at the U8. 10 combined turnovers in the first 13 and a half minutes.

Edit: added a point to Wisky due to a jump shot called for 3 instead of 2.

 

[cuseattle]

Meeks wit 12 boards in the first half. 29-20 Heels.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

We can't let Meeks beat us. In the past we have had problems with guys like him. Hopefully one of our guys can neutralize him.

 

[SWFLCUSE]

HT UNC is up 29-20
Meeks with 10 pts and 12 rebs
Berry with 10 pts
Happ with 5 pts 3 rebs and 3 steals

 

[Jack Hall]

How is unc ranked #4? The polls are a joke this early , they would beat uk easily imo

 

[SWFLCUSE]

The Tar Heels are keeping the Badgers at arms length, up 37-29 at the U16.

 

[SWFLCUSE]

Meeks making his presence felt now as the Tar Heels start to build a lead, 46-29 at the U12. Meeks is going to the line with 14 pts and 16 rebs.

 

[SWFLCUSE]

UNC in complete control at the U8, up 54-36.

 

[cusetown1]

I hope Hayes plays like this against cuse. Might be the worst game I've eve seen them play. I'm sure unc will got a lot of pub from this but it wasn't them.

 

[SoBeCuse]

Except Meeks sucks on this board, lol.

 

[llandz]

Hope Wisconsin is jet lagged still on Tuesday...??? But doubt it.

 

[cusetown1]

If it wasn't for Meeks, the entire starting lineup for UNC would weigh less than 600 lbs total.

 

[cusetown1]

Jay Bilas is an excitable lad.

 

[Toga]

Kennedy Meeks - 7th year senior, joining Carl Krauser, Aaron Craft and Trevor Cooney on the all time forever team.

 

[cusetown1]

The spread was 4.5 in this game. Wisconsin simply did not show up . Regardless of jay bilas love affair with unc.