NCAA Men’s Basketball: North Carolina Central Eagles vs UNC Tar Heels- Possible Lineups and Predictions

NCAA Men’s Basketball action will see yet another intra-state rivalry match. While we have spoken about the others, we will now talk about the big clash in North Carolina. It may not be the Duke Blue Devils or Wake Forest, but these are two teams rich with North Carolina basketball history.

The UNC Tar Heels, who are currently ranked as the 16th best program in the country, will face off against the North Carolina Central Eagles. The Central Eagles are 1-2 in an early season ravaged with COVID cancelations. Even this game was originally between UNC and Elon Phoenix, but Elon had to drop out.

UNC have had a rough start, currently sitting at 3-2. They have lost two games to ranked opponents in the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Texas Longhorns. They need this game ahead of facing ranked Ohio State in their next game. Or else, they may join fellow historic colleges like Duke and Kentucky with sub-.500 records.

NCAA Men’s Basketball: The Tar Heels snatch a crucial victory?

UNC will lose their ranked spot with a loss. There are no two ways to go about it. Considering the kind of runs many un-ranked colleges are on, it will be hard to justify a spot for UNC. Especially if they lose to a team with a 1-2 record.

The Tar Heels will be expected to line up with Garrison Brooks, Leaky Black, Armando Bacot, Caleb Love, and R.J. Davis. Meanwhile, the Central Eagles will take the court with C.J. Keyser, Nicolas Fennell, Jamir Moultrie, Jordan Perkins, and Nehemie Kabeya.

UNC will not give this game up. While it is a rivalry clash, it is unlikely that the Central Eagles win. The Tar Heels have only been dropping games to ranked opponents. Considering this, we can expect them to stay strong against the Central Eagles, who just don’t have the talent to match up.