Down is up, up is down. Virginia is ranked third, North Carolina is seventh. Carolina is atop the ACC, UVA is in a three-way tied for fourth.
Depending on the bracketologist you subscribe to, one or the other is a #1 national seed.
Such is the order of the day in college basketball as February is about to turn to March 2016, Madness already long since having settled down upon us.
The Cavs (21-6, 10-5 ACC) have won eight of their last 10, their two losses coming narrowly on the road, at Duke by one two weeks ago, and at Miami by three Monday night.
The Tar Heels (23-5, 12-3 ACC) appear to have righted their ship since a shocking one-point home loss to Duke a week ago, with wins over Miami and NC State.
Inside North Carolina
- Brice Johnson is The Man: Johnson leads a balanced UNC attack that features five double-figure scorers at 17.0 points per game on 61.8 percent shooting. Johnson, a 6’10” senior, also hauls down 10.6 rebounds per game. Johnson is rated fourth on the KenPom.com player of the year list. Expect to see him forced to spin the ball out of at least a couple post-to-post doubles.
- More post power: Kennedy Meeks (10.0 ppg, 6.1 rebounds per game, 57.5 percent shooting) and Isaiah Hicks (9.4 ppg. 4.6 rpg, 62.3 percent shooting). How many post-doubles you got?
- Marcus Paige was the preseason ACC co-player of the year (with UVA’s Malcolm Brogdon). Paige hasn’t played up to expectations, scoring 12.3 points per game on 40.4 percent shooting from the field and 34.1 percent shooting from three. He’s also averaging a relatively paltry 3.5 assists per game.
- Also watch for: Justin Jackson (12.4 ppg, 49.1 percent shooting), Joel Barry II (11.9 ppg. 3.9 assists per game, 36.8 percent three-point shooting)
- Offense: Carolina averages an ACC-best 83.9 points per game, shooting 48.4 percent from the field (third in the ACC) and 31.5 percent from three (last in the ACC). The Heels average 1.198 points per possession, fifth nationally. UNC is third in the ACC in offensive-rebounding percentage (38.8 percent).
- Defense: UNC allows 70.4 points per game, ninth in the ACC, and opponents shoot 41.5 percent from the field (third in the ACC) and 36.7 percent from three (12th in the ACC). Opponents average .956 points per possession, 32nd nationally.
- Tempo: 72.4 possessions per game, 44th nationally.
Inside Virginia
- Malcolm Brogdon is the ACC player of the year. End of story. Brogdon, a fifth-year senior, is averaging 18.2 points per game, shooting 47.5 percent from the field, 40.8 percent from three and 87.6 percent from the free-throw line. He’s also the best on-ball defender in the conference, and will likely draw Marcus Paige on Saturday.
- What up with Gill, Perrantes? Anthony Gill and London Perrantes are both averaging in double figures, but both have also been struggling to put points on the board of late. Gill (13.6 ppg. 6.0 rpg, 56.2 percent shooting) is averaging 8.8 points per game over his last five, and Perrantes (11.2 ppg, 4.4 assists per game, 52.5 percent three-point shooting) has been in single digits in three of his last four.
- Wilkins, Nolte in, out? Isaiah Wilkins (4.7 ppg. 4.1 rpg) and Evan Nolte (1.6 ppg) are both questionable. Wilkins took a blow to the head late in the loss at Miami on Monday, and Nolte has a toe injury. Both will be needed to be part of the frontcourt wave.
- Offense: Virginia scores 70.7 points per game, 12th in the ACC, shooting 49.4 percent from the field (first in the ACC) and 40.2 percent from three (also best in the ACC). The Cavs score 1.177 points per possession, 11th nationally.
- Defense: Virginia opponents score 59.7 points per game, best in the ACC, shooting 41.8 percent from the field (fourth in the ACC) and 34.8 percent from three (ninth in the ACC). Opponents score .927 points per possession, ninth nationally.
- Tempo: 61.6 possessions per game, 351st and last nationally
– Preview by Chris Graham
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