KU basketball prediction: Jayhawks visit UNC for 1st time in tough road matchup
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kansas visits UNC at Dean Smith Center; rivalry pressure and hostile crowd.
- Kansas needs Peterson, Bidunga or guard to carry offense and limit Veesaar.
- Kansas projects to win 72-68 and cover spread; contain Caleb Wilson early.
The No. 19-ranked Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball team visits fellow hoops blueblood North Carolina on Friday.
The Jayhawks (1-0) dominated Green Bay on Monday, while No. 25 UNC defeated Central Arkansas. KU leads the all-time Kansas-North Carolina series 7-6, and the Jayhawks have won the last five games.
Here is a scouting report and prediction for Friday night’s Top 25 showdown:
No. 19 Kansas vs. No. 25 UNC
When/where: 6 p.m. Friday, Dean Smith Center
TV/streaming: ESPN
Opponent’s record: 1-0
KenPom (Ken Pomeroy) Ranking: 30
Betting line: UNC is a 1.5-point favorite.
All statistics are from KenPom.com and EvanMiya. KenPom stats only include Division I competition.
UNC Strengths
- Freshman star: Like the Jayhawks with Darryn Peterson, the Tar Heels have a highly touted freshman of their own: Caleb Wilson. He dropped 22 points in 24 minutes in UNC’s opener.
- Towering team: UNC ranks No. 12 in average player height (6-foot-5)
- Hitting freebies: The Tar Heels rank No. 39 in free-throw percentage (81.1)
UNC Weaknesses
- Getting to the line: Although UNC made the most of its free-throw chances in its first game, North Carolina ranks No. 153 in free-throw rate (33.8).
- New faces: North Carolina ranks No. 184 in minutes continuity percentage (12.9).
- Shooting struggles: Although it’s only one game, UNC shot 34.5% from deep vs. Central Arkansas.
UNC Name to Know
6-foot-10 freshman forward Caleb Wilson (No. 13) (Stats are from first game)
+ Quality scorer (22 points in 24 mins vs. Central Arkansas)
+ Good at the line ... shot 80.3% on free throws (5 of 6)
+ Efficient scorer (shot 80% from the field)
- Turnover prone (2 vs. Central Arkansas)
Game Prediction
What a great matchup early in the season.
The Jayhawks will be tested in what promises to be a rowdy environment inside the Dean Smith Center. On top of that, North Carolina is desperate for win over Kansas, having lost its last five matchups against the Jayhawks.
As long as Darryn Peterson doesn’t play limited minutes due to cramps, he should have another stellar game as KU’s new point guard. This is exactly the type of environment in which the future NBA Draft pick should shine.
UNC will likely do everything in its power to force anyone but Peterson to beat them. That means Flory Bidunga, Tre White and Melvin Council all need to play well on offense.
On the flip side, KU must make life difficult for Wilson. That means not letting him get to his spots or allowing him to start off hot. Otherwise, the Jayhawks will be in trouble.
On more thing: Kansas will need to limit the damage done by Henri Veesaar. The Arizona transfer torched KU last year, shooting 7-for-11 from the field and dropping 19 points.
All of this said, I like the Jayhawks in this one. I expect a special game from Peterson and that Bidunga, White and/or Council will step up offensively.
Kansas 72, UNC 68
Shreyas’ pick to cover the spread: Kansas (+1.5)
Shreyas’ season record: 1-0
KU Player to Watch: Flory Bidunga
Kansas coach Bill Self told his bigs to play true to size before KU’s matchup against Green Bay.
Well, Bidunga did just that. He had career-high 23 points with six rebounds and three blocked shots.
In the process, he showed more offense in the low post than we saw from him last season. The Jayhawks really need that version of Bidunga to show up Friday.
Contending with UNC’s tall lineup will undoubtedly be a challenge, but if he can show off his post prowess and ease some of the burden on Peterson to score, that would be huge.
