The No.9-seeded Providence Friars get together with the No.1-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels in the second round of the NCAA tournament at PNC Arena. Action gets underway at 9:40 pm ET on Saturday, Mar. 19 and will air on TBS.
The Tar Heels enter this game hoping for similar success after beating FGCU 83-67 in the First Round. Brice Johnson led all scorers with 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting. The Friars, meanwhile, are coming off a 70-69 win against USC in the First Round. Rodney Bullock claimed his eighth double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
The game should be a showdown of strength against strength, as the productive offense of North Carolina (11th in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 117.0) takes on the top-notch defense of Providence (14th in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 99.3). Also, the Friars commit the fifth-fewest errors in the nation (TO% of 16.3%), while the ball-hawking defense of the Tar Heels causes the 20th-most (opponents’ TO% of 18.7%).
The Tar Heels enter the game with records of 28-6 Straight Up (SU) and 15-17-2 Against The Spread (ATS). The Tar Heels are one of the best in Division I in terms of free throw percentage, shooting an impressive .738 from the free throw line. The rebounding edge goes to the Tar Heels in this matchup, who are one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with an average of 41.0 boards per game. The Tar Heels, sporting the third-best assist-to-turnover ratio in Division I (1.66), have proven themselves to be an extremely efficient offensive team. As for the North Carolina defense, teams have to fight for open shots against the Tar Heels, who have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the country at .410.
As for their opponent, the Friars head into the game with records of 18-15 ATS and 24-10 SU. The Friars rarely make costly errors handling the ball. They have the 31st-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the country at 1.40. Shifting to the other side of the court, teams don’t seem to hit many three-pointers against the Friars, who are 11th in the country in terms of three-point field goals allowed at 217 this season.
This game will be the first meeting for North Carolina and Providence in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – UNC, ATS Winner – UNC
Notes
“North Carolina is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games “.
“North Carolina is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games “.
In its last game, Providence won by a margin of one point. North Carolina is 1-2 in games decided by a margin of three points or less. Providence has a 6-1 record in close games.
The North Carolina Tar Heels have a defensive rating of 99.7 (ranked 18th), while the Providence Friars have an offensive rating of 106.3 (ranked 169th).
The Providence Friars average a field goal percentage of 42.1% this season. The North Carolina Tar Heels have an outstanding 12-3 record in games where opponents have a FG% of 42.1% or greater.
The North Carolina Tar Heels rank higher based on their field goal percentage (26th) than their effective field goal percentage (97th). The Providence Friars rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (263rd) than their field goal percentage (268th).
North Carolina ranks among the best in the nation in assists at fourth (18.0 assists per game). Providence is ranked 34th with 15.9 assists per game.
North Carolina, the 54th-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 4.5 per game. Providence does worse, ranked 151st with 3.6.
North Carolina is one of the best teams in the country when it comes to offensive rebounds, ranking eighth. Providence ranks just 212th in defensive rebounds.
The North Carolina Tar Heels make an average of 6.9 steals per game. When the Providence Friars allow 6 or more steals, they are a winning 12-6.
