Quick scout: Everything you need to know for UNC’s first round game against Alabama
North Carolina is 4-0 through its first four games. However, this is where it gets tougher.
UNC faces Alabama in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament on Wednesday, and could face either Iowa State or Michigan on Thursday.
And on Friday, the Tar Heels will face No. 8 Gonzaga, No. 11 Oregon, No. 13 Seton Hall or Southern Mississippi.
The good news for the Tar Heels is they expect to get senior wing Brandon Robinson back, who missed the first four games with a sprained ankle. He adds another potential scoring threat the Tar Heels have missed.
Here is a quick scout of Alabama:
Alabama’s KenPom rankings: 78
UNC head-to-head with Alabama: 7-4
Alabama’s record: 2-2
Last game: W 81-73 vs. Furman on Nov. 19
Weaknesses
▪ Alabama has not been good at valuing the basketball this season. The Crimson Tide turn it over on nearly a fourth of their possessions and rank 312th out of 353 teams with a 23.8 turnover percentage. Three players average four turnovers or more per game.
The Crimson Tide are also ranked 351st in offensive steal percentage, meaning opponents force steals on 14.8 percent of the Crimson Tide’s possessions. While UNC has not been great at forcing steals, this could be an opportunity for the Tar Heels to get some easy points in transition.
▪ Defensively, the Crimson Tide are well below average at forcing turnovers. Alabama has forced turnovers on only 15.1 percent of its opponent’s possessions, which is ranked 327th in the country.
Strengths
▪ Balance. Alabama has five players who average at least 9.8 points per game. And three of them are shooting better than 50 percent from the floor.
▪ The Crimson Tide are also a deep team. Nine players average 12.5 minutes or more per game.
▪ Pushing the pace. Alabama likes to score quickly.
Player to watch
Kira Lewis Jr.
Lewis, a 6-3, 165-pound sophomore guard, can do it all. He’s averaging 21.5 points per game, 6.5 rebounds, 5 assists, while shooting 51.7 percent from the floor, and 40 percent from behind the 3-point line.
Prediction
UNC’s game against Elon should be a cause for concern. The Tar Heels gave up way too many open 3’s against a team that has struggled mightily to shoot the 3.
Alabama isn’t afraid to shoot the 3.
However, Alabama’s inability to take care of the basketball is why I think UNC will pull this one out. In its 93-79 loss to Rhode Island earlier this month, Alabama committed 22 turnovers. That won’t win many games. And the last thing Alabama wants to do is give UNC more possessions.
Both teams like to score quickly. It should be a high possession game. But the Tar Heels are the better overall team.
UNC 82, Alabama 76
UNC vs. Alabama
When: 2:30 p.m.
Where: Paradise Island, Bahamas
TV: ESPN
Listen: WTKK-106.1 Raleigh; WCHL-97.9, WCHL-1360 Chapel Hill; WBT-99.3, WBT-1110 Charlotte
