The North Carolina Tar Heels cruised into the Sweet 16 with dominating wins over Florida Gulf Coast and Providence, cementing themselves as arguably the best team remaining in the field. Now comes a matchup with the Indiana Hoosiers, who will provide the Heels with their toughest test yet - but UNC is still heavily favored. Here are three reasons why North Carolina will come out on top:
3) Proven track record in close games
While this is arguably the biggest game Indiana has played all year, North Carolina has already played in several games of this magnitude. UNC already has seven wins this season against teams that are in the Sweet 16 (compared to just three losses), while Indiana is just 3-2. This moment isn't too big for the Heels, and that will show.
2) Ability to defend Yogi Ferrell
It's no surprise that Indiana's entire offense is centered around star point guard Yogi Ferrell - it's also not a surprise that UNC has multiple defenders who should be able to guard him adequately. Joel Berry II has proven to be a lockdown defender all season while leading the Heels in steals, while Justin Jackson has the length and quickness to guard him if Roy Williams chooses to put him on Ferrell. These two should be able to at least disrupt Ferrell's game and force his supporting cast to pick up the slack.
1) Size advantage
Indiana's Thomas Bryant is the only player that sees time that is over 6’8”, and when he gets into foul trouble, Indiana has major problems in the paint. They don’t have any rim protectors (no player averages a single block per game) and struggle to both score and defend in the paint. If there’s a place Indiana can be exploited, it’s on the inside - which is right in UNC's wheelhouse.
Carolina is one of the biggest teams in the country and that shows on the offensive end, as they lead all major conference schools in points in the paint. Not only are Brice Johnson, Kennedy Meeks, and Isaiah Hicks dominant around the basket, but the Heels are also an excellent rebounding team. Expect for the Heels to routinely exploit their major advantage on the inside.
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