North Carolina will have a tough game against Ohio State on Saturday at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
While Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar give UNC one of the top frontcourt duos in the ACC, and the return of Seth Trimble should help spark the Tar Heels, Ohio State is a balanced, upset-minded opponent. The Buckeyes have good length, solid backcourt play and are efficient offensively.
Here are three players to watch out for on Saturday.
Guard Bruce Thornton (6-2, 215)
Bruce Thornton gives the Buckeyes a bona fide star, a throwback four-year starter who has done something rare in today’s game: spend his entire career at one school. He is averaging 21.8 points per game while shooting 60.2 percent from the field and making 26 of his 52 attempts from 3-point range (50 percent).
Efficiency is his calling card. He ranks eighth nationally in true shooting percentage (74.0), ninth in offensive rating and 13th in effective field-goal percentage (70.7). He also makes his presence felt on defense, consistently forcing turnovers and averaging 1.3 steals per game.
Center Christoph Tilly (7-0, 225)
A Santa Clara transfer, the 7-foot German big man is averaging nearly 14 points and six rebounds per game, shooting 45.1 percent from the field and a dominant 71.4 percent in the paint.
He is also excellent at drawing contact and getting to the line, ranking in the top 50 nationally in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (7.1, 43rd) and free-throw rate (70.3, 50th), according to KenPom. When he does get to the free-throw line, he converts 81.3 percent of his attempts. One of his most underrated strengths is his passing, as he is averaging nearly three assists per game.
Guard/Forward Devin Royal (6-6, 210)
While he is technically a guard, Royal has transitioned nicely into the small forward role, averaging 13.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. He is shooting 47.6 percent from the field and has been a reliable threat from deep, hitting 38.2 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc this season.
