It’s a great time to be a UNC basketball fan. After Saturday’s thrilling, near-buzzer-beating 71-68 win over Duke, the Tar Heels (19-4, 7-3 ACC) are now winners of five straight.
North Carolina trailed nearly throughout against its archrival, but kept the score within striking distance. Derek nailed a 3-pointer to draw things within three, Henri Veesaar knotted the game at 68-all and Seth Trimble practically sent an earthquake throughout the Dean Dome.
UNC started last week with a 10-point win over Syracuse, an advantage that once stretched to 32 points. On Monday morning, college basketball analyst Andy Katz named the Tar Heels his Team of the Week.
In addition, North Carolina climbed to 13th in Katz’ latest Power 37 rankings, which group who he thinks the 37 best team in college hoops are.
UNC deserves both honors, but its ultimate goal is to add a seventh NCAA Championship to the trophy case in Chapel Hill.
The Tar Heels face one of their toughest road tests on Tuesday night, with a 7 p.m. tip-off set against the resurgent Miami (FL) Hurricanes. Led by former Duke assistant Jai Lucas, Miami (18-5, 7-3 ACC) is tied with North Carolina in the conference standings. The Hurricanes finished dead last in the ACC a season ago, just two years removed from their first-ever Final Four appearance.
Caleb Wilson and Veesaar continue leading UNC through a much-improved campaign of its own, forming the country’s best frontcourt. Trimble’s senior leadership is a major boost for an otherwise-young backcourt, while head coach Hubert Davis is proving he can win the big games – again.
