Preview: Stanford Men’s Basketball welcomes No. 14 North Carolina to Maple Pavilion
On Wednesday at 6:00 PM PT on ACCN, Stanford men’s basketball will welcome No. 14 North Carolina to Maples Pavilion. Stanford comes in at 13-4 overall and 2-2 in the ACC while North Carolina comes in at 14-2 overall and 2-1 in the ACC.
Student-Athlete Availability Report: As of this afternoon, Isaiah Denis and Luka Bogavac are listed as probable for North Carolina. Evan Stinson is probable for Stanford. Chisom Okpara is questionable for Stanford. Tallis Toure and Kristers Skrinda are out for Stanford. There is a chance things change before tipoff. Check out the link here for the very latest updates.
Last time out: Stanford fell to Virginia on the road on Saturday by a final score of 70-55. Virginia rose from No. 23 to No. 16 in the AP Top 25.
RECAP: Stanford falls to No. 23 Virginia in Charlottesville
On North Carolina: The Tarheels are led by freshman forward Caleb Wilson, who is averaging 19.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game on 57.3% shooting from the field, 25.0% shooting from 3-point range, and 69.8% shooting from the foul line. Right behind him are senior forward Henri Veesaar (16.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, & 1.1 blocks) and senior guard Seth Trimble (15.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, & 1.3 steals). The three of them form a really good trio. Luka Bogavac being probable is huge for them as he’s the number four option averaging 9.5 points per game.
The Tarheels have wins over Kansas (who just fell out of the AP Top 25) and Kentucky (who is no longer receiving votes). Both were ranked wins at the time for the Tarheels. They have a 74-58 loss to No. 12 Michigan State on a neutral floor and so far in ACC play have defeated Florida State and Wake Forest at home while losing to SMU on the road.
In ACC play, the Tarheels are averaging 83.0 points per game on 47.5% shooting from the field, 33.7% shooting from 3-point range, and 68.1% shooting from the foul line. They average 33.3 rebounds, 19.7 assists, 6.3 steals, 2.0 blocks, and 10.3 turnovers per game. They also average a +6.6 rebound margin and a -1.0 turnover margin per game. Their opponents are averaging 82.3 points per game on 47.4% shooting from the field, 39.2% shooting from 3-point range, and 65.9% shooting from the foul line. Once again, these are ACC play numbers. If you want to check out their overall stats, click here.
Keys to the game: For Stanford, the first thing they need to do is contain Caleb Wilson. Easier said than done, but it really starts with defending him and keeping him off the glass. AJ Rohosy and Oskar Giltay are gonna have to do work on the glass. Ryan Agarwal another guy whose rebounding could make an impact.
Secondly, Stanford freshman Ebuka Okorie is gonna need to do his thing. It’s really crucial he gets to the foul line where he is an 81.5% foul shooter. He’s averaging 22.1 points per game with 6.7 of those points coming at the foul line. Even if his shot is not falling, he can still be dangerous by getting to the foul line. That needs to happen tonight.
Finally, Stanford needs to take advantage of North Carolina having a -1.0 turnover margin per game. Stanford averages a +3.1 turnover margin per game. That could make the difference tonight. If that trend continues, that could be what decides the game.
Prediction: This game is a toss-up, but I think Stanford will find a way to escape with an 80-78 victory. Should be a fun one at Maples.
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