Improved Non-Conference Start Has Tar Heels Confident Going To Atlanta

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — When North Carolina walked off the court inside the Spectrum Center last December after a crushing loss to Florida in its 11th game of the season, the season outlook felt bleak.

A 6-5 start to the 2024-25 season produced an early stress about UNC’s NCAA Tournament fate, despite the team playing just one conference game at that point. The outlook of the ACC that year didn’t produce many chances for quality wins, and the loss to Florida was the team’s fourth defeat to a ranked opponent.

But North Carolina’s first 11 games this season have yielded considerably more success. UNC is off to its best start since the 2017-18 season with a 10-1 record. Saturday’s game against Ohio State will be its final matchup against a power conference team before beginning ACC play on Dec. 30 at home against Florida State.

With the way the team’s been surging, the Tar Heels are entering the matchup with a justified level of self-belief.

“I feel like we just have to be physical, make sure we box out and allow for offensive rebounds,” Caleb Wilson said on Tuesday. “And just keep Bruce (Thornton) out of the paint, wall up and stay out of foul trouble, with me and Henri (Veesaar), and I feel like we should dominate the game. They’re a big team, but I feel like we’re more athletic and we’re faster. We have more perimeter size, so I feel like we should dominate the game. Just take it possession by possession.”

That rhetoric from Wilson reflects the confidence of this UNC team, which is in a much better state than it was last year. Sometimes, Hubert Davis and his players struggled to put their struggles into words after games last year, visibly disappointed as losses piled up. When North Carolina defeated UCLA in game No. 12 last year, it almost felt relieving. A win against Ohio State on Saturday, though, would be business as usual.

“Playing against Ohio State on a big stage and on a big day, it helps us a lot,” Veesaar said. “If we win that game, it puts us in a great position to win the next game and go into the ACC with a big advantage and be one of the higher-ranked teams. And that’s going to help us a lot and create momentum.”

Though not ranked in the AP Top 25, Ohio State is 8-2 on the season and led by a group of experienced players. Four of the team’s top five scorers are at least in their third year of college basketball.

Ohio State is guided by its four-year starter Thornton, who leads the team with 21.8 points per game. Thornton shoots 60.2% from the field, 50% from three and 86.3% from the free throw line. The 6-foot-2 guard has scored 30 or more points twice, with a 38-point effort in the team’s win against Purdue Fort Wayne and a 34-point showing in a loss to Illinois.

“If he gets hot, it’s really hard to stop him,” Wilson said. “He’s like a bowling ball going downhill, so you have to put your body in front of him.”

The 10-1 start the Tar Heels have gotten out to includes wins against Kansas at home and Kentucky on the road. UNC is guided by its frontcourt duo of Wilson and Veesaar, who combine to average 36.4 points and 19.5 rebounds per game. Wilson has recorded seven double-doubles this year while Veesaar has posted five.

UNC’s had more defensive success this season compared to where it was last year. The Tar Heels are allowing just 64.8 points per game, which ranks second among ACC teams. They haven’t allowed any opponent to score more than 74 points so far. Last year through 11 games, they allowed teams to score 90 or more points five times.

UNC managed to embark on this fast start without the presence of Seth Trimble, who continues to work his way back from his arm injury. The Tar Heels won their first two games with Trimble in the lineup, and outside of a loss to Michigan State, they haven’t trailed off in his absence. Trimble’s return date isn’t yet known, but if he’s healthy enough to play on Saturday, he could help with UNC’s coverage against Thornton. Trimble resumed five-on-five practice this week.

North Carolina still has work to do moving forward when it comes to starting games faster, making 3-pointers with more consistency (the team is shooting just 32.7% so far) and finding more production from its post players off the bench. But a third of the way into the regular season, the Tar Heels are in good shape.

The non-conference schedule for UNC has eased up compared to last year’s with the amount of high-profile matchups on the slate. Still, the Tar Heels have fared well in the opportunities they’ve had this year, and they’ll look to build on that progress against the Buckeyes.

“I’m confident with my team and my teammates, coaches, everybody,” Jonathan Powell said. “My confidence, no matter who we play, I think we can beat anybody. So just come with that mindset in any game. It’s obviously gonna be a very good game (on Saturday). They’re a good team with good players and good coaches. So just come with that mindset and be confident.”