Advertisement

UNC basketball vs. Louisville: Scouting report, score prediction for ACC matchup

2
Rodd Baxley, The Fayetteville Observer
·3 min read

After watching Armando Bacot go down with an injury in a loss at Virginia, North Carolina basketball continues its road swing at Louisville.

The Tar Heels (11-6, 3-3 ACC) face the Cardinals (2-15, 0-6) at 2 p.m. Saturday in a matchup that will be televised on ESPN.

Here are some things to know and a score prediction ahead of Carolina’s game at Louisville.

Armando Bacot, Pete Nance injuries

With Pete Nance and Armando Bacot dealing with injuries, freshman Jalen Washington (13) could play a key role in UNC's game at Louisville.
With Pete Nance and Armando Bacot dealing with injuries, freshman Jalen Washington (13) could play a key role in UNC's game at Louisville.

UNC continues to deal with the injuries of Armando Bacot and Pete Nance, two of the team’s top four scorers.

Bacot injured his left ankle in the first minutes of a 65-58 loss at Virginia, and Nance was sidelined for a third straight game with a strained back. Inside Carolina reported Bacot left John Paul Jones Arena on crutches Wednesday and Stadium’s Jeff Goodman said X-rays on Bacot’s ankle came back negative Thursday.

ADVERTISEMENT

'HURTING PRETTY BAD':Armando Bacot injured as UNC basketball loses at Virginia

BOOST FROM BENCH:How UNC basketball reserves made impact vs Notre Dame with Pete Nance injured

'I GOT YOUR BACK:UNC basketball’s Caleb Love defends Puff Johnson after Notre Dame foul

UNC coach Hubert Davis on Friday told reporters that Bacot is "questionable, at best" to play Saturday.

If the two post players are unable to go, freshman Jalen Washington could slide into an increased role after a breakout performance against the Cavaliers.

Washington had 13 points, including 12 in the first half, and six rebounds in 27 minutes off the bench. With Nance sidelined against Notre Dame and Virginia, freshman guard Seth Trimble slid into the starting lineup.

UNC has plenty of problems

The Tar Heels have a laundry list of problems through 17 games.

Defensively, the Tar Heels are only forcing turnovers on 15.8% of possessions – which ranks 331st in the nation – and are allowing teams to shoot 34.7% from 3-point range – which ranks 225nd – according to KenPom.com.

Typically known for its ability to dominate the offensive glass, Carolina has a 29.2% offensive rebounding percentage, which is 173rd nationally. The Tar Heels also are struggling to connect from long range with a 32% clip from distance, which is 257th among DI teams.

The fifth area of concern centers around sharing the ball: UNC has assists on 47.5% of its makes, which ranks 269th.

The good news? Carolina will have a chance to boost those percentages against Louisville.

How bad is Louisville?

Louisville is 2-15, including an 0-6 record in the ACC, and comes in at No. 275 out of 363 Division I teams in KenPom's rankings as of Friday afternoon.

With that ranking, the Cardinals are statistically the worst Power Five program in the nation.

Going back to last season, Louisville has lost 20 of 22 regular-season ACC games. Kenny Payne’s squad ranks 340th out of 363 teams in DI experience, according to KenPom.com.

Durham native El Ellis, who scored 25 points last season in a 90-83 overtime loss to UNC, is the engine for the Cards. The senior guard is averaging 17.5 points per game and has scored 20 or more points in four of the last six games.

UNC vs. Louisville score prediction

UNC 81, Louisville 60: Even if Armando Bacot and Pete Nance are sidelined, the Tar Heels should get a confidence boost from a big performance in Kentucky. Jalen Washington and UNC’s reserves will have a chance to step up and earn more playing time moving forward.

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: UNC basketball vs. Louisville: Scouting report, score prediction