North Carolina and Syracuse both look to rebound from their most lopsided losses of the season Saturday when the 16th-ranked Tar Heels visit the Orange.
The Tar Heels (20-6, 8-5 ACC) fell to North Carolina State 82-58 on Tuesday while playing without star freshman Caleb Wilson (fractured hand) and Henri Veesaar (lower-body injury). Without its top two scorers and rebounders, North Carolina shot just 31.7% from the floor and a woeful 5-of-33 from 3-point range.
Defensively, North Carolina allowed its intrastate rival to shoot 45% from 3-point range while forcing just four turnovers.
“I just felt like our competitive fight wasn’t there, especially from a defensive standpoint,” Tar Heels coach Hubert Davis said. “They didn’t feel us defensively. They didn’t feel our presence at all.”
Wilson, who averages 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds, was a vocal presence on the bench and in the locker room. His status for the remainder of the season remains in doubt, however.
“(Wilson) was really not happy about the way we played,” said forward Jarin Stevenson, who joined Zayden High with a team-best 13 points. “He felt like we could’ve done a lot better.”
On that same note, Syracuse (15-12, 6-8) certainly could have done better in its most recent contest — a 101-64 drubbing at No. 3 Duke on Monday.
Offense was the issue in the first half, as the Orange managed just 24 points, and then their defense got ugly, as they allowed 61 points after intermission.
“We kind of just lost our focus, I think, by not making the shots that we generated in the first half,” said forward Tyler Betsey, who shot 1-of-5 from 3-point range, bringing him to 3-of-14 over the last three games. “I think we got all the shots that we wanted, but they really just didn’t fall.”
William Kyle III had 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting to pace the Orange. Nate Kingz chipped in 10 points, but Donnie Freeman and JJ Starling combined for 18 points — 11 below their combined average.
Syracuse is 1-5 against ranked opponents this season.
“They were active. They pushed us out. That’s why they’re one of the better defensive teams,” Orange coach Adrian Autry said. “Their length, their physicality is tough. They really spread out and they can cover the court. You don’t really have a lot of time when you do get open. They do a good job of closing off and rotating.”
North Carolina defeated Syracuse 87-77 in Chapel Hill on Feb. 2 in the first meeting between the teams. Wilson led the way with 22 points and nine rebounds, while Veesaar chipped in 17 points and 11 boards.
The Tar Heels led by 32 midway through the second half before the Orange got within six in the final minute.
“We just lost focus, and really all I can say is we should have just kept focused,” Wilson said that night.
The Tar Heels have won five of the last six meetings between the teams.
