North Carolina Central Eagles vs North Carolina Tar Heels Prediction & Match Preview- December 12, 2020

Match Details

Fixture: North Carolina Central Eagles vs No. 16 North Carolina Tar Heels - NCAA Men's Basketball - MEAC/ACC Matchup

Date and Time: Saturday, December 12 at 2PM EST

Venue: Dean E. Smith Center, Chapel Hill, NC

The in-state rival North Carolina Central Eagles will travel a few miles down the road on Saturday to face the No. 16 North Carolina Tar Heels.

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North Carolina Tar Heels Preview

The North Carolina Tar Heels (3-2) are coming off of back-to-back tough losses to a couple of very strong opponents. The first loss came in heart-breaking fashion: a game-winning shot with 0.1 seconds left on the clock for the No. 13 Texas Longhorns. The Tar Heels then went on to face the high-powered No. 3 Iowa Hawkeyes, losing 93-80. North Carolina will hope to use Saturday's matchup as an opportunity to bounce back, work out the issues, and prepare for a tournament run in March.

Key Player: RJ Davis

R.J. Davis will look to continue his strong start to the season against the Eagles on Saturday. Davis has averaged 12.2 PPG over the first 5 games with a season high of 16. Shooting an impressive 42 percent from the field, expect R.J. Davis to find openings in the North Carolina Central defense and knock down some jump-shots.

North Carolina Tar Heels Predicted Lineup

Armando Bacot, Garrison Brooks, R.J. Davis, Caleb Love, Leaky Black

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North Carolina Central Eagles Preview

Coach Levelle Moton and his North Carolina Central Eagles (1-2) will have their hands full on Saturday with an angry, determined Tar Heel team. The Eagles are coming off of a 78-71 loss to Coastal Carolina, and their most recently scheduled game was cancelled due to COVID-19. This cancellation already marked the second of the Eagles' young season, as their December 3 game against Wofford was cancelled as well. North Carolina Central will be well-rested for Saturday's game, and they will need their best performance to upset the Tar Heels.

Key Player: C.J. Keyser

After earning Conference Player of the Week honors last week, there is no question that C.J. Keyser will be a huge part of the North Carolina Central offense on Saturday. Keyser's explosive speed and elusive dribbling will be put on display in Chapel Hill, and a big game from the senior guard could be the key to victory for the Eagles.

North Carolina Central Eagles Predicted Lineup

Nicolas Fennell, Nehemie Kabeya, C.J. Keyser, Jamir Moultrie, Jordan Perkins

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North Carolina Central vs North Carolina Prediction

North Carolina Tar Heel basketball is a notoriously successful program, and while these losses do not help their case as a top-tier team, history has always proven them to be a serious threat down the stretch. I expect them to return to form on Saturday and swiftly take care of North Carolina Central, 84-70.