2:30 PM EST (NCAAB) - NORTH CAROLINA VS. LOUISVILLE PREVIEW AND FREE PICKS
Time: 02:00 P.M. EST Louisville has won three straight conference tournaments and 10 consecutive league tournament games, but it has little to boast in the ACC. The 14th-ranked Cardinals won't be considered the favorites this time around as they begin their first run through their new conference's postseason Thursday in Greensboro against No. 19 North Carolina. If the first two meetings were any indication, neither team will have an easy time gaining a semifinal berth. The fifth-seeded Tar Heels (22-10) hold a 10-4 edge in the series with a 7-1 advantage at neutral sites, but things were far more even this season as the schools split two with Louisville holding a 132-131 scoring edge in regulation. The fourth-seeded Cardinals (24-7) won 78-68 in overtime on Jan. 31 at home after the Tar Heels claimed a 72-71 victory in Chapel Hill three weeks prior. Substantial leads haven't been safe, with Louisville coming back from 18 down in its win and North Carolina recovering from a 13-point deficit with 8 1/2 minutes remaining in Chapel Hill." I'm definitely looking forward to a third game because that means I'm not going back and packing my junk up and going home," said Tar Heels coach Roy Williams, whose team went one-and-done in the conference tournament last season. "We have had two sensational games. They probably should have won the game at our place, and we probably should have won the game at their place. Free College Basketball Picks. But it's two teams that really, really fight like crazy." Louisville had a double-bye into the quarterfinals while banged-up North Carolina advanced with Wednesday's 81-63 victory over Boston College. Williams doesn't expect No. 3 scorer Kennedy Meeks (12.0 points per game) to play after the sophomore missed the Boston College game with an illness. The Tar Heels were also without freshman guard Theo Pinson, who's nursing a sore left foot. He had recently returned from a monthlong absence after breaking that foot in January and referred to his status as day to day. More optimistically, Justin Jackson scored 12 points for a sixth straight double-digit scoring effort. He entered that span shooting just 20.4 percent from 3-point range but has made 44.4 percent (8 of 18) since." NJW. I can't tell you exactly any game," Williams said. "I think it's been a steady progression for him the entire season. I'd like for him to run that streak about nine more games." It's also helped that top scorer Marcus Paige (13.7 ppg) is said to be improving from a foot injury that's hampered him since January, and the junior has backed up that assessment with 20.0 points on 59.1 percent shooting over the past two games. Against Louisville, Paige has averaged 19.0 points on 50.0 percent in three career games. Counterpart Terry Rozier (17.0) has averaged 23.5 points in the two meetings this season, though the sophomore hasn't been nearly as efficient at 39.0 percent. Louisville concluded its regular season in impressive fashion, beating then-No. 2 Virginia 59-57 at home Saturday behind 20 points and 12 rebounds from Montrezl Harrell, who had 23 and 12 against Notre Dame three days earlier. Winning Sports Picks. The junior forward also had 22 points and 15 boards in the latest meeting with the Tar Heels. The Cardinals had dropped four of their previous eight and gone through the distractions and adjustments caused by last month's dismissal of starting guard Chris Jones, but coach Rick Pitino is happy with what he's seen." They got 24 victories. They got a top-four seed," Pitino said. "They've handled adversity with grace, and that's all we wanted. So I've been overly pleased with our record." ... So I'm real proud of them. The guys have reached their potential. They're developing into a team like the last few years. Now, can we make a run?"
Time: 02:00 P.M. EST Louisville has won three straight conference tournaments and 10 consecutive league tournament games, but it has little to boast in the ACC. The 14th-ranked Cardinals won't be considered the favorites this time around as they begin their first run through their new conference's postseason Thursday in Greensboro against No. 19 North Carolina. If the first two meetings were any indication, neither team will have an easy time gaining a semifinal berth. The fifth-seeded Tar Heels (22-10) hold a 10-4 edge in the series with a 7-1 advantage at neutral sites, but things were far more even this season as the schools split two with Louisville holding a 132-131 scoring edge in regulation. The fourth-seeded Cardinals (24-7) won 78-68 in overtime on Jan. 31 at home after the Tar Heels claimed a 72-71 victory in Chapel Hill three weeks prior. Substantial leads haven't been safe, with Louisville coming back from 18 down in its win and North Carolina recovering from a 13-point deficit with 8 1/2 minutes remaining in Chapel Hill." I'm definitely looking forward to a third game because that means I'm not going back and packing my junk up and going home," said Tar Heels coach Roy Williams, whose team went one-and-done in the conference tournament last season. "We have had two sensational games. They probably should have won the game at our place, and we probably should have won the game at their place. Free College Basketball Picks. But it's two teams that really, really fight like crazy." Louisville had a double-bye into the quarterfinals while banged-up North Carolina advanced with Wednesday's 81-63 victory over Boston College. Williams doesn't expect No. 3 scorer Kennedy Meeks (12.0 points per game) to play after the sophomore missed the Boston College game with an illness. The Tar Heels were also without freshman guard Theo Pinson, who's nursing a sore left foot. He had recently returned from a monthlong absence after breaking that foot in January and referred to his status as day to day. More optimistically, Justin Jackson scored 12 points for a sixth straight double-digit scoring effort. He entered that span shooting just 20.4 percent from 3-point range but has made 44.4 percent (8 of 18) since." NJW. I can't tell you exactly any game," Williams said. "I think it's been a steady progression for him the entire season. I'd like for him to run that streak about nine more games." It's also helped that top scorer Marcus Paige (13.7 ppg) is said to be improving from a foot injury that's hampered him since January, and the junior has backed up that assessment with 20.0 points on 59.1 percent shooting over the past two games. Against Louisville, Paige has averaged 19.0 points on 50.0 percent in three career games. Counterpart Terry Rozier (17.0) has averaged 23.5 points in the two meetings this season, though the sophomore hasn't been nearly as efficient at 39.0 percent. Louisville concluded its regular season in impressive fashion, beating then-No. 2 Virginia 59-57 at home Saturday behind 20 points and 12 rebounds from Montrezl Harrell, who had 23 and 12 against Notre Dame three days earlier. Winning Sports Picks. The junior forward also had 22 points and 15 boards in the latest meeting with the Tar Heels. The Cardinals had dropped four of their previous eight and gone through the distractions and adjustments caused by last month's dismissal of starting guard Chris Jones, but coach Rick Pitino is happy with what he's seen." They got 24 victories. They got a top-four seed," Pitino said. "They've handled adversity with grace, and that's all we wanted. So I've been overly pleased with our record." ... So I'm real proud of them. The guys have reached their potential. They're developing into a team like the last few years. Now, can we make a run?"
