By R.L. Bynum
No. 22 North Carolina (15–4, 3–3) at No. 14 Virginia (16–2, 5–1)
When: noon Saturday (moved up from the original 2 p.m. start because of the impending wintry weather)
Where: John Paul Jones Arena
TV: ESPN2: Dave O’Brien play-by-play, Cory Alexander analyst (Dick Vitale was originally going to also work the game, but will not because of the weather forecast,)
Radio: Tar Heel Sports Network (affiliates list; streams on the Varsity Network app); Jones Angell play-by-play, Tyler Zeller analyst
Line: Virginia -6½
Over/under: 149½
Moneylines: UNC +203; Virginia -303
Coaches: Ryan Odom (237–129 in 12th season; 16–2 in first season at Virginia) and Hubert Davis (116–49 overall and 59–27 in the ACC in fifth season, all at UNC; was 228–95 in nine seasons as a UNC assistant coach)
Series: UNC leads 132–62 (see list below), including 45–18 in Charlottesville, but Virginia leads 8–5 in John Paul Jones Arena and has won eight of the last nine there. Carolina won 54–44 on Feb. 24, 2024, in the last meeting at Virginia
Quad designation: Virginia’s NET ranking is 13, making this a Quad 1 game for UNC.
Common opponents
— Both beat N.C. Central at home, Virginia 81–62 on Nov. 7 and UNC 97–53 on Nov. 14
— Virginia won 84–60 at home against Cal on Jan. 7, and Carolina lost Saturday at Cal 84–78
— Virginia won 70–55 at home vs. Stanford, and Carolina lost Jan. 14 at Stanford 95–90.
— Both played at SMU, UNC losing 97–83 on Jan. 3 and Virginia winning 72–68 on Jan. 17.
Virginia resume
— 13 NET ranking
— 4–2 in Quad 1 games: wins at Louisville, N.C. State, SMU and Texas, losses at Virginia Tech and vs. Butler at a neutral site
— 4–0 in Quad 2 games: wins at neutral sites vs. Northwestern and Dayton, and at home vs. California and Stanford
— 2–0 in Quad 3 games, 6–0 in Quad 4 games
— 1–0 against teams currently ranked: Louisville
Virginia results (current ranking listed)
Oct. 24: 75–72 win vs. Villanova
Nov. 3: 87–54 win vs. Rider
Nov. 7: 81–62 win vs. N.C. Central
Nov. 11: 91–53 win vs. Hampton
Nov. 15: 104–78 win vs. Marshall
Nov. 21: 83–78 win vs Northwestern in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.
Nov. 23: 80–73 loss vs. Butler in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.
Nov. 28: 94–69 win vs. Queens
Dec. 3: 88–69 win at Texas
Dec. 6: 86–73 win vs. Dayton in Charlotte
Dec. 9: 84–60 win vs. Maryland Eastern Shore
Dec. 20: 80–72 win vs. Maryland
Dec. 22: 95–51 win vs American
Dec. 31: 95–84 3 OT loss at Virginia Tech
Jan. 3: 76–61 win at N.C. State
Jan. 7: 84–60 win vs. California
Jan. 10: 70–55 win vs. Stanford
Jan. 13: 79–70 win at No. 23 Louisville
Jan. 17: 72–68 win at SMU
Projected Virginia starters
No. 28 | F | Thijs (pronounced “Tess”) De Ridder (top photo) | 6–9, 238 | 23-year-old freshman
— Team-leading 16.1 points (12th in the ACC), 53.3 FG% (7th in the ACC), 38.9 3P%, 66.6 FT%, 6.2 rebounds; totals of 27 assists, 33 turnovers, 8 blocks, 13 steals
— From Brasschaat, Belgium, played for Bilbao Basket of the Liga ACB the last three seasons, averaging 9.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, while shooting 50.2% from the floor, making 39.1% of 3-point attempts last season
— Has scored at least 20 points eight times, netting 27 against American (highlights below), 26 against Northwestern and 23 against Marshall.
— Scored multiple 3-pointers five times, including three vs. American, Virginia Tech and N.C. Central (highlights of latter below)
— Has double-doubles against Virginia Tech (22 points, 13 rebounds) and Rider (21 points, 10 rebounds)
No. 1 | G | Malik Thomas | 6–5, 215 | graduate | San Francisco transfer
— 13.6 points, 42.9 FG%, 36.0 3P%, 2.0 3-pointers per game (18th in the ACC), 70.1 FT% (25th in the ACC), 4.2 rebounds; totals of 34 assists, 31 turnovers, 4 blocks, 9 steals
— Played his first two seasons at USC, then his junior and senior seasons at San Francisco, earning All-WCC First Team honors last season
— Scored career-high 36 points for San Francisco in the NIT on March 23, 2025, against Loyola Chicago
— Scored season-high 26 points in a 95–85 triple-overtime loss Dec. 31 at Virginia Tech in 29 minutes
— Has 25 career games with at least three 3-pointers, including a career-high six this season at SMU and at Louisville
— Registered one of his two career double-doubles at SMU with 23 points and 11 rebounds
No. 5 | G | Sam Lewis | 6–7, 210 | junior | Toledo transfer
— 9.8 points, 45.3 FG%, 36.5 3P%, 72.2 FT%, 3.6 rebounds; totals of 30 assists, 22 turnovers, 16 steals
— Career-high is 23 points, which he’s scored four times, including at N.C. State on Jan. 3 (highlights below) when he scored a career-high five 3-pointers, one of 12 career games with at least three 3-pointers
— Was All-MAC Second team last season with a team-high 16.2 points per game while leading the league in 3-point shooting percentage (44.4%)
No. 17 | C | Johann Grünloh (pronounced “Yo-hahn Groon-low”) | 7–0, 238 | freshman
— 8.6 points, 51.8 FG%, 32.4 3P%, 50.0 FT%, team-high 6.8 rebounds (15th in the ACC), 2.5 blocks per game (3rd in ACC); totals of 16 assists, 13 turnovers, 10 steals
— From Loningen, Germany, he averaged 7.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks last season for SC RASTA Vechta of Basketball Bundesliga
— Has six double-figure scoring games, topped by 16 points on Nov. 15 against Marshall
— Only double-double was his 13-point, 10-rebound game against Queens on Nov. 28
— Has scored multiple 3-pointers three times, including three at Louisville
— Has at least three blocks in seven games, including seven against N.C. Central (highlights below)
No. 30 | G | Dallin (pronounced “Dal-in”) Hall | 6–4, 197 | graduate | BYU transfer
— 5.8 points, 37.5 FG%, 31.6 3P%, 80.8 FT%, 3.7 rebounds; totals of 79 assists, 25 turnovers, 16 steals
— Averaged 6.8 points and 4.2 assists at BYU last season
— Scored career-high 23 points for BYU against St. Mary’s on Jan. 28, 2023
— Season high is 20 points against Maryland on Jan. 20 (highlights below)
— Has 16 career games with at least three 3-pointers, including two games with four with BYU and three this season against Marshall on Nov. 15.
More on Tar Heels
— UNC slides down in bracket projections, with tough Quad 1 games ahead
— Smith Center debate is Carolina’s identity crisis
— Roy Williams passionately urges UNC to renovate Smith Center, cites Dean Smith’s wishes
— Heels reclaim defensive identity after reset in thumping of Irish
— Wilson finds voice as leader, wanting to make most of his season as Tar Heel
— Davis says good practices led to turnaround defensively and in all areas
— ESPN says ‘technical issue’ led fans to miss large chunk of UNC-Cal game
UNC’s keys to the game
Sustain defensive communication and discipline — North Carolina’s defensive rebounding against Notre Dame has to carry over against a Virginia team that thrives on execution and patience. The Tar Heels must maintain loud, consistent communication on switches, ball screens and off-ball actions. Virginia will test every lapse with backdoor cuts and late-clock movement, so UNC’s recent emphasis on talking and staying connected has to be non-negotiable.
Guard without fouling and control the paint — Virginia’s offense is built on probing drives and forcing help. UNC must keep the ball in front, avoid unnecessary reach-ins, and protect the rim without overhelping. Staying vertical and finishing possessions with rebounds will be critical to prevent second-chance points against an efficient team.
Push tempo, when possible, but value the ball — Stops against Virginia can create rare but valuable runouts. However, the Heels must balance pace with ball security. Forced transition plays that lead to turnovers play directly into Virginia’s hands.
Exploit spacing and inside-out offense — Virginia will likely pack the lane and help aggressively on Caleb Wilson and the post game. UNC’s guards and wings must be ready to knock down open threes generated by post touches and drive-and-kick actions. Ball movement and quick decisions will prevent Virginia from loading up on Wilson and Henri Veesaar.
Maintain emotional and mental poise — Virginia’s style is designed to frustrate. UNC must avoid letting missed shots or long possessions affect the next defensive stand. The “next play, next possession” mindset that Hubert Davis emphasized after the California trip will be tested more than at any point this season.
Bring leadership and energy from the start — With a young roster, UNC’s vocal leaders, especially Wilson, need to set the tone early. Energy, physicality and urgency from the opening tip will be crucial against a disciplined opponent.
Virginia statistical ranks
First in the ACC in:
- Blocks: 6.44 per game (2nd nationally)
- Rebounds: 41.91 (14th)
- Offensive rebounds: 14.2 (11th)
- Field‑goal percentage defense: 38.1% (7th)
- 3‑point field‑goal percentage defense: 28.9% (17th)
Second in the ACC in:
- Rebound margin: +9.0 (15th)
- 3‑point percentage: 37.11% (34th)
Third in the ACC in:
- Scoring margin: +16.9 (15th)
- Scoring defense: 67.1 (36th)
Fourth in the ACC in:
- 3‑pointers made: 10.6 per game (25th)
Fifth in the ACC in:
- Assists: 17.44 (36th)
- Defensive rebounds: 27.7 (32nd)
Notes
— This Virginia team, under first-year coach Ryan Odom, plays differently than during the Tony Bennett era. The Cavaliers have scored more than 80 points 13 times, the most since the 2001–02 team did it 13 times. The 84.0 points per game (53rd in the country) are the most since that 2001–02 team averaged 85.0.
— According to KenPom, the Cavaliers are 17th in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency (124.8) and adjusted defensive efficiency (97.7).
— The Cavaliers’ 28.4 3-point attempts per game are easily surpassing the school record of 22.7 set by the 2007–08 team.
— Virginia’s top 3-point shooters are Jacari (pronounced “Juh-car-ee”) White (50.0%), Thijs De Ridder (38.9%), Devin Tillis (41.2%), Chance Mallory (36.4%), Sam Lewis (36.5%) and Dallin Hall (31.6%).
— The Cavaliers have had nine players averaging at least 17.2 minutes per game, with starter Hall leading the team with 27.5 minutes per game.
— Reserves high in ACC statistical rankings are 7–0, 245 senior center Kansas State transfer Ogonna Onyenso (pronounced “oo-gon-uh Oh-knee-en-so”; second in blocks per game at 2.5), Mallory (third in steals per game at 2.0 and eighth in the ACC in free-throw percentage at 82.2%) and 6–3, 180 graduate North Dakota State transfer guard White (eighth in the ACC in 3-pointers per game at 2.5).
— Caleb Wilson has an NCAA-leading 60 dunks, and Henri Veesaar is sixth with 40. Veesaar is the only player in the country with at least 30 dunks and at least 15 3-pointers (he has 25). Wilson or Veesaar has led the team in scoring and rebounding in 17 of 19 games, and the two account for 44.8% of UNC’s scoring, 48.1% of its rebounding, and 47.5% of its field goals.
— Wilson is sixth in the country in double-doubles with 11, and Veesaar is 13th with 10. They are two shy of the school record for a duo, set by John Henson and Tyler Zeller with nine in 2011–12. Wilson is two away from tying Antawn Jamison’s freshman record of 13 in 1995–96.
— Wilson is averaging 10.4 rebounds per game, easily more than Jamison’s freshman record of 9.6.
— Veesaar leads the team in field goal percentage (64.1%) and 3-point percentage, and is second in scoring (17.1 points per game), rebounding (9.2) and blocks (22).
— UNC attempted a season-high 34 3-pointers against Notre Dame and is averaging 26.63, which would shatter the record of 23.94 by the 2018–19 team. The Tar Heels have won 18 straight games when making more 3s than the opponent, but opponents have made more in all four losses.
UNC season statistics
All games
ACC games
Virginia season statistics
All games
ACC games
Statistical comparison
All games/ACC games
| Category | UNC | UVa |
| NET ranking | 27 | 13 |
| Points per game | 82.4/84.7 | 84.0/77.7 |
| Scoring defense | 69.5/82.5 | 67.1/68.2 |
| Scoring margin | +12.9/+2.2 | +16.9/+9.5 |
| FG% | 48.2/49.6 | 47.4/42.9 |
| 3P FG % | 34.1/35.0 | 37.1/33.0 |
| 3P per game | 8.7/9.3 | 10.6/10.7 |
| FT% | 67.5/65.8 | 70.0/75.7 |
| FG% defense | 39.6/47.0 | 38.1/36.2 |
| 3FG% defense | 33.8/43.1 | 28.9/25.7 |
| Opponent 3P/game | 8.3/13.0 | 6.4/6.2 |
| Rebounds per game | 40.7/37.2 | 41.9/42.7 |
| Offensive rebounds/game | 11.7/11.0 | 14.2/13.5 |
| Rebounding margin | +7.6/+5.7 | +9.0/+7.5 |
| Assists per game | 17.1/16.7 | 17.4/17.0 |
| Turnovers per game | 10.2/10.3 | 10.8/12.5 |
| Assist-to-turnover ratio | 1.7/1.6 | 1.6/1.4 |
| Turnovers forced/game | 9.5/9.2 | 11.2/10.3 |
KenPom comparison
| Category | UNC | UVa |
| Overall ranking | 33 | 13 |
| Offensive efficiency | 122.9 (28) | 124.8 (17) |
| Defensive efficiency | 103.0 (52) | 97.7 (17) |
| Possession length | 16.3 (67) | 17.1 (139) |
| Effective FG% | 55.5 (44) | 56.0 (35) |
| Turnover % | 14.6 (41) | 15.8 (101) |
| Offensive rebound % | 34.5 (69) | 40.6 (4) |
| FTA/FGA | 41.3 (57) | 36.4 (164) |
| 3FGA/FGA | 43.2 (118) | 46.5 (39) |
| Assist/FG% | 59.7 (38) | 60.3 (31) |
| Strength of schedule | 69 | 67 |
Series: UNC 136, Virginia 62
| Team | League | Overall | NET* |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 5 Duke | 6–0 | 17–1 | 2 |
| No. 18 Clemson | 6–1 | 16–4 | 32 |
| No. 14 Virginia | 5–1 | 16–2 | 13 |
| Miami | 4–2 | 15–4 | 37 |
| N.C. State | 4–2 | 13–6 | 29 |
| Virginia Tech | 4–3 | 15–5 | 51 |
| No. 22 North Carolina | 3–3 | 15–4 | 27 |
| SMU | 3–3 | 14–5 | 30 |
| Stanford | 3–3 | 14–5 | 68 |
| No. 23 Louisville | 3–3 | 13–5 | 15 |
| Syracuse | 3–3 | 12–7 | 77 |
| California | 2–4 | 14–5 | 60 |
| Wake Forest | 2–4 | 11–8 | 67 |
| Georgia Tech | 2–4 | 11–8 | 146 |
| Boston College | 2–4 | 9–10 | 157 |
| Notre Dame | 1–5 | 10–9 | 81 |
| Florida State | 1–5 | 8–11 | 115 |
| Pittsburgh | 1–5 | 8–11 | 121 |
* — Through Thursday games
Saturday’s games
No. 22 North Carolina at No. 14 Virginia, noon, ESPN2
No. 18 Clemson at Georgia Tech, noon, ACC Network
N.C. State at Pittsburgh, noon, ESPNU
Wake Forest at No. 5 Duke, noon, The CW
Miami at Syracuse, 2 p.m., ACC Network
Virginia Tech at No. 23 Louisville, 2:15, The CW
Florida State at SMU, 4 p.m., ACC Network
Wake Forest at No. 5 Duke, noon, The CW
Boston College at Notre Dame, 6 p.m., ACC Network
California at Stanford, 8 p.m., ACC Network
Monday’s game
No. 23 Louisville at No. 5 Duke, 7 p.m., ESPN
Tuesday’s games
Wake Forest at Pittsburgh, 6 p.m., ACC Network
No. 14 Virginia at Notre Dame, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Syracuse at N.C. State, 7 p.m., ESPN U
Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech, 8 p.m., ACC Network
Wednesday’s games
California at Florida State, 7 p.m., ACC Network
Stanford at Miami, 9 p.m., ACC Network
Saturday, Jan. 31, games
No. 5 Duke at Virginia Tech, noon, ESPN
Pittsburgh at No. 18 Clemson, noon, ACC Network
No. 14 Virginia at Boston College, 1:30, The CW
No. 22 North Carolina at Georgia Tech, 2 p.m., ACC Network
SMU at No. 23 Louisville, 2 p.m., ESPN
N.C. State at Wake Forest, 3:45, The CW
California at Miami, 4 p.m., ACC Network
Stanford at Florida State, 6 p.m., ACC Network
Notre Dame at Syracuse, 6 p.m., The CW
| Date | Month/day | Time | Opponent/event (current ranks) | TV/ record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | ||||
| 24 | Friday | L, 78–76 | vs. No. 13 BYU in SLC | Exhib. |
| 29 | Wednesday | W, 95–53 | vs. Winston-Salem St. | Exhib. |
| November | ||||
| 3 | Monday | W, 94–54 | vs. Central Arkansas | 1–0 |
| 7 | Friday | W, 87–74 | vs. No. 19 Kansas | 2–0 |
| 11 | Tuesday | W, 89–74 | vs. Radford | 3–0 |
| 14 | Friday | W, 97–53 | vs. N.C. Central | 4–0 |
| 18 | Tuesday | W, 73–61 | vs. Navy | 5–0 |
| Fort Myers Tip-Off | ||||
| 25 | Tuesday | W, 85–70 | vs. St. Bonaventure | 6–0 |
| 27 | Thursday | L, 74–58 | vs. No. 10 Michigan State | 6–1 |
| December | ACC/SEC Men’s Challenge | |||
| 2 | Tuesday | W, 67–64 | at Kentucky | 7–1 |
| ————————— | ||||
| 7 | Sunday | W, 81–61 | vs. Georgetown | 8–1 |
| 13 | Saturday | W, 80–62 | vs. USC Upstate | 9–1 |
| 16 | Tuesday | W, 77–58 | vs. ETSU | 10–1 |
| CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta | ||||
| 20 | Saturday | W, 71–70 | vs. Ohio State | 11–1 |
| ————————— | ||||
| 22 | Monday | W, 99–51 | vs. East Carolina | 12–1 |
| 30 | Tuesday | W, 79–66 | vs. Florida State | 13–1, 1–0 ACC |
| January | ||||
| 3 | Saturday | L, 97–83 | at SMU | 13–2, 1–1 |
| 10 | Saturday | W, 87–84 | vs. Wake Forest | 14–2, 2–1 |
| 14 | Wednesday | L, 95–90 | at Stanford | 14–3, 2–2 |
| 17 | Saturday | L, 84–78 | at California | 14–4, 2–3 |
| 21 | Wednesday | W, 91–69 | vs. Notre Dame | 15–4, 3–3 |
| 24 | Saturday | 2 p.m. | at No. 14 Virginia | ESPN |
| 31 | Saturday | 2 p.m. | at Georgia Tech | ACCN |
| February | ||||
| 2 | Monday | 7 p.m. | vs. Syracuse | ESPN |
| 7 | Saturday | 6:30 | vs. No. 5 Duke | ESPN |
| 10 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | at Miami | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 14 | Saturday | 2 p.m. | vs. Pittsburgh | ESPN |
| 17 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | at N.C. State | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 21 | Saturday | 1 p.m. | at Syracuse | ABC |
| 23 | Monday | 7 p.m. | vs. No. 23 Louisville | ESPN |
| 28 | Saturday | 6:30 or 8:30 | vs. Virginia Tech | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| March | ||||
| 3 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | vs. No. 18 Clemson | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 7 | Saturday | 6:30 | at No. 5 Duke | ESPN |
| 10–14 | Tues.-Sat. | ACC tournament | Spectrum Center, Charlotte |
Photo via @UVAMensHoops
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