UNC Basketball: Yellow Jackets vs. Tar Heels game preview

The Tar Heels have now won two straight games by an average of 35 points. With the start of ACC play, can they make it three in a row against Georgia Tech? What do the Yellow Jackets bring to the table?

Now the North Carolina Tar Heels are rolling.

After an offensive showdown in Las Vegas against Kentucky, the Tar Heels have come to play defense.

First, it was an absolute beat down revenge of Northern Iowa. Then it was a 28 point shellacking of a very good Monmouth team.

This is the way fans want to see their teams play entering conference play.

Speaking of conference play, UNC starts their ACC season against Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

What do the Tar Heels need to know about the Yellow Jackets?

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Dec 28, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Tadric Jackson (1) pushes the ball up the court as center Ben Lammers (44) is shown on the play in the second half of their game against the North Carolina A&T Aggies at McCamish Pavilion. Georgia Tech won 59-52. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Head Coach: Josh Pastner. Career Record: 172-76. This is Pastner’s first season with the Yellow Jackets and his second head coaching job. He was previously head coach of Memphis having taken over for John Calipari.

Last Season: Last Season Georgia Tech went 21-15 and 8-10 in the ACC, finishing tenth. Season highlights include beating Virginia and winning five of their last six to end the regular season. They went on to beat Clemson in the second round of the ACC tournament in overtime before Virginia got revenge in the quarterfinals.

Georgia Tech went on to make the NIT. They won their first two games including beating number one seed South Carolina. Their season ended with a 16 point loss to San Diego State in the quarterfinals. Head Coach Brian Gregory was fired despite showing mass improvement in his fifth season with the team.

Best Former Player: Chris Bosh. Georgia Tech has had several great former players. However, I chose the former two-time NBA champion. Bosh is also an 11-time All-Star and made an All-NBA team in 2007.

The Power forward currently has 17,145 points, 7,951 rebounds, and 1,786 assists in his 13 year NBA career. He was more important to Miami winning their two championships than he ever was given credit for. Though he still wants to play, his career looks to be over due to blood clotting issues.

This Season: Currently this season Georgia Tech is 8-4. They do have a big road win against VCU but otherwise are 0-2 against other Power five schools. The Yellow Jackets are playing at a slower pace this season. They are averaging only 68 points per game. They have only scored 80 points twice this season.

Key Players

Dec 17, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Justin Jackson (44) looks to pass during a game against the Kentucky Wildcats at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia Tech: C Ben Lammers

Lammers is a beast. The 6 foot 10 junior leads the team in points, rebounds, blocks and minutes. He is also averaging a double-double for the season. The only other ACC player doing that is Amile Jefferson.

Lammers is also averaging 3.4 blocks per game. Not only is that tops in the ACC, it is also second in the nation. UNC should be concerned as Monmouth blocked eight of their shots Wednesday. Monmouth doesn’t have anyone nearly as talented as Lammers.

North Carolina: F Justin Jackson

Jackson is playing like the player everyone envisioned him being. In the last five games he is averaging 22 points, five rebounds, and three assists. He is also shooting 47 percent from beyond the arc. In three of those five games he has scored over 25 points.

When Jackson is playing like this UNC can win even when Joel Berry doesn’t make a field goal, like he did against Monmouth. In the past two seasons, Jackson has gotten better as the season goes along. If Jackson takes the same trajectory, the ACC better watch out.

Impact Freshmen

Dec 21, 2016; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Tony Bradley (5) looks to pass as Northern Iowa Panthers center Ted Friedman (3) defends during the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia Tech: G Justin Moore

Moore is averaging six points, two rebounds, and four assists in over 26 minutes per game. He has not been the most efficient player, but he isn’t taking a lot of shots either. However, UNC has struggled with bigger guards this season, while Theo Pinson has sat, so Moore could be in for a career game against the Tar Heels.

North Carolina: F Tony Bradley

Bradley just keeps taking what the Tar Heels give him. The freshman post player had another efficient night Wednesday scoring ten points and grabbing seven boards in just 14 minutes of play.

With the play of Meeks and Hicks improving, Bradley will probably continue to see limited minutes. However, if he keeps producing at these levels, it does give Tar Heels fans hope if either starter has to sit for any extended periods of time.

Three Questions

Dec 21, 2016; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Northern Iowa Panthers forward Bennett Koch (25) drives to the basket as North Carolina Tar Heels forward Kennedy Meeks (3) defends during the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. The Tar Heels won 85-42. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

Can Kennedy Meeks keep up the pace?

Meeks has been on a tear the last three games. Against Kentucky, Northern Iowa, and Monmouth, the senior big man is averaging 16 points and nine rebounds. Some people are calling it his Brice Johnson moment.

The Tar Heels don’t need Johnson type production out of Meeks to win a lot of games. However, if they get it, it will help them take another step to avenging last season’s Championship loss to Villanova.

Can Georgia Tech’s Center stay on the floor?

UNC has done an incredible job of getting the opposing team’s center in foul trouble. In the last three games all three centers have fouled out of the game. This is big for two reasons. One it gets Carolina’s bigs more opportunities at the foul line. In the past three games Hicks, Meeks, and Bradley have shot a combined 25-36 from the line (70 percent).

The other thing is that it would keep a good player off the floor. I mentioned Lammers impact earlier. The past three centers have averaged only 15 minutes a game. For Lammers, who averages 33 minutes a game, that would be a huge decrease in minutes. That, in turn, would make life easier for all the Heels.

Can UNC get a true road win?

The Tar Heels have not won on the road this season (Tulane was technically a neutral site game). They are 0-1 in such games with the loss coming in Indiana. A conference road win to open the ACC season would be big not just for the Tar Heels, but for their resume as well.

Prediction

Dec 21, 2016; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams (center) reacts during the second half against the Northern Iowa Panthers at Dean E. Smith Center. The Tar Heels won 85-42. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta is not an easy place to play. However, these Yellow Jackets are not the ones of Bobby Cremins. Maybe one day just not right now.

Final Score: 88-67 UNC over Georgia Tech. The Tar Heels are the best team that the Yellow Jackets have faced this season. Wednesday Tech struggled at Home against North Carolina A&T. The Aggies are 334th accoring to RPI, the Tar Heels 13th. UNC should win their third straight.