The North Carolina Tar Heels conclude their regular season against the Duke Blue Devils in a March 3, 2018, game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. However, UNC prepares to tip off against the Miami Hurricanes in a February 27, 2018, matchup, their penultimate regular season game.
- What: University of North Carolina Tar Heels vs. University of Miami Hurricanes NCAA men's basketball game
- Where: Dean Smith Center, Chapel Hill, NC
- When: 9 PM ET
- Where to watch: ESPN
UNC vs. Miami February 27, 2018 ACC regular season matchup
Not only does the Unc Tar Heels' February 27, 2018, game against the Miami Hurricanes dictate how the Heels proceed into their final game of the season, but it's the final home game of the season.
As such, it's also senior night. Inside Carolina reveals senior UNC guard Joel Berry's thoughts on the game: "Senior Night is going to be really emotional for me, but I’m just trying to do my best to soak everything in and enjoy this team, enjoy what’s going on and try to do my best to lead this team back to where we want to be and that’s making another Final Four."
The Tar Heels seek to maintain an undefeated record for February 2018. Their 78-74 victory over the Syracuse Orange on Wednesday, February 21, 2018 brought the Tar Heels' record to 11-5 in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), 22-7 overall. At home, the Tar Heels hold a 12-2 record, with a 7-4 away record.
As March approaches, and with it the final game of the regular season, as well as ACC tournament, followed by NCAA tournament, the Heels seek to close out the regular season conference tournament strong so as to solidify a high seeding during March Madness.
In their previous match, Miami knocked off the Heels during a March 9, 2017, meeting in the ACC tournament quarterfinals. Overall, the Tar Heels lead the series against the Hurricanes 21-7. UNC hopes to make that 22-7.
Because it's senior night, expect that Joel Berry, Theo Pinson, and Luke Maye will start alongside Kane Ma and Aaron Rholman.
With its strong backcourt, watch how Miami handles UNC in the wake of sophomore guard Bruce Brown's left foot injury during January 2017. Freshman Chris Lykes and senior Ja'Quan Newton stepped up to fill the void left by Brown. Heading into their matchup against the Heels, Lykes manages an average of 11.4 points and just shy of three assists per game during ACC play.
Keys to the game
As with all Roy Williams-coached UNC teams, the 2017-2018 Tar Heels like to run. Miami must dictate the pace if it wants to emerge with a win. With an adjusted defensive efficiency rating of 34, the Hurricanes are a shade above the Heels who slide in at 39. However, the Heels rank 44th on adjusted tempo whereas Miami sits at 212. According to Tar Heel Blog, pacing is a major key to the game.
Notably, freshman guard Lonnie Walker has excelled in conference play, achieving double-digit scoring in 11 out of 16 regular-season matchups. Perimeter play once again proves huge for both teams.
The Heels have a lot riding on this game. A win not only concludes the final home game of the 2017-2018 season, and an emotional senior night, but also seizes a double bye for the Heels during the ACC tournament.
