No. 8 North Carolina to meet Miami again

When No. 8 North Carolina visits Miami on Wednesday night in search of its fourth straight conference road win, the Hurricanes should look a little familiar.

UNC finished its nine-game homestand with a 73-56 win against Miami on Jan. 10. Against the Hurricanes, forwards Tyler Zeller and John Henson both registered a double-double and guard Kendall Marshall scored a then-season high 12 points.

The Tar Heels will have their hands full in defending the Malcolm Grant and Durand Scott combo because the pair combines for almost 25 points per game.

Forward Reggie Johnson could also give North Carolina some trouble. The Winston-Salem native scored a career-high 27 points in the Hurricanes overtime victory against Duke on Feb. 5.

The Tar Heels, who average an ACC-high 46.3 rebounds per game, outrebounded Miami 45-29 in January. UNC should have no problem dominating on the boards again Wednesday.

DTH Lowdown on the game:

Backcourt

Malcolm Grant and Durand Scott make up one of the best backcourts in the ACC. UM went to Cameron Indoor and won a gritty overtime game just 10 days ago.

Edge: Miami

Frontcourt

Reggie Johnson has settled in after missing half of the season, and the N.C native is averaging 11 points. But he and Kenny Kadji will be up against John Henson and Tyler Zeller, a front-runner for ACC player of the Year.

Edge: UNC

Bench

Miami has been using eight players in the regular rotation including the athletic Shane Larkin, son of former MLB All-Star Barry Larkin. UNC has good length off the bench but it is largely inexperienced on the road.

Edge: Push

Intangibles

Defending the 3-point shot is, and has historically been, the Achille’s heel for the Tar Heels. Fortunately for UNC, Miami is barely shooting 30 percent from deep in ACC play.

Edge:UNC

The Bottom Line — North Carolina 81, Miami 65