3 matchups to watch for as No. 10 UNC men's basketball faces No. 14 Virginia

Before the North Carolina men's basketball faces off against Virginia tonight at 8:20 p.m. in an ACC clash of top-15 teams, here are three matchups to watch out for between the No. 10 Tar Heels (22-5, 10-3 ACC) and the No. 14 Cavaliers (18-7, 8-5 ACC).

UNC offense vs. Virginia defense

The most obvious matchup of the night is the one that will likely define the outcome.

The Tar Heels boast the sixth-best scoring offense in the nation, while Virginia touts the top scoring defense. North Carolina has the fourth-most efficient scoring attack in the country, per kenpom.com, while the Cavaliers have the third-most efficient defense.

This season, the Tar Heels have struggled to shut down their opponents after an early stretch of defensive dominance in nonconference play. On the other side, Virginia has lost three of its last four and owns the worst scoring offense in the ACC.

Of course, those numbers are inflated by the two teams' styles. North Carolina pushes the pace and thrives in back-and-forth affairs, while the Cavaliers prefer to limit possessions and down out its opponents with a deliberate attack.

In their last meeting — a 61-57 UNC win in the ACC Tournament final — Virginia controlled the tempo but the Tar Heels scratched out the win. Whichever side can impose its will when North Carolina has the ball will hold a huge advantage.

London Perrantes vs. UNC backcourt

After losing its top two scorers last season, Virginia turned to senior guard London Perrantes to run its methodical offense. And while the Cavaliers' scoring attack has regressed since last season, Perrantes has remained a steady force — averaging a team-high 12.6 points and finishing with double digits in seven of the last eight games.

With the loss of sophomore guard Kenny Williams, arguably UNC's best perimeter defender, the Tar Heels will have their work cut out for them against Perrantes. Junior Theo Pinson — Williams' likely replacement at shooting guard — has shown defensive potential in his three years in Chapel Hill, but he hasn't played more than 24 minutes all season.

North Carolina has struggled against offensive-minded guards all season. And while Perrantes is a different type of scoring guard than the likes of Malik Monk, Grayson Allen and Dennis Smith Jr., the Tar Heel backcourt will need to pay extra attention to the Los Angeles product to avoid getting burned in what figures to be a low-scoring affair.

UNC offensive rebounders vs. Virginia frontcourt

The most prominent subplot of tonight's game is on the glass.

The Tar Heels are the best offensive rebounding team in the country, grabbing 42.5 percent of their misses. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers are the fourth-best team in the nation at denying offensive boards — allowing only 23.2 of opponents' misses to end up in the other team's hands.

North Carolina has thrived this season in second-chance situations, especially in the frontcourt. Senior forward Kennedy Meeks has made a living grabbing the Tar Heels misses — ranking sixth in the country in offensive rebounding percentage (16.6 percent) among eligible players — while Tony Bradley has grabbed offensive boards at an even higher clip (20.8 percent) in limited minutes.

If Virginia is able to keep UNC off the offensive glass, the Cavaliers could stifle the Tar Heels' entire offensive approach and force North Carolina's inconsistent shooters to convert the first time around.

But if UNC fights through the Virginia frontcourt and creates second chances, the extra possessions could be enough to overwhelm the defensive-minded Cavaliers.

@CJacksonCowart

sports@dailytarheel.com