UNC men's basketball presents all-around 'tough matchup' for undersized Oregon

GLENDALE, ARIZ. — As has been the case all season, the North Carolina men's basketball team will have a distinct size advantage in its Final Four matchup with Oregon.

But against the Ducks, that applies across the court.

Of the five projected matchups in Saturday's affair, only 6-foot point guard Joel Berry is shorter than his counterpart at the one, Payton Pritchard. But at the other two positions on the perimeter, Theo Pinson (6-foot-6) and Justin Jackson (6-foot-8) are both four inches taller than their opponent. Isaiah Hicks (6-foot-9) has two inches and nearly 20 pounds on converted power forward Dillon Brooks, and even Kennedy Meeks (6-foot-10) is an inch taller and 35 pounds heavier than noted post presence Jordan Bell.

Oregon head coach Dana Altman hopes his undersized squad has the edge in quickness. But with UNC's athleticism, even that isn't certain.

"It is a tough matchup for us all the way around," he said.

Those pairings aren't set in stone. The Ducks' defense — which seamlessly switches between man-to-man looks and zone schemes — lends itself to defensive flexibility, and Oregon's offense can spread the floor with four or even five capable shooters.

But no lineup combination will take away the Tar Heels' advantage inside, where Hicks and Meeks comprise one of the most formidable frontcourts in the country.

"If it's hard for our big guy to get out on the court and play them," UNC head coach Roy Williams said, "I hope it's hard for the perimeter player to have a difficult time guarding our guy inside.”

Against Kentucky, Williams experimented with cross matches to swing the height advantage in his favor — putting Pinson on 6-foot-3 slashing guard De'Aaron Fox and assigning Jackson to the 6-foot-3 sharpshooter Malik Monk.

He likely won't have to get creative against the Ducks, though.

Oregon's Tyler Dorsey is as hot as any player in the country, but Jackson is a natural matchup with the 6-foot-4 guard. Isaiah Hicks is tasked with slowing Pac-12 Player of the Year Dillon Brooks, but Hicks played small forward in his first year at UNC and has experience guarding stretch-fours throughout the ACC schedule, including Duke's Jayson Tatum and Pittsburgh's Michael Young.

If all else fails, UNC can take its chances rotating on defense knowing it'll have a height advantage with any outcome.

"We can switch everything," Pinson said.

The benefit extends offensively, as well. Jackson's height allows him to shoot over defenders in the lane and along the arc, and Hicks' frame inside could be a nightmare for Brooks — who converted from small forward after 6-foot-10 teammate Chris Boucher went down in the Pac-12 Tournament.

It could get even uglier on the backboards, where North Carolina boasts the best offensive rebounding percentage in the country.

"We're a little undersized in a few positions, and without Chris Boucher, our second leading rebounder, our depth there is not very good," Altman said. "So it will have to be a priority for everyone is who is on the floor."

The advantage could swing in Oregon's favor if the Tar Heels can't keep up with their quicker counterparts. But it's a gamble Williams is willing to make.

"We have a lot of mismatches that are difficult for us to get out (on) the court," UNC head coach Roy Williams said. "And yet we hope to make it difficult for the guy to guard them inside too. That's the game of basketball.”

@CJacksonCowart

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