Preview: UNC basketball needs to dominate the paint, ride its momentum against Clemson

The North Carolina men’s basketball team will look to add a fourth game to its winning streak as the Tar Heels are set to meet a struggling Clemson team.

The Tuesday matchup — set for 7 p.m. in Clemson, S.C. — was originally scheduled for Jan. 9, but was postponed due to a positive COVID-19 test and subsequent contact tracing within the Tigers’ program.

Amid a rare losing season for UNC last year, the Tigers snapped a 59-game streak of losses in Chapel Hill, the longest unbeaten streak at home versus a single opponent in NCAA history. Though this game is being played at Clemson, the Tar Heels will have an opportunity to avenge last year's loss.

With a red-hot North Carolina team moving through the back half of its schedule, here are three key elements for the Tar Heels to come out on top against Clemson:

Dominate in the paint

Part of why the Tar Heels have begun to shine recently is the blossoming chemistry between their post starters, sophomore Armando Bacot and senior Garrison Brooks. The bigs combine to be nearly impossible to defend when they're on the court at the same time.

If Bacot, Brooks and first-year gem Day’Ron Sharpe can not only score but also dominate the boards, the game will be UNC's to lose.

Just ask the Pittsburgh Panthers, who were beaten by the Tar Heels, 75-65, on Jan. 26.

Despite a 23-point, 10-rebound performance by one of the ACC Player of the Year frontrunners in Justin Champagnie, UNC out-rebounded Pittsburgh 37-29. That game was no rare occurrence for the Tar Heels, either. As of the end of January, they sit as the top team in the nation in rebounding margin.

Lockdown Aamir Simms

Clemson’s best athlete on the court is Aamir Simms, who leads the Tigers in points, rebounds, and assists per game. Simms mainly gets his production in the paint, so the Tar Heels will have to continue to rely on the trio of Bacot, Brooks and Sharpe to stop Clemson’s most dynamic player. 

Besides Simms, the Tigers do not have another player averaging double-digit points, so North Carolina should feel comfortable forcing Clemson to rely on its guards to carry the offensive weight of the game with their shooting abilities.

Ride the momentum

North Carolina has won six of its past seven games, with its only loss in single-digits to the Florida State team that is ranked No. 16 in the country. On the contrary, Clemson has won only one of its past five games, which featured a three-game losing streak involving double-digit losses. All of these included the Tigers' defense allowing at least 80 points. The Tigers lost by 26 points on the road against Duke on Saturday. 

After only reaching the 80-point mark once before Jan. 12, the Tar Heels have been on an offensive tear, reaching 80 three times in their last five games. UNC's offensive efficiency has drastically increased as North Carolina has shot above 50 percent from the field in each of its last two games — a feat the Tar Heels hadn't accomplished in a single game previously. 

If the Tar Heels want to continue their climb up the ACC standings, pulling off a statement win against the Tigers heading into a matchup with Duke would show UNC is capable of competing in a wide-open ACC this year. 

Beating the Clemson team that recently dropped out of the top 25 won't exactly give the Tar Heels the signature win they've been looking for, but it should only help with the confidence of this team as they enter the final stretch of the season. 

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