North Carolina @ Virginia preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 11, 2019 ) Virginia 69, North Carolina 61

Two top-10 teams from the ACC coming off blowout losses and shorthanded by injuries meet Sunday afternoon when seventh-ranked North Carolina attempts to win at No. 2 Virginia for the first time since 2012. North Carolina suffered a 74-49 setback to Ohio State at home and lost talented freshman Armando Bacot (sprained ankle) indefinitely while the Cavaliers were pounded 69-40 at Purdue after starting the season with seven straight wins.

The Tar Heels trailed by two at halftime before being blitzed in the second half on Wednesday and coach Roy Williams said he did not blame the home fans for leaving with six minutes left in the contest. “There was a disconnect on offense, for sure,” North Carolina junior forward Garrison Brooks told reporters. “Not playing how we were coached to play, I think that was the biggest thing. We didn’t play how we were supposed to. We were just going through the motions.” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said his team played on its heels the whole game at Purdue - turning the ball over 16 times - and did not have leading rebounder Braxton Key, who is out after undergoing wrist surgery recently. “It’s painful,” Bennett told reporters. “This was a real physical, hard-nosed, tough team. That’s what the ACC is about, too. So we’re going to have to tighten the screws and get better and better.”

TV: 4 p.m. ET, ACC Network

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA (6-2, 1-0 ACC): The good news on Bacot (10.5 points, team-high 8.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks) is that x-rays were negative, but the 6-10 forward from Richmond, Va. is not expected to play Sunday. Freshman guard Cole Anthony, who was battling illness in the Ohio State game as well, averages 20 points and 3.9 assists while Brooks chips in with 12.3 points on 51.4 percent shooting and 8.1 rebounds. The return of senior guard Brandon Robinson (10.8 points, four games) has helped with depth, but the Tar Heels will need to play small or get more contributions inside farther down the bench.

ABOUT VIRGINIA (7-1, 1-0): Key was averaging 10.3 points along with 8.3 boards before sitting out the last two games and he was especially missed against Purdue as Bennett told reporters: “They played volleyball on the glass.” Senior forward Mamadi Diakite tops the team in scoring (13.4) and grabs seven rebounds per contest while draining 9-of-20 from 3-point range and 7-1 junior Jay Huff averages 10.4 points (11 versus Purdue) and seven boards. Sophomore guard Kihei Clark runs the show for the Cavaliers, contributing 8.6 points and a team-high 4.9 assists, but was 1-for-6 from the field Wednesday.

TIP-INS

1. Virginia freshman G Casey Morsell is averaging 10 points over the last three games, almost double his season mark (5.3).

2. North Carolina senior F Justin Pierce is 2-for-15 from 3-point range the last six contests after going 5-for-11 the first two games of the season.

3. The Tar Heels lead the all-time series 131-57, but they have lost the last four overall and five straight at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville.

PREDICTION: Virginia 62, North Carolina 54