Louisville @ North Carolina preview
Dean Smith Center
Last Meeting ( Feb 22, 2020 ) North Carolina 55, Louisville 72
Louisville will be playing just its second game this month when it takes on North Carolina on Saturday evening in Chapel Hill, N.C.
The Cardinals (11-4, 6-3 ACC) have not played since posting a 74-58 victory over Georgia Tech on Feb. 1. Their last four scheduled games were postponed because of COVID-19 issues in the program that even sidelined coach Chris Mack.
Mack tested positive for the virus on Feb. 6 and turned practices over to his staff, which includes former Wake Forest head coach Dino Gaudio. Mack returned this week, but the midweek contest against Syracuse was scrubbed.
"Certainly, I watched our practices and offered feedback afterward with the staff and tried to plan the practices as best I could," Mack said of his quarantine. "But I spent it in the basement and the first three or four days I was pretty sick.
"I'm just been trying to get back to myself right now. It's been weird when you sit in your basement for 10 days not seeing the light of day. It's been strange."
Gaudio said on the ACC coaches conference call this week that the Cardinals may be without two players this week. He did not name them.
The Tar Heels (13-7, 7-5 ACC) have had recent conference games against Miami and Virginia Tech postponed, but played a rare February nonconference contest this week, beating Northeasterrn 82-62 in their first home outing since Jan. 23.
"We're glad we got to play a game. It was a tough week," Carolina coach Roy Williams said. "We've lost games, and now there's talk about other games being lost."
Against Northeastern, Day'Ron Sharpe scored 15 points and senior Garrison Brooks had 11 points and 13 rebounds for his 15th career double-double. Brooks (10.3 average) is third on the team in scoring behind Armando Bacot (11.7) and Caleb Love (10.5).
Carlik Jones (17.4) leads Louisville in scoring followed by David Johnson (13.1) and Jae'Lyn Withers (10.1).
This is the only scheduled meeting between the two teams this season.
--Field Level Media