Overview
- Tipoff is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. EST in Dallas, with North Carolina entering at 13-1 and SMU at 11-2.
- SMU averages 91.1 points per game and is 9-0 at home, led by Boopie Miller, Jaron Pierre Jr., and B.J. Edwards, who has two triple-doubles this season.
- North Carolina’s defense has limited every opponent this season to fewer than 75 points, its best such start since the 1981–82 campaign.
- Freshman Caleb Wilson comes in off 22 points and 16 rebounds against Florida State, owns 10 double-doubles, and is the first Tar Heel rookie with six straight 20-point games.
- Analysts point to the backcourt battle and the glass as swing factors, with SMU ranking among the nation’s best in offensive rebounding and UNC leading the ACC in defensive boards; UNC’s recent slow starts remain a concern on the road.