Overview
- Tipoff is 9 p.m. ET at Maples Pavilion as North Carolina visits Stanford before a Saturday game at Cal.
- North Carolina enters at 14-2 (2-1 ACC) after edging Wake Forest 87-84 one week after a 97-83 loss at SMU.
- Stanford is 13-4 (2-2) with notable wins over Louisville and Virginia Tech, followed by a 70-55 loss at Virginia.
- Freshmen headliners: UNC’s Caleb Wilson averages 19.5 points and a league-best 11.0 rebounds, while Stanford’s Ebuka Okorie scores 22.1 per game.
- Bay Area interest is rising with ACC visits as Duke games trend toward sellouts and UNC tickets move quickly, offering recruiting lift for Stanford and Cal after long NCAA droughts.