Amid a difficult season, North Carolina hopes to stretch a three-game winning streak when it faces Florida State on Monday in Tallahassee, Fla.
The Tar Heels and Seminoles are both outside the NCAA Tournament bubble according to most projections, but North Carolina’s recent run gives the Tar Heels some at-large bid hope.
North Carolina (17-11, 10-6 ACC) comes in off wins over Syracuse, NC State and Virginia. This rally came after a 2-5 span that seemed to knock the Tar Heels into the realm of NCAA Tournament long shots.
“I think our attention to detail has been more consistent. I think defensively we’ve been better,” said Tar Heels coach Hubert Davis about his team’s recent winning streak. “Getting to the offensive glass has been a huge change for us.”
North Carolina has reached double digits in offensive rebounds in four straight games, including 11 boards in an 81-66 win over Virginia on Saturday.
The Tar Heels have also shot 40 percent or better from 3-point range in each of the last three games, including 56.3 percent (9-of-16) against Virginia. Freshman guard Ian Jackson has been a difference-maker from long distance, going 10-for-15 from long range in the winning streak while averaging 17 points per game.
Florida State (16-11, 7-9) is just 3-6 over the past nine games, with all three wins coming after head coach Leonard Hamilton said he would step down at the end of the season.
“I’ve got 10 first-year players, five that are freshmen,” Hamilton said. “I’m hoping that we can find a way to have that end-of-the-season run that captivates the imagination of college basketball. Right now, we’ve been consistently inconsistent.”
The Seminoles have leaned heavily on senior Jamir Watkins, who has scored in double figures in each of the last six games. Watkins, who averages 18.1 points per game on the season, scored 23 points in an 89-81 loss to No. 25 Louisville on Saturday.
–Field Level Media
