There’s plenty riding on the pecking order in the Atlantic Coast Conference and nationally when No. 21 Louisville visits No. 16 North Carolina on Monday night in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Both teams have reason for optimism. North Carolina (21-6, 9-5 ACC) got off the schneid and began to restock its roster Saturday, while Louisville (20-7, 9-5) has won six of its last seven games.
The Cardinals finish the season with three of their last four games on the road. They’re tied with the Tar Heels for sixth in the ACC, with the top four teams earning a double bye in the conference tournament.
“I’m well aware that we have a big week on the road this week,” Louisville coach Pat Kelsey said. “But it’s a week for Cards.”
Mikel Brown Jr. has led the Cardinals in scoring in each of the past four games. He averages 18.6 points per game for the season.
It would have been a freshman showcase with Brown and North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson on the court, but Wilson is out with a hand injury.
Still, North Carolina is trending a bit healthier after center Henri Veesaar returned from a two-game absence and posted 19 points in the Tar Heels’ 77-64 victory at Syracuse on Saturday.
“There’s a lot of attention on him,” North Carolina coach Hubert Davis said of how that helps the rest of the offense. “When he’s in the game, defenses are geared to either stop him or make it difficult for him.”
Veesaar’s presence is important for the Tar Heels on the defensive end as well.
“Not necessarily blocking shots, but just his size to be able to alter shots is just huge,” Davis said.
Veesaar logged 26 minutes Saturday, a few more than what Davis would have been preferred. There were no signs that he wouldn’t be ready for regular duty in Monday night’s game.
“It’s nice to have him back in the lineup,” Davis said.
North Carolina remains without Wilson, who leads the team in scoring average (19.8 points per game) and rebounding (9.4). But in the Syracuse game, there were stretches with Veesaar and Zayden High on the court together, a combination that hadn’t been used for the Tar Heels even before some of their injury issues.
“Over the last three games, he has gotten extended minutes and his play has been real,” Davis said of High. “Just proud of him and other guys stepping up.”
North Carolina’s defense will have to be alert given that Louisville has scored at least 80 points in six of its last seven games.
Louisville beat visiting Georgia Tech 87-70 on Saturday for its eighth ACC triumph by double digits. The Cardinals shot a season-best 95% (19 of 20) on free throws in that game.
For Louisville, this will be the third Saturday-to-Monday turnaround in ACC play. The Cardinals were blown out at Duke on the second leg the first time around, but they routed visiting North Carolina State 118-77 on the back side a couple of weeks ago.
Kelsey said it’s a critical time of the season.
“Coaches are always trying to figure out buttons to push,” Kelsey said. “The season is long. It’s a grind at times.”
This will be North Carolina’s second home game since stunning Duke more than two weeks ago.
