UNC basketball vs. Louisville: Prediction, scouting report for Tar Heels

UNC basketball remains at the top of the ACC standings as one of the hottest teams in the nation.

Coming off a rout of Syracuse, the fourth-ranked Tar Heels (13-3, 5-0 ACC) aim to avoid a letdown against the Cardinals (6-10, 1-4) on Wednesday (9 p.m., ACC Network) at the Dean E. Smith Center.

UNC is 19-7 in the all-time series against Louisville, including four wins in a row. The Tar Heels are 5-1 against the Cards in Chapel Hill.

Here’s a look at some other things to know and a score prediction for the Tar Heels’ latest meeting with Louisville.

UNC basketball’s Jae’Lyn Withers facing former team 

Louisville transfer Jae’Lyn Withers has embraced his role as a “glue guy” in his first season with the Tar Heels. After winning four games last season with the Cardinals, Withers has helped the Heels win 13 of their first 16 games. The Charlotte native is coming off his best game of the season — a 10-point, six-rebound performance in 22 minutes against Syracuse.

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Kenny Payne has Mike James, Louisville playing better 

Last week, Louisville snapped a four-game losing streak with an eyebrow-raising win at Miami. The Cardinals nearly topped NC State over the weekend, losing 89-83 in Kentucky. Kenny Payne’s squad is playing better basketball, and sophomore Mike James has been among the key reasons. After two games with 20 or more points last season, James has four as a sophomore, including three in a row. UNC would be wise to take the Cardinals seriously this week.

Armando Bacot, Tar Heels should rack up points in the paint 

Louisville is 259th in effective field goal percentage — according to KenPom.com — allowing teams to shoot an average of 52.1% from the floor. The Cardinals’ defense is 306th in two-point percentage at 52.9%. In its 103-67 win against Syracuse, UNC scored a season-high 58 points in the paint. In their previous three ACC games, the Tar Heels averaged 28.6 points in the paint. Armando Bacot, who had 16 points and 11 rebounds against the Orange, finished with 14 points and 16 rebounds last season in a win at Louisville. The Tar Heels need to pound the paint.

UNC vs. Louisville score prediction 

UNC 85, Louisville 64: It’ll be a long day waiting for tipoff, but it’ll be a longer night for the Cardinals. Louisville is playing better of late, but the Tar Heels are humming on both ends of the court.

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: UNC basketball vs. Louisville: Prediction, scouting report