UCLA Bruins vs. North Carolina Tar Heels Pick & Prediction DECEMBER 21st 2024

Preview and Prediction

The upcoming game for North Carolina before Christmas may bring a sense of urgency.

Desperate for a positive outcome, the Tar Heels will strive to achieve one against No. 18 UCLA on Saturday afternoon at Madison Square Garden in New York as part of the CBS Sports Classic.

"This is an opportunity for us to bounce back and move forward," stated North Carolina coach Hubert Davis. "And that's exactly what we're going to do."

The Tar Heels (6-5) have yet to secure a win against a ranked opponent this season, although they do have a victory against No. 22 Dayton on a neutral court.

"You have a choice, but in reality, you don't have a choice," Davis said. "You can stay down, you can point fingers, you can complain, you can make excuses, or you can pick yourself back up and keep fighting."

This will be a challenging task against the Bruins (10-1), who are currently on a nine-game winning streak since their loss to New Mexico. Most recently, they dominated Prairie View A&M 111-75 on Tuesday night.

UCLA is anticipating a tougher matchup this weekend.

"Carolina has some really quick players who can drive to the basket," said Bruins coach Mick Cronin.

UCLA has plenty of positives to build on, including making 29 out of 37 free throws in their last game, easing concerns about their performance in that area.

"I'm really pleased with our improvement at the free throw line," Cronin said. "That's crucial for us."

The Bruins also saw 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara grab 10 rebounds off the bench, which pleased Cronin. However, there is still a focus on reducing his turnovers.

"I know he's capable of passing," the coach said. "He just needs to stop traveling. ... I'm trying to get him to catch the ball, turn, pivot, and find the open man."

UCLA's top scorer and rebounder, Tyler Bilodeau, took a hard fall in the second half of their last game and did not return.

"It was a good opportunity to give some other guys some playing time and get them going," Cronin explained. "There was no need for him to continue playing."

Cronin has no concerns about Bilodeau's availability for the upcoming game against the Tar Heels. North Carolina's last game was a 90-84 loss to No. 7 Florida on Tuesday night in Charlotte, where they made a big comeback but ultimately fell short after taking the lead. Poor ball handling was a major factor in their loss.

"We need to value every possession," said Tar Heels guard Ian Jackson.

UCLA is one of the top teams in the nation when it comes to forcing turnovers, averaging 18.5 per game.

North Carolina received a boost in their last game from guard RJ Davis, a preseason All-American. He scored 29 points, including three 3-pointers. This was only the third time this season he has made more than two 3-pointers in a game.

Improving his shooting could be a game-changer for Davis. He is currently shooting at 25.3% from beyond the arc, but against Florida, he shot 10-for-19 from the field, the first time this season he has shot at 50% or better.

"RJ has been a top player for five years," said Hubert Davis. "I'm not concerned about his shooting percentages, my focus is on the growth and potential of this team."

PREDICTION

UCLA Bruins

North Carolina Tar Heels

UCLA Bruins vs. North Carolina Tar Heels Recap DEC 21TH 2024

North Carolina freshman Ian Jackson, playing in his hometown, poured in a season-high 24 points and RJ Davis made the go-ahead free throw as the Tar Heels rallied past No. 18 UCLA to win 76-74 on Saturday afternoon at the CBS Sports Classic in New York City.

North Carolina (7-5) overcame a 16-point deficit and led just twice - after the game's first basket and after Davis's free throw with 13 seconds left - to defeat a ranked opponent for the first time in five tries this season.

Davis finished with 17 points, while Seth Trimble had 12 points and helped force a key turnover in the final minute.

Tyler Bilodeau racked up a season-high 26 points, Sebastian Mack scored 22 and Skyy Clark had nine points and four assists for the Bruins (10-2).

Mack's potential winning shot in the final seconds was off the mark before Drake Powell secured the rebound for the Tar Heels and made a free throw to seal the win. UCLA was 13-for-22 on free throws, while North Carolina hit 24 of 35 of its attempts at the line.

The Tar Heels trailed 59-43 with 12:50 remaining but pulled within 66-65 to set up a tussle over the last 5 1/2 minutes.

North Carolina pulled even at 72 with 1:32 left on Jalen Washington's second-chance layup after Bilodeau split a pair of free throws on the Bruins' previous possession.

Mack sank two foul shots to put UCLA back ahead, and the Tar Heels still trailed 74-73 after Davis went 1-of-2 at the stripe with 22 seconds to go.

Following a timeout, the Bruins committed a turnover that Davis eventually converted into the tying and go-ahead free throws.

Bilodeau had 24 points with more than 12 minutes left but was limited down the stretch after picking up his fourth foul with 11:45 to go. He scored UCLA's first 11 points to help the Bruins hold an early two-point lead.

The game was tied at 13-all before UCLA rolled out to a 31-18 edge. A 9-0 run put the Tar Heels back on track.

Bilodeau and Mack combined to make their first five 3-point attempts. North Carolina's 11 turnovers and 37.5 percent shooting from the field were troublesome in the first half, which ended with UCLA holding a 40-32 lead.