Preview: Notre Dame Faces North Carolina in ACC Clash

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (Interstat) — The struggling Notre Dame Fighting Irish face a steep challenge Wednesday night against the North Carolina Tar Heels in an Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball matchup at the Dean Smith Center.

The Tar Heels (14-4, 4-3 ACC) look to rebound from back-to-back road losses at Stanford and California that followed a 4-0 start in conference play. North Carolina, led by standout forward Caleb Wilson, has been dominant at home this season, boasting a 9-1 record in Chapel Hill.

Wilson is averaging 20.2 points, 4.2 assists and 2.0 blocks over his last five games. He scored 26 points in the loss at Stanford last Wednesday and followed with 17 points and four assists at California on Saturday.

Notre Dame (10-8, 1-5) arrives mired in a four-game losing streak, all in ACC play. The Fighting Irish are coming off an 89-76 defeat at Virginia Tech on Saturday. Freshman forward Brady Koehler has provided a recent bright spot, scoring a season-high 17 points in that loss. His playing time and production have fluctuated, but he has reached double figures in two of the last three games.

The Irish have struggled offensively during their skid, failing to reach 70 points in three of the four losses. Containing Wilson and the Tar Heels’ potent offense, which averages 81.2 points per game, will be a primary concern for a Notre Dame team allowing 76.3 points per game in ACC contests.

North Carolina holds a significant edge in recent series history, winning seven of the last eight meetings. The Tar Heels won both matchups last season.

Wednesday’s game tips off at 7 p.m. EST and will be broadcast on an ACC Network affiliate. North Carolina travels to Virginia on Saturday, while Notre Dame hosts Boston College.