RTC Live is back today with a four-game slate from Queens to Berkeley. Kellen Carpenter (@kellenlc) will report live from courtside in Asheville as the nation’s #1 team returns back east after its opener on an aircraft carrier Friday night.
Game 6: After a memorable season opener Friday against Michigan State on the deck of the USS Carl Vinson, North Carolina flew out of San Diego straight to Asheville to prepare for today’s game. The team reportedly landed around 5am on Saturday leaving very little time for the team to prepare for today’s game. For their part, UNC Asheville played Friday night as well, though in the decidedly less exotic location of Raleigh, North Carolina as the Bulldogs lost to North Carolina State. While that loss doesn’t bode well for Asheville’s chances against a very good UNC team, they enter the game with a few advantages. Coming off the excitement of the Carrier Classic, North Carolina is primed for a hangover and with the Bulldogs playing at home in a new stadium, this showdown smells a lot like a trap game. While the Tar Heels effectively shut down the Spartan’s perimeter assault, the odd setting probably deserves more credit than lockdown defense. UNC Asheville managed to shoot 40% from beyond the arc on Friday and if they can stay hot, might manage to shock Chapel Hill. More worrisome for the Bulldogs, against NC State, the team struggled to shoot from anywhere inside the arc. Against the size of the North Carolina frontcourt and John Henson’s propensity for blocked shots, this game could turn pretty ugly. Still, the last time Roy Williams team decided to inaugurate a new arena on the road, the Tar Heels took a loss to the College of Charleston. It’s a long shot for UNC Asheville, but it’s a shot.