UNC Basketball vs. Clemson: Game preview, info, prediction and more
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No. 18 North Carolina will look to cap senior night with a win over Clemson.
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The Tar Heels are coming off a strong week that included a 77-74 win over then-No. 24 Louisville and an 89-82 victory over Virginia Tech. Seth Trimble scored a combined 50 points in the two games and had a career-high 30 in the win over Louisville, earning ACC player of the week honors. Center Henri Veesaar added a game-high 26 points and seven rebounds against Virginia Tech.
If North Carolina (22-6, 11-5 ACC) beats Clemson (21-8, 11-5 ACC), it will finish the season undefeated at the Dean Smith Center. UNC has gone unbeaten at the Dean Dome five times: 1986-87, 1992-93, 2004-05, 2010-11 and 2016-17. In four of those seasons the Tar Heels reached the Final Four, winning the national title three times.
A win would also secure the No. 4 seed for North Carolina and give it a double bye in the ACC tournament in Charlotte.
The Tar Heels are 136-25 all time against the Tigers, including 60-2 in Chapel Hill and 29-2 in the Smith Center. Clemson, however, has won the last two meetings and four of the past seven overall, including an 85-65 victory at home last season. The 20-point margin matched the Tigers’ largest win over UNC, first set in 1977. Clemson has also taken two of the last three in Chapel Hill (2020 and 2024).
Clemson is coming off an 80-75 win over Louisville last Saturday, which snapped a four-game losing streak.
Even with a trip to Duke looming, North Carolina cannot afford to overlook Clemson. The Tigers are among the better defensive teams in the ACC, and this matchup will play a significant role in seeding for the ACC tournament, with both teams currently in the top five.
Read below for all the information for Tuesday night’s game.
Key to Victory
UNC’s bench must step up again.
Clemson is one of the deepest teams in the country, regularly playing nine players and averaging 30.5 bench points per game, which leads the ACC. North Carolina’s reserves, however, have also delivered in key moments this season.
In the Tar Heels’ win over Virginia Tech, UNC held a 32-13 edge in bench points. Jonathan Powell (15 points) and Zayden High (12) both scored in double figures off the bench, while Zyan Evans added five points and three assists.
What to Watch Out For
How UNC’s offense fares against Clemson’s defense.
The Tar Heels have averaged 81 points per game in their last three outings, including 89 in their most recent win over Virginia Tech. However, they put up those numbers against a Syracuse team allowing 89 points per game over its last five, a Louisville team giving up 80.5 points over its last four and a Virginia Tech squad that has been inconsistent defensively this season.
Clemson is no joke defensively, allowing just 66 points per game and holding opponents to 43% shooting from the field — marks that rank second and third, respectively, in ACC play.
Statistical leaders
Points
UNC: Caleb Wilson (19.8)
Clemson: RJ Godfrey (11.5)
Rebounds
UNC: Caleb Wilson (9.4)
Clemson: Carter Welling (5.4)
Assists
UNC: Kyan Evans (2.9)
Clemson: Dillon Hunter (4.9)
What you need to know
WHAT? North Carolina Tar Heels (23-6, 11-5 ACC) vs. Clemson (21-8, 11-5 ACC)
WHEN? Tuesday, March 3 at 7 p.m. ET
WHERE? Dean Smith Center (21,750) in Chapel Hill
TV? ESPN
RADIO? SiriusXM (Channel 193)
LINE? UNC -2.5
LAST MEETING? Clemson 85, North Carolina 65 on Feb. 10, 2025
ALL-TIME SERIES: North Carolina leads all-time series 136-25
UNC basketball 2025-26 schedule
October 4: Blue-White Scrimmage (White 55, Blue 50)
Oct. 24: at BYU (preseason, L 78-76)
Oct. 29: vs. Winston-Salem State (preseason, W 95-53)
Nov. 3: vs. Central Arkansas (W, 94-54)
Nov. 7: vs. Kansas (W, 87-74)
Nov. 11: vs. Radford (W, 89-74)
Nov. 14: vs. NC Central (W, 97-53)
Nov. 18: vs. Navy (W, 73-61)
Nov. 25: vs. St. Bonaventure in Fort Myers (Fla.) Tip-Off (W, 85-70)
Nov. 27: vs. Michigan State in Fort Myers (Fla.) Tip-Off (L, 74-58)
December 2: at Kentucky (W, 67-64)
Dec. 7: vs. Georgetown (W, 81-61)
Dec. 13: vs. USC Upstate (W, 80-62)
Dec. 16: vs. ETSU (W, 77-58)
Dec. 20: vs. Ohio State in CBS Sports Classic (W, 71-70)
Dec. 22: vs. East Carolina (W, 99-51)
Dec. 30: vs. Florida State (W 79-66)
January 3, 2026: at SMU (L 97-83)
Jan. 10, 2026: vs. Wake Forest (W 87-84)
Jan. 14, 2026: at Stanford (L 95-90)
Jan. 17, 2026: at California (L 84-78)
Jan. 21, 2026: vs. Notre Dame (W 90-69)
Jan. 24, 2026: at Virginia (W 85-80)
Jan. 31, 2026: at Georgia Tech (W 91-75.)
Feb. 2, 2026: vs. Syracuse (87-77)
Feb. 7, 2026: vs. Duke (W 71-68)
Feb. 10, 2026: at Miami (FL) (L 75-66)
Feb. 14, 2026: vs. Pitt (W 79-65)
Feb. 17, 2026: at NC State (L 82-58)
Feb. 21, 2026: at Syracuse (W 77-64)
Feb. 23, 2026: vs. Louisville (W 77-74)
Feb. 28, 2026: vs. Virginia Tech (W 89-82)
March 3, 2026: vs. Clemson (7 p.m.)
March 7, 2026: at Duke (6:30 p.m.)
March 10-14, 2026: ACC Tournament in Spectrum Center (Charlotte, N.C.)
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Basketball vs. Clemson: Game preview, info, prediction and more