No. 1 UNC vs. No. 8 Arkansas Prediction, Game Preview


UNC vs. Arkansas prediction and game preview, as the No. 1 Tar Heels and No. 8 Razorbacks face off in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.


Heading into Friday, no No. 16 seed had ever upset a No. 1 seed. UNC made sure that record stayed intact by easily handling Texas Southern down in Greenville. You knew the game was over when, with 2:40 remaining in the first half, announcers pivoted away from game analysis to break down how awesome the Tigers’ band is.

On the other bench is Arkansas, who narrowly escaped Seton Hall in the first round. The game will likely be remembered by a controversial intentional foul call late in the game. However, four of Arkansas’ starters recorded double figures to help advance. Below is a preview of the second round matchup.

UNC vs. Arkansas Game Preview

Date: Saturday, March 19
Venue: Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, South Carolina
Region:  South

UNC Wins If …

Joel Berry plays. To be fair, the Tar Heels are deep enough to beat Arkansas even if Berry sits it out. Nevertheless, this is a completely different team without him. Justin Jackson might be the ACC Player of the Year, Kennedy Meeks might be the force down low, but Berry is unquestionably the leader of this team. If there’s any question, just look at Carolina’s loss to Duke in the ACC Tournament – the game fell apart for the Heels while Berry was on the bench in foul trouble.

Aside from Berry, if Meeks and Isaiah Hicks can get rolling early it’ll be a long day for the Razorbacks. Both players have a downhill style, where if they start strong it most likely leads to big games. If they establish themselves early and control the offensive glass, UNC will roll.

Arkansas Wins If …

Moses Kingsley shows up again. The senior forward has been inconsistent for the past month, dominant one game, nonexistent the next. Against Seton Hall he was a force, scoring 23 points (on 10-of-13 shooting), pulling down six boards and blocking four shots. He’ll be going up against a big, athletic Tar Heels team in the second round and must keep the momentum going against the likes of Meeks, Hicks and Tony Bradley.

Junior guard Jaylen Barford is going to get his (Barford has scored double figures in his past nine games), but he’ll need Kingsley to help balance things on the inside.

UNC vs. Arkansas Prediction

UNC vs. Arkansas Score Prediction:  UNC 85, Arkansas 73

MORE: Complete NCAA Tournament Bracket, Previews, Predictions