March 3, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers guard Efrem Johnson (4) shoots against North Carolina Tar Heels center Henry Visar (13) during the first half at the Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Image No. 19 North Carolina and Clemson played a tight game last week in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
You won’t have to dig far to pull out game film as the fourth-seeded Tar Heels (24-7) and fifth-seeded Tigers (23-9) prepare for a quick rematch in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament quarterfinals Thursday night in Charlotte.
North Carolina’s 67-63 win over Clemson on March 3 marked the tiebreaker that determined the fourth and final double-bye in the quarter, with both teams finishing 12-6 in the league. Clemson got to play Wednesday night and beat 13th seed Wake Forest 71-62.
“It was a great first game,” Clemson coach Brad Brownell said. “Give North Carolina credit. They found a way to make a play in overtime and made a big three on us. But it was a great matchup. Our guys played on our heels. They did too. It was a great college game. Hopefully, (Thursday) will be the same.”
North Carolina lost superstar freshman Caleb Wilson for the season last week. Wilson, who has not played since Feb. 10, broke his right thumb while dunking while working to repair a fracture in his left hand.
That means Clemson has a good idea of what the Tar Heels look like without their best player, and they know what else their rivals are capable of.
Luka Bogavac had his best game in his first season of college basketball, hitting six 3-pointers and dropping 20 points for Clemson. He and veteran Seth Trimble (14.0 points per game) lead the backcourt, while 7-footer Henry Visar (16.3 ppg, 8.4 rpg) has 13 double-doubles and seven 20-point games.
North Carolina coach Hubert Davis is hoping to lead his alma mater to more postseason success after four years removed from his first year in charge. He knows what he wants to see in tournament play.
“We want to live in the paint and live at the free throw line,” Davis said after the regular season ended with a 76-61 loss to top-ranked Duke on Saturday. “Whether Caleb is in the lineup or not, the fundamentals of who we are haven’t changed. This is how we play here in North Carolina and we need to dictate that next week in Charlotte.”
Clemson’s balanced offense Wednesday against Wake Forest was a perfect display of the Tigers’ season-long identity. No one has scored more points than RJ Godfrey’s 11.7 points per game, but eight active players averaged more than 5.7 points this week.
Brownell utilized a “hockey serve” in Wednesday’s game. He kept the players energized by making five serves at a time. Godfrey had 11 points against Wake, Chase Thompson had nine and four other players had eight points each. The Tigers’ bench scored 34 points and ranked in the top 30 nationally with 30.0 bench points per game.
“For me personally, it’s about how I can impact the game, win plays and use my IQ to my advantage,” said Thompson, a freshman. “Five new players going up against players who have been in the game for four or five minutes. That’s a plus, too.”
Brownell said Carter Welling, the Tigers’ second-leading scorer at 10.2 points, was being evaluated after suffering an unspecified injury in the first half.
“I don’t think he’ll play (Thursday),” Brownell said.
Clemson holds opponents to just 32.3% of their 3-point attempts, but during its four-game losing streak from February 11-21, its opponents have made double-digit 3-pointers on a combined 42.7% of their shots in every game. Bogavac (51 3-pointers) and Derek Dixon (43) are the Tar Heels’ top perimeter threats.
–Field level media
