What To Look For: Notre Dame at #9 North Carolina

What to look for when Notre Dame takes on North Carolina

Jeremy Brevard, USA TODAY Sports

Notre Dame kicks off the 2019-20 men’s basketball season tonight in Chapel Hill, N.C. against the No. 9 North Carolina Tar Heels.

The Irish are looking to get back on track after missing the NCAA Tournament the last two seasons. Notre Dame will certainly be tested in the opener, but it also presents the Irish with a tremendous opportunity.

Here are four things I will be looking for tonight to see if the Irish are heading in the right direction and if they can knock off the Tar Heels.

Fast Start — Notre Dame did not shoot the ball well in exhibition wins over Capital and Bellarmine, and senior guard TJ Gibbs went just 3-17. The Irish will need to start fast against North Carolina if it wants to stay in the game. Playing catch up on the road in conference play is difficult, and it will be especially challenging against the Tar Heels. Gibbs getting going would be big for the Irish offense.

Good Movement Equals More Open Shots — When Notre Dame’s offense is at its best it is getting good player and ball movement, which opens up more open looks. Offensively, Notre Dame must avoid being stagnant on offense and they must keep the ball moving.

Pressure The Ball — North Carolina turned it over 23 times in its exhibition win over Winston-Salem State, compared to Notre Dame having just 17 turnovers combined in its two exhibitions. If the Irish can be aggressive attacking passing lanes, force North Carolina to start its offense further back and out-hustle the Tar Heels for loose balls it will go a long way towards Notre Dame keeping this game close.

Battle On The Glass — Last season, North Carolina led the ACC in rebounds while Notre Dame finished ninth. Roy Williams squad was third in the league in offensive rebounds. Notre Dame must hold their own on the glass. The good news is Notre Dame returns almost its entire lineup while the Tar Heels lost both of its top rebounders, including veteran Luke Maye. John Mooney will likely get his on the glass, but he’ll need help. Limiting North Carolina’s second-chance points will be crucial to success for the Irish, especially early on.

Sophomore Surge — If Notre Dame is going to bounce back this season it will be in large part thanks to the talented sophomore class. Arguably the best recruiting class of Mike Brey’s tenure in South Bend, the unit had its ups and downs last season, but the flashes were there. Prentiss Hubb had 18 points and eight assists in the win over Bellarmine while turning it over just once. He’s a key to success for Notre Dame all season long. Wings Robby Carmody and Dane Goodwin have scoring potential and when Nate Laszewski gets hot he can fill up the scoreboard.

The key against North Carolina, and for the entire season really, is this group becoming more consistent night after night.