UNC Women's Basketball vs. Jackson State preview

A look at what to expect and what's needed from the Tar Heels to open their 2022 season with a win against Jackson State.

The 12th ranked UNC women's basketball team will start their 2022 campaign at home against Jackson State on Wednesday. 

Coming off a successful season ending in the Sweet Sixteen, the Tar Heels have high expectations. They're returning everybody except Carlie Littlefield, Morasha Wiggins and Jaelynn Murray, and added the talented first-year guard Paulina Paris. 

The Tar Heels' opener against the Tigers will be a great opportunity to evaluate how good this team can be. 

The Tigers are a solid team in their own right, being the preseason favorite to win the SWAC and returning 10 players from last year's conference-championship team. 

They have just as much experience as UNC in the frontcourt, but lost their second-leading scorer from 2021 in Dayzsha Rogan. Unlike JSU, the Tar Heels' won't miss a step at the guard position, bringing elite offensive production from Deja Kelly and two-way threats in Kennedy Todd-Williams and Alyssa Ustby. 

The key for UNC against the Tigers will be winning the battle amongst the bigs in the paint. Despite JSU losing its leading scorer in center Ameshya Williams-Holliday, the Tar Heels will be at a size disadvantage against 6'6'' senior forward Angel Jackson. 

The Tar Heels' tallest player is 6'4'' junior Alexandra Zelaya who will most likely play behind 6'2'' sophomore forward Anya Poole. Poole was a valuable rim protector last season, recording a team-high 36 blocks, and she will need to bring the same defensive intensity on Wednesday night. 

UNC will also have Teonni Key back in the lineup to help in the backcourt. The versatile 6'4'' redshirt first-year missed the entirety of last season after suffering a torn ACL in a preseason scrimmage. Key has a lot of promise, being a former McDonald's All-American and the ninth-best player in ESPNW's Class of 2021 rankings, and she will likely make her regular season debut against the Tigers. 

Behind the exceptional guard play from Kelly, Todd-Williams, and Ustby and a stout paint-presence, UNC should handle business against JSU. 

The Tar Heels will take the floor Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Carmichael Arena.