UNC is unranked but a win over the Tar Heels would be huge for Gators

Walter Clayton Jr. leads the Gators in scoring at 19.1 per game (Gator Bait Photo by Chris Spears)

Forget that the North Carolina Tar Heels are off to the kind of start that their blueblooded fan base finds completely unacceptable. Winners of six NCAA championships and 21 times in the Final Four, Carolina basketball breathes the rarified air of high expectations. Any year the Tar Heels aren’t contending for a national championship is considered a disaster of Titanic sinking proportions.

So, even though Carolina comes into tonight’s Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte (7 p.m., ESPN) with 7th-ranked Florida (10-0) unranked and 6-4, any time you beat the Tar Heels is a very big deal. For one thing it would be the 11th straight win for the Gators, making it the second best start to a season in school history. Also, it would be a Quad 1 win, very important for the NCAA Net Rankings, which factor into seeding when tournament time rolls around in March.

When it comes to prestige, however, there is nothing like a win over one of college basketball’s most storied programs. It’s like beating Kentucky. Even if it’s not such a great year for the Wildcats, fans don’t see it that way. They simply look at those eight national championship banners hanging from Rupp Arena to know how important it is to beat Kentucky.

This isn’t a home game for the Tar Heels in that the game isn’t played at the Dean Dome in Chapel Hill, but make no mistake it’s a Carolina home game. Jumpman is the icon of the Jordan Brand, which Nike developed during its association with Michael Jordan, Carolina’s most glorified basketball alum. He’s a minority owner in the NBA Charlotte Hornets who play their home games in the Spectrum Center.

To overcome Carolina’s home court advantage, the Gators are going to have to defend the perimeter against the Tar Heels three lethal shooters led by All-American RJ Davis, who comes into the game averaging 17.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. Seth Trimble averages 15.4 points per game while hitting 45.2 percent from the 3-point line. Elliot Cadeau, who plays the point, averages 11.5 points and 5.6 assists.

Florida’s 3-guard perimeter has been on an offensive tear, but Walter Clayton Jr. (19.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists), Alijah Martin (15.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists) and Will Richard (12 points, 5.2 rebounds) have been distinguishing themselves on the defensive end as well. In Saturday’s blowout win over Arizona State, Clayton, Martin and Richard combined to hold the Sun Devils vaunted perimeter guys to 12-42 shooting.

Carolina runs a 1-4 set that has Orlando native Ven-Allen Lubin as the only true front court player at 6-8, 230. A two-time transfer (Notre Dame, Vanderbilt), Lubin averages 6.8 points and 4.7 rebounds. In two games against the Gators at Vanderbilt last year, Lubin scored 40 points while grabbing 18 rebounds.

With Lubin as UNC’s tallest starter, the Gators should have a clear advantage on the inside where the 4-man rotation of Alex Condon, Rueben Chinyelu, Tommy Haugh and Sam Alexis. Combined they average 31.7 points, 23.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.0 steals and 4.3 blocked shots per game.

Game stuff: The Gators are No. 5 in the NCAA Net Rankings, No. 7 in the kenpom.com analytics. North Carolina is No. 36 in the Net Rankings, No. 28 at kenpom.com ... The Gators are 2-4 all time against UNC, their most recent win, 71-59, at the Final Four in Indianapolis in 2000 ... The Gators, who are 6th in the Coaches top 25 poll, are one of only five remaining unbeaten teams in Division I ... The Gators are averaging 11.1 3-pointers made in the last seven games ... Walter Clayton Jr., who leads the Gators in scoring at 19.1 per game, has made a 3-pointer in 33 consecutive games, which ranks fourth all time at Florida. Michael Frazier II holds the all time record at UF at 41 consecutive games ... Clayton has scored 1,595 points in his 110 career games. He has scored 824 at Florida. Martin has scored 1,628 points in his 134 career games, 1,476 at Florida Atlantic. Richard has scored 1,263, 864 at Florida ... The Gators average 86.2 per game while holding opponents to 65.1. The Gators are 9th nationally in scoring margin at 21.1 per game. Florida is 17th nationally in scoring, 46th in scoring defense. The Gators are fifth nationally in fast break points per game at 19.5 ... The Gators are 7th nationally in rebounding at 43.4 per game, 14th in offensive rebounds (14.6) and 11th in rebounding margin (10.1).   

Anticipated starting lineups

No. 7 FLORIDA (10-0): Alex Condon (6-11, 230, SO); Rueben Chinyelu (6-10, 255, SO); Will Richard (6-4, 206, SR); Alijah Martin (6-2, 195, GR); Walter Clayton Jr. (6-2, 195, SR)

North Carolina (6-4): Ven-Allen Lubin (6-8, 230, JR); Drake Powell (6-6, 195, FR); Seth Trimple (6-3, 195, JR); RJ Davis (6-0, 180, SR); Elliot Cadeau (6-1, 180, SO)

Associated Press top 20: 1. Tennessee 10-0; 2. Auburn 9-1; 3. Iowa State 9-1; 4. Kentucky 10-1; 5. Duke 8-2; 6. Alabama 8-2; 7. FLORIDA 10-0; 8. Kansas 8-2; 9. Marquette 9-2; 10. Oregon 10-1; 11. UConn 8-3; 12. Texas A&M 9-2; 13. Gonzaga 7-3; 14. Oklahoma 10-0; 15. Houston 6-3; 16. Purdue 8-3; 17. Ole Miss 9-1; 18. UCLA 9-1; 19. Cincinnati 8-1;  20. Michigan State 8-2; 21. Memphis 8-2; 22. Dayton 9-2; 23. San Diego State 7-2; 24. Michigan 8-2; 25. Clemson 9-2

Coaches top 20: 1. Tennessee 10-0; 2. Auburn 9-1; 3. Iowa State 9-1; 4. Kentucky 10-1; 5. Duke 8-2; 6. FLORIDA 10-0; 7. Alabama 8-2; 8. Kansas 8-2; 9. Marquette 9-2; 10. Oregon 10-1; 11. Texas A&M 9-2; 12. Houston 6-3; 13. UConn 8-3; 14. Gonzaga 7-3; 15. Oklahoma 10-0; 16. Ole Miss 9-1; 17. Purdue 8-3; 18. UCLA 9-1; 19. Michigan State 8-2; 20. Cincinnati 8-1; 21. Michigan 9-1; 22. Memphis 8-2; 23. San Diego State 7-2; 24. Dayton 9-2; 25. Mississippi State 9-1

SEC BASKETBALL

Today’s gamesNorth Carolina (6-4) vs. No. 9 FLORIDA (10-0) in Charlotte

Western Carolina (3-6) at No. 1 Tennessee (10-0)

Georgia State (4-6) at No. 2 Auburn (9-1)

No. 16 Clemson (9-2) at South Carolina (7-3)

Southern (5-4) at No. 19 Ole Miss (9-1)

Central Michigan (5-4) at No. 25 Mississippi State (9-1)

Jacksonville State (6-4) at Missouri (9-1)

Stetson (1-9) at LSU (8-2)