North Carolina vs. Miami (FL): TV Schedule, Live Stream, Spread Info and More

The seventh-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels will travel to take on the Miami Hurricanes in a ACC battle. The Heels are still trying to regain their early-season form, and the Canes are a bubble team in need of another big win on their resume.

Let's take a deeper look in to this matchup.

Where: BankUnited Center, Coral Gables, FL

When: Wednesday, Feb 15 at 8:00 p.m. EDT

Watch: ESPN

Listen: WQAM 560 AM—Miami, WRAL 99.9 FM—North Carolina

Betting Line: North Carolina minus-5 according to oddshark.com

Key Injuries

North Carolina: P.J. Hairston, Lester McDonald, Dexter Strickland (all out)

Miami, FL: No Injuries to Report

What's At Stake?

For North Carolina, this game is about finding consistency and getting contributions from their bench. In their last game against Virginia, James McAdoo really stepped up for the injured Tar Heels. He had the best game of his freshman year with nine points and seven rebounds.

UNC rebounded from the heartbreaking loss to rival Duke with a 70-52 win over 20th-ranked Virginia. They are hoping their injury-riddled roster can overcome Miami.

The Canes need this quality win to solidify their resume for the NCAA Tournament. At 15-8, with only one victory over a ranked opponent, they can't feel too comfortable.

Knocking off the Tar Heels would just about guarantee a spot in the Big Dance. 

What They're Saying

Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams knows he'll need another strong performance from his bench to emerge victorious, and he's already setting the expectations. Eddy Landreth of Tar Heel Illustrated quoted Williams, as he talked about the contribution the bench needs to provide:

"

On Saturday, not saying our bench needs to score 35 points or anything, but when they come in, they have to help us. They have to rebound; they have to defend, and they have to set screens. And yes, if they can score, there's no question we would like that as well. But guys coming off the bench have to give us something positive..

"

The Heels may be able to get by with a little less than what Coach Williams is specifying, but he's smart to set the bar high.

Miami head coach Jim Larranaga wants to take pressure off of his team. He knows everyone is aware of how big this game is for the Canes, but he knows he needs his team loose to perform at a high level.

Michelle Kaufman of the Miami Herald quoted Larranaga as followed: 

"

I told the guys that basketball is a game and supposed to be fun and when you put too much pressure on yourself and get all stressed out about winning and losing, you’re really losing focus. What we should be doing is enjoying the process … playing in the present. Yes, this game is big, but we won’t get three Ws for a win, it’s still just one.

"

It is a great approach by Larranaga. Loose play is the seed for all major upsets, especially in college basketball. The underdog must play in the moment, not in their heads in regard to how huge the moment is.

Miami Player To Watch: Kenny Kadji

Kadji has scored double figures in 14 of the last 15 games. He leads a balanced attack and his shooting from distance will be huge. At 6'11", 250 pounds, he has the versatility to be effective close to the basket and he's a 45 percent three-point shooter.

If Kadji can make John Henson and other Tar Heels bigs come out to guard him, it will neutralize some of Carolina's paint dominance.

North Carolina Player To Watch: Harrison Barnes

This is a safe bet most nights, but now, with so many injury concerns, the Heels will lean on Barnes that much more. Last year, Barnes hit a game-winner in Coral Gables to send the Canes and their fans home unhappy. This year he'll need another big performance.

He is certainly capable. He is averaging 17.5 points per game this season.

However, in the teams' first matchup, he was held to a season-low six points on 2-of-12 shooting. The Heels were able to overcome that and still win 73-56; but that was a healthier team and it was in Chapel Hill.

Another performance like that will equal a loss for this shorthanded team on the road.

Key Matchup

The Canes' three-point shooters vs. the Tar Heels' perimeter defense will be the key. In all four of the Heels losses this year, their opponent has shot a high percentage from the arc. In all but one of those, the team has shot over 40 percent.

The only exception was the Duke heartbreaker, in which the Blue Devils shot 39 percent and Austin Rivers drained a three to win it.

The Heels dominate most nights inside; they lead the nation in rebounding and scoring. The three-point shot is the equalizer.

The Canes have the players to apply this pressure. As a team, they shoot 35 percent from the arc, that isn't scorching, but they have two players that connect at over 40 percent in Kadji and Rion Brown.

Most teams shoot the ball better at home.

That has held true for the Canes. They shoot 40 percent from the arc in the BankUnited Center.

There is that magic number again.

Prediction

Miami, FL 87, North Carolina 79 

The Canes need this one more than Carolina does, and that sense of urgency will carry them past a shorthanded Tar Heels team. The three-point shot will be the key as the Canes pull the upset and all but insure their inclusion in the NCAA Tournament.