Luke Maye, Cam Johnson Lead No. 9 UNC to 79-69 Win over No. 15 Louisville

The Louisville Cardinals won the first matchup against the North Carolina Tar Heels this season. On Saturday, North Carolina had its revenge.

The Tar Heels went to Louisville's rollicking KFC Yum! Center and came away with a signature win, beating the Cardinals 79-69. Cameron Johnson (19 points, 10 rebounds, 3-of-6 from three) and Luke Maye (20 points, 11 rebounds) led the way for the Tar Heels, while Kenny Williams added 10 points and three steals in the convincing win.

Dwayne Sutton posted 19 points, eight rebounds and two steals for Louisville, but it wasn't enough to keep pace.

North Carolina blew the game open after 10 minutes, going on a 24-11 run to end the half. While the Cardinals made runs in the second half, trying to claw back into the contest, the Tar Heels always had an answer. 

That was partly due to their dominance on the glass, out-rebounding the Cardinals 49-32, which included 18 offensive boards.

Luke Maye and Cameron Johnson Will Keep Tar Heels Among Nation's Elite 

By halftime of North Carolina's convincing win Saturday, Maye and Johnson had 14 points apiece, helping build a 44-28 advantage. That first-half storm was a reminder of just how important each player is to the Tar Heels, and just how dangerous they can be come March.

Maye has seen it all for North Carolina. He's been a part of three NCAA tournaments, two runs to the national championship game and a championship in the 2016-17 season. Very little should hurt them going forward, and combined with Johnson and Williams, North Carolina has a rare triple dose of experience in the one-and-done age. 

Without question, the contributions of talented freshmen like Coby White and Nassir Little will be vital. But Saturday, Maye and Johnson proved once again that they're the catalysts for the Tar Heels.

Maye does a little bit of everything. He can score on all three levels, fights for rebounds and is an excellent passer. When Johnson gets cooking from the perimeter, meanwhile, the Tar Heels are incredibly difficult to stop. 

North Carolina is going to intimidate most teams with its interior size and rebounding, combined with a breakneck pace and athleticism at every position. The fact that the players also have a wealth of experience isn't fair. 

Granted, North Carolina's ceiling isn't as high as that of its archrival Duke, which arguably boasts the two best players in the country in Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett. But since losing to Louisville on Jan. 12, the Tar Heels have won five straight, including a 103-82 blowout of Virginia Tech.

Behind Maye and Johnson, the Tar Heels have hit their stride. That's dangerous news for the rest of college basketball.

Blowout Loss Serves as a Reminder that Louisville Isn't a Top-Tier Team in the ACC

Louisville is a good team and a matchup that will give plenty of opponents issues going forward. But some of their key issues were exposed Saturday.

For one, the Cardinals are a poor rebounding team, and it absolutely killed them against North Carolina. The Tar Heels bossed the boards, earning countless second and third chances on offense. In general, the Cardinals looked overmatched on the block, as Maye and Garrison Brooks, among others, gave them issues.

Perhaps that shouldn't be a surprise. Louisville came into the game tied for 53rd in rebounding (38.2 RPG), while North Carolina was first in rebounding (43.2 RPG). But the difference on the boards was perhaps even more pronounced than expected.

North Carolina's buzzy, swarming defensive pressure also gave the Cardinals issues, as the Tar Heels clogged up passing lanes and kept Louisville's offense out of sync with their length and activity. When Louisville tried to pressure North Carolina late in the game, the Tar Heels were able to handle that chaos with poise and surgical passing. 

Another question for Louisville is which players will consistently step up when Jordan Nwora is struggling, like he did at times on Saturday (11 points, seven rebounds). Sutton tried to pick up the slack, though most of his impact came in the second half with Louisville trailing, while Christen Cunningham offered 15 points of his own.  

But the Cardinals don't appear to have the pure firepower to compete with the nation's top teams. 

For the first 10 minutes, North Carolina and Louisville were even. For the next 30, the Tar Heels were simply a class above the Cardinals. In an ACC that also features excellent teams in Duke and Virginia, the Cardinals are simply a step below the conference's elite.

What's Next?

North Carolina will host NC State—which scored just 24 points in a loss to Virginia Tech on Saturday— Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET, while Louisville will travel to face the aforementioned Hokies on Monday night at 7 p.m. ET.