Elon vs. North Carolina: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Spread Info and More

John Henson and the North Carolina Tar Heels get ready for ACC play as they host the Elon Phoenix on Thursday. It may appear to be a cupcake game for the Heels, but it's important they get everything locked down before conference play begins.

Elon, on the other hand, is just relishing to play UNC as they prepare for the Southern Conference.

Here's a deeper look at the upcoming game.

Where: Dean Smith Center, Chapel Hill, N.C.

When: 12/29/2011, 7 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPN U

Listen: North Carolina fans can check here while Elon fans can listen at WPCM 920 AM.

Betting Line: It isn't up yet, but my guess is somewhere around UNC -25. 

Key Injuries

There aren't any major injuries at this point.

What's At Stake?

Again, there isn't a whole lot at stake because there is about a .01 percent chance the Tar Heels lose this game. If they do, however, it's a pretty atrocious loss and they can probably kiss a No. 1 seed goodbye.

That's about it, though. This is more of a get-ready game for the Heels.

North Carolina Player to Watch

Who don't you watch on this team? There's a bevy of first-round prospects on this team such as Harrison Barnes, John Henson and Tyler Zeller. Barnes is probably the best prospect, but any of them can have a huge game.

In this one, however, I'm guessing they only get about 20-25 minutes, so I'll go with James McAdoo. 

McAdoo was highly recruited out of high school, but he has yet to truly live up to the hype. His offensive game still needs work, but he's put together some solid performances off the bench as of late.

He'll likely get a bunch of playing time in this one, and it would be nice for his confidence if he could put together a 20-point performance.

Elon Player to Watch

I'll be the first to admit I haven't seen Elon play a whole lot, Lucas Troutman looks like a good player on both ends of the court.

The sophomore is averaging 12.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. He also throws in almost a steal per game. 

At 6'10", he'll probably match up against Henson. A good performance in this one could put him on the map. 

Key Matchup

How well North Carolina can shoot the ball. Elon has been a solid defensive squad this year, holding opponents to a 46.5 true shooting percentage, which is 23rd best in the country. 

They also limit teams' three-pointers made and points per possession very well. It will be interesting to see if they can slow down Carolina's proficient offense at all. 

Prediction

Tar Heels 90, Phoenix 63. Sorry, no biscuits.