How to Watch Alabama at North Carolina: A Top 20 SEC-ACC Challenge Matchup

Alabama and UNC know how to make a classic. They met in the Sweet 16 last year, with the Crimson Tide finishing with a furious 7-2 run in the final 80 seconds to knock off the top-seeded Tar Heels. In 2022, Alabama stunned No. 1 UNC in a quadruple overtime smash. It will probably be loud in the Smith Center on Wednesday.

No. 10 Alabama and No. 20 North Carolina

Venue: Dean E. Smith Center – Chapel Hill, NC
Time: Wednesday, 7:15 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Streaming: Fubo (try for free)

RJ Davis will seek redemption. He was named All-Conference and All-American last season, but ended his successful campaign with a smile – he shot 4 of 20 and missed all nine of his 3-point attempts against Alabama. North Carolina’s offense features a triumvirate of Davis (18.4 points per game), Seth Trimble (16.1) and Elliot Cadeau (14.4).

UNC looks to shake off two straight losses at the Maui Invitational. There’s certainly no shame in losing to Auburn, who looks like a world-beater right now, but an overtime loss to Michigan State definitely stings.

Alabama is coming off a troubling loss of its own, trailing Oregon by two points in Las Vegas. The first loss came at Purdue in early November. Again, there’s no shame in losing to worthy opponents outside of the conference – both Oregon and Purdue are in the top 20 in offensive rating. But either way, one of these prestigious programs will be on a losing streak come Wednesday.

Like Davis, the Tide’s Mark Sears is putting up points (16 per game) on extremely disappointing splits (35.1 percent from the floor). Fifth-graders Grant Nelson and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. had compensated with efficient starts, but Wrightsell’s season-ending Achilles tendon injury is a heartbreaker. The Tide needs to respond on the fly and Aden Holloway will have a chance to prove himself after transferring from Auburn. Meanwhile, rookie Labaron Philon is already climbing the NBA Draft rankings.

Both teams should be applauded for their ambitious early game plans. Nate Oats’ team has victories against Illinois, Houston and Rutgers. And Hubert Davis’ team brought top-ranked Kansas to the brink. The Tar Heels led by 20 points in a heated Allen Fieldhouse contest, but ended up losing by three points.

Memorable Matchup: The two games mentioned above are new age classics, but how about their Sweet 16 matchup from 1982? Top-seeded UNC defeated No. 4 Alabama 74-69. Five Tar Heels scored in double figures – James Worthy had 16 points, Sam Perkins had 15 and a freshman named Michael Jordan added 11. The Tide were led by Eddie Phillips, who had 16 points. UNC won the national championship with a point victory over Georgetown.

Alabama vs North Carolina odds

(Photo by Seth Trimble: Grant Halverson/Getty Images)