Gameday Preview: UNC Travels To Blacksburg To Take On Virginia Tech – Tues March 4th 2025

March 4 ,2025

Blacksburg, VA:  North Carolina Tar Heels (19-11, 12-6 ACC) at Virginia Tech Hokies (13-16, 8-10 ACC). The Tar Heels travel to Blacksburg to take on the Hokies on Tuesday at Cassell Coliseum with tip set for 7 pm riding a five game win streak. 

The Hokies are 8-8 on their home court. Virginia Tech has a 5-1 record in games decided by less than 4 points.

The Tar Heels are 12-6 against ACC opponents. North Carolina ranks second in the ACC with 25.3 defensive rebounds per game led by Seth Trimble averaging 4.0.

Virginia Tech’s average of 8.1 made 3-pointers per game this season is just 0.1 fewer made shots on average than the 8.2 per game North Carolina allows. North Carolina has shot at a 48.0% rate from the field this season, 2.4 percentage points greater than the 45.6% shooting opponents of Virginia Tech have averaged.

The matchup Tuesday is the first meeting of the season for the two teams in conference play.

Carolina is one win from securing its 65th 20-win season and fourth in as many seasons under head coach Hubert Davis,  Carolina is tied for fourth in the ACC with SMU (who the Tar Heels beat in their only regular-season game) at 12-6. 

CAROLINA-VIRGINIA TECH

• The Tar Heels and Hokies will be playing for the 91st time and the 28th since Virginia Tech entered the ACC ranks in 20024-05.

• Carolina is 73-17 all-time, 20-7 since the Hokies joined the ACC.

• The Tar Heels are 22-8 on the road, including 9-5 in Cassell Coliseum They have lost two of their last three games in Blacksburg. 

• The teams played once last season, a 96-81 Carolina victory in Chapel Hill. 

TOP PERFORMERS: Toibu Lawal is scoring 12.5 points per game with 6.9 rebounds and 0.9 assists for the Hokies. Young is averaging 10.2 points over the last 10 games.

RJ Davis averaging 17.2 points and 3.9 assists for the Tar Heels. Trimble is averaging 11.6 points over the last 10 games.

Keys: 

UNC’s defense has to be better vs Virginia Tech  

The Tar Heels have been able to string together wins, but their defense will have to be better if they want to keep playing meaningful games in March. Over the last four games, UNC’s average effective field-goal percentage defense has been 54.2%, according to KenPom. In the Tar Heels’ 11 losses, their average effective field-goal percentage defense has been 53.4%. Virginia Tech’s average effective field-goal percentage offense has been 60.7% across the last three games, so the Hokies are capable of pulling off an upset if UNC doesn’t show improvement. 

North Carolina native Jaydon Young among Hokies to watch vs UNC 

Goldsboro native Jaydon Young, who played at Greensboro Day School before joining Virginia Tech, is a 6-foot-4 sophomore guard capable of piling up points. As a North Carolina kid, Young will no doubt be fired up to play the Tar Heels. He’s reached 26 or more points in two of the last three games.