Tuesday NCAA basketball: North Carolina (4-0) vs. Oregon (3-1)
Top-ranked North Carolina crushed host Chaminade in the Maui Invitational on Monday, 115-70, without star Tyler Hansbrough, whom coach Roy Williams said would have played “had it been for a national championship.”
Hansbrough made his season debut at UC Santa Barbara on Friday after sitting out more than three weeks with a shin problem. But the Heels have said they were going to be extra cautious with their superstar, so Hansbrough might not play Tuesday night Oregon, which beat Alabama 92-69 on Monday. The Ducks are big 17-point underdogs on WagerWeb.com.
“I made a decision before we left Santa Barbara that I was not going to play him three straight games,” Williams said. “He tweaked his ankle a little bit against Santa Barbara; that’s the problem right now, it’s not even his shin, so I have no idea if he’s going to play (vs. Oregon). I did not plan for him to sit out two games, so if he does sit out, it would be because of his ankle, not his shin.”
With a potential top 10 matchup awaiting the Heels on Wednesday, don’t be surprised if Hansbrough sits again.
Danny Green scored a career-high 26 points and Ty Lawson had 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting and six assists Monday for North Carolina, which shot 52.5 percent in the first half (21-of-40), while holding Chaminade to 28.6 percent (8-of-28). Overall, UNC shot 60.8 percent from the field. The victory bumped North Carolina’s record to 11-2 all time in the tournament.
Meanwhile, Oregon was led by Joevan Catron against the Tide, as he finished with 17 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and three steals. The Ducks won their second straight since losing 82-79 in overtime to Oakland on Nov. 17. Freshman center Michael Dunigan is averaging a team-leading 14.3 points with 8.5 rebounds and would likely draw Hansbrough if the All-American is in the lineup.
“I think there are a lot of teams in the country that would love to play a No. 1 team, but there are some things we have to pay attention to,” Oregon coach Ernie Kent said. “They get up and down the floor, they shoot it really well. The opportunity is there, but we have to be ready to play. They are a team that will make you pay. Hopefully we can match their intensity and be ready to play — it is going to be a battle for us.”
North Carolina is 3-0 all-time vs. Oregon. The winner of this contest will face either No. 6 Texas or No. 8 Notre Dame in Wednesday’s championship game.
NCAA basketball Betting at WagerWeb.com
