unc basketball

Lucas: Virginia Tech Rapid Reactions

March 4, 2025 | Men’s Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas

Quick takeaways from the visit to Blacksburg.

Players Mentioned

Elliot Cadeau

RJ Davis

Ian Jackson

Ven-Allen Lubin

Drake Powell

Seth Trimble

Instant Analysis: UNC Blasts Hokies, Runs Win Streak to Six

BLACKSBURG, Va. — North Carolina made it a six-pack of consecutive victories on Tuesday night, and now a mouthful of an obstacle awaits to end the regular season.

The Tar Heels trampled Virginia Tech 91-59 in ACC basketball at Cassell Coliseum, running away to their most lopsided win in conference play this season behind 19 points from Ian Jackson and 17 points from Seth Trimble.

UNC (20-11 overall, 13-6 ACC) drained a season-high 15 makes from 3-point range, while extending their season-best winning streak to six straight victories. The blowout marked the Tar Heels’ fifth convincing win in a row by a double-digit margin. RJ Davis supplied 15 points, Drake Powell added 13 points and Ven-Allen Lubin collected his first double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Now, the rematch against No. 2 Duke awaits on Saturday night at the Smith Center to finish the regular season, five weeks after the Blue Devils dominated the Tar Heels at Cameron Indoor Stadium in the first matchup between the rivals.

Jaydon Young’s 12 points and Ben Burnham’s 12 points topped the misfiring Hokies (13-17, 8-11), who shot 37.9 percent from the field in their own building.

Virginia Tech didn’t have the services of leading scorer and rebounder Tobi Lawal, who sat out due to a lower-body injury flaring up. He missed the Hokies’ previous game, their defeat of Syracuse here in overtime, with an illness. A team spokesman said Lawal had recovered from the illness, but was held out of Tuesday night’s game because of the lower-body injury.

Tar Heels break away, build big lead to close first half

Carolina led 46-29 by halftime, after sprinting into the intermission break on the strength of a 15-1 run. Seth Trimble provided the last five points of the first half. He attacked off the dribble and scored through a Virginia Tech foul on his way to converting a three-point play — Trimble paused for an extra moment to admire his strong bucket — and then skied in the lane for a dunk during the final seconds of the half. Ven Allen-Lubin grabbed an offensive rebound there and fed Trimble, who took off in the paint.

It marked the fourth halftime lead of 12 points of more across the last five games for the Tar Heels. RJ Davis pumped in 15 first-half points while Trimble scored 12 points off the bench. The game was tied 23-23 with less than seven minutes remaining before halftime, before UNC broke things open. The Tar Heels outscored Virginia Tech 25-6 across that segment, with Elliot Cadeau out of the lineup and sitting on the bench for the concluding 7:44 of the first half.

The Hokies didn’t make a shot from the field during the final four minutes of the first half. Earlier, UNC’s lead was 31-28 before RJ Davis and Ian Jackson buried back-to-back 3-pointers to kick-start a burst of 13 straight points for the Tar Heels. Virginia Tech coach Mike Young burned a timeout there, but Carolina surged further on Lubin’s putback dunk and Davis’ stop-and-pop jumper on the run, increasing the lead to 41-28.

Virginia Tech opened 8-for-22 from the field and reached halftime shooting a collective 38.5 percent. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels connected on 54.8-percent shooting from the field while hitting seven 3-pointers during the first half, including a 3-for-4 clip by Davis beyond the arc.

Next on the schedule

UNC wraps up the regular season with Saturday night’s rematch against rival Duke at the Smith Center (6:30 p.m., ESPN). It’s one last monumental opportunity before next week’s ACC Tournament for the Tar Heels, who would figure to catapult off the wrong side of the NCAA Tournament bubble if they’re able to spring an upset. Cooper Flagg and the No. 2 Blue Devils have clinched at least a share of the ACC regular-season title, and can claim the crown outright by defeating UNC. RJ Davis, Jae’Lyn Withers and Ty Claude are expected to participate in Carolina’s Senior Night ceremony. The Tar Heels are 12-2 in home games this season, and have won five straight there since losing to Stanford in mid-January.

Duke (27-3, 18-1) blasted Wake Forest 93-60 on Monday night, marking the Blue Devils’ fourth straight blowout victory by 33 points or more. Duke is 23-1 since late November, and looks like a lock to earn a No. 1 seed assignment on March 16 when the NCAA Tournament field is revealed. Duke dominated UNC on the first night of February in the first meeting between the teams this season, steamrolling to an 87-70 victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils stormed ahead 23-6 and 40-13 in the first half, on their way to building a 32-point lead in the second half. UNC leads the all-time series 145-118 against Duke, including 66-39 in home games and 21-18 at the Smith Center.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Even as North Carolina enters the final week of the regular season, subtle changes continue to be made to the Tar Heels’ schemes by Hubert Davis and his coaching staff.

“Definitely yes, both offensively and defensively,” Davis said Monday night during his weekly radio show, when asked about making alterations this late in a season. “One, (it’s) driven by the opponent that we’re playing. And then also as you scout different opponents and see different teams, you see things that are very similar but done maybe a little bit differently, and you pick up those things.

“I like consistency, but I’m always open to tweak and to pivot and alter and change things, and it’s game to game. I’m always looking for ways to maybe change some things in regards to who we’re playing, to give us an advantage on both ends of the floor.”

UNC has employed some noticeable adjustments in recent weeks. During the road victory at Florida State last week, Carolina went to a 2-3 zone look on defense for an extended period of time. The zone felt like a viable option, considering the Seminoles are third-worst in 3-point shooting in the ACC and lean on drives to generate offense. But that night, FSU went 10-for-20 from 3-point range.

On the offensive end, the Tar Heels also have made a concerted effort to produce consistent paint touches. Across the last four games, UNC has manufactured a plus-76 margin in points scored in the paint. Carolina has outscored NC State, Virginia, Florida State and Miami by a combined margin of 176-100. Ven-Allen Lubin has scored in double digits in four straight games, while averaging 14 points per game on 75-percent shooting from the field (24-for-32).

But the number of systematic tweaks that can be made during the course of a college basketball season, and the timing and frequency with which such wrinkles can be implemented, is dependent on the makeup of a team, Davis said.

“Certain teams, you can do a lot of stuff,” he said. “For example, this year’s team, you can’t change very much. That won’t work. So this year’s group, (there’s) very little change going into a game, and if there is a change, then I’ll do it in the huddle on the fly for that particular situation. Because this team, (a lot of change) just doesn’t work. Now last year’s team, I could dip and dive all over the place and people could get it. This year’s team functions more on limited changes. And I think strategically when to do that and how often with this group.”

UNC (19-11 overall, 12-6 ACC) hits the road one final time in the regular season to take on Virginia Tech (13-16, 8-10) tonight at Cassell Coliseum. The Tar Heels are riding a five-game winning streak, their longest stretch of consecutive victories this season. The Hokies have coughed up 377 turnovers as a team, the most in the ACC, and rank second-worst in the conference in turnover margin. Virginia Tech also is the third-worst scoring team in the league at 70.1 points per game.

“We are who we are,” Davis said Monday night. “Defensively, we’re mainly a man-to-man defensive team, but there’s certain teams that a zone might work. Like against Florida State, it took them out of rhythm a little bit. And so that helped us. There’s teams that may struggle with turnovers, and we’re thinking about full-court pressure a little bit more than usual. Offensively, teams vary in how they guard ball screens, and so we’ll tweak some things to better put our shooters and our bigs in positions where they can finish around the basket and also generate wide-open 3s. So we do what we do, but depending on the opponent, there’s times where we’ll change stuff just to make us even more efficient.”

Spring camp is underway for many college football programs, and the coming weeks provide critical opportunities to gear up for the 2025 season. Some schools have much more to gain from this practice period than others, though. Those with coaches who have the most to prove this season, like Auburn and LSU, need to take spring camp the most seriously, as the moving parts on their rosters and staffs must fall into place in order to deliver the breakthrough campaign they desire.

The spring session will look different at many schools this year with coaches across the country moving to ditch spring games and scrimmage sessions. Altered practice formats do not undermine the opportunities that lie ahead, though.

Implementing new schemes, settling position battles and developing incoming and returning players are among the most important tasks in spring camp, and the teams that accomplish those goals to the greatest extent will have a running start on the 2025 season.

Get the latest football and recruiting scoop on your favorite college team today.

Here are the 12 college football teams with the most to gain from spring camp:

Texas Tech invested more than $10 million in NIL money on its Big 12-leading transfer portal class, which is an unprecedented haul for the Red Raiders program and features 11 four-star prospects. Spring camp is the first opportunity for incoming standouts like Howard Sampson, Romello Height, Quinten Joyner and the other blue-chip additions to mesh in a controlled setting, and if Texas Tech is to join the conference contenders in 2025, it is imperative that all of the moving parts click.

Only five Power Four programs made head coaching changes this offseason, and West Virginia is one of them with Rich Rodriguez returning to the Mountaineers for a second stint. He oversaw the biggest roster overhaul in the sport across the opening days of his tenure with 59 new players joining his debut team. Transfers and true freshmen comprise more than half of West Virginia’s 105 scholarship spots, so there is a lot of learning to be done this spring, both for the brand new coaching staff and for the revamped roster.

There is no more highly anticipated coaching debut in 2025 than that of Bill Belichick. His first few months at the helm of the North Carolina program come with an acclimation period given his lack of experience in the college game, but with his elite track record as one of the all-time greats, Belichick brings high expectations with him to Chapel Hill. If he can hit the ground running and work the same magic this spring with the Tar Heels that he worked en route to Super Bowl victory after Super Bowl victory in the NFL, next season should be a fun one at UNC.

Transfers and a new defensive coordinator will be key to Miami potentially getting over the hump and securing its first College Football Playoff berth. The work starts now in improving the defense, which struggled mightily last fall but features a stellar hire in Corey Hetherman and a host of impact newcomers, like cornerback Xavier Lucas and safety Zechariah Poyser, who step in this spring as projected starters. This is also a critical period for Carson Beck, who must balance his recovery from elbow surgery with settling into a new system and building connections with new receivers.

One of college football’s most intriguing quarterback battles this spring resides at Notre Dame, where Steve Angeli and CJ Carr are the frontrunners to replace Riley Leonard on the heels of the program’s run to the national championship game. If the Fighting Irish are to make another deep playoff surge, Marcus Freeman needs to identify the right weapon at that all-important spot. He also brought a new defensive coordinator into the mix with Chris Ash replacing Al Golden, who departed this winter for an NFL gig. Ash has big shoes to fill.

Brent Venables enters a pivotal fourth year at the helm this offseason, and much of his future with the Oklahoma program lies in the hands of Ben Arbuckle and John Mateer. The coordinator and quarterback tandem moved from Washington State to Oklahoma and already have heaps of experience together, but they are new faces in the Sooners program. Everyone around them has a few weeks this spring to get acclimated with new faces, ideas and abilities in the offense. Venables relies on that coming to fruition and leading to a more prolific year on that side of the ball.

The 2025 season has to be a big one for Hugh Freeze in order for him to quiet the naysayers and doubters at Auburn. He already took impressive steps toward making this a breakout year, but spring camp is where the rubber starts to meet the road as all of his prized recruits hit the practice field for the first time together. Jackson Arnold has better weapons around him at Auburn than he did prior to his transfer from Oklahoma, and the next month will lend insight into whether his supporting cast of Cam Coleman, Eric Singleton Jr. and others will help him take the Tigers to the next level.

This offseason is a monumental one for Mike Norvell, who hired two potentially game-changing coordinators and overhauled his roster in an attempt to climb out of the hole that was the two-win 2024 campaign. Florida State had a bevy of moving parts this time last year, and it resulted in a disastrous season. This spring cannot be a carbon copy of 2024 if the Seminoles are to rebound. The work ahead is demanding as Florida State cleans house and starts anew, but it will be worth it if the program returns to ACC contention.

LSU secured the nation’s No. 1 transfer portal class during the winter window and plugged some of its most obvious holes, especially on the defensive side of the ball, ahead of a prove-it year for Brian Kelly. The Tigers figure to generate palpable optimism this spring and into the preseason given the amount of talent joining their roster. Patrick Payton could be in for a monster year with his restart at LSU, Nic Anderson may be among the SEC’s top receivers once healthy and, most importantly, help in the defensive backfield could make the Tigers a more well-rounded operation.

Bryce Underwood already made his practice debut during bowl season, but if he looks the part of a starting quarterback during his first full slate of offseason workouts, the excitement surrounding his Michigan arrival will reach new levels. The top recruit in the 2025 class has as much buzz as any quarterback prospect over the last decade. Living up to the hype as a true freshman is no easy feat, though, and he needs to settle in quickly over the coming months in order for it to become a reality.

Ryan Grubb arrived in Tuscaloosa just ahead of spring camp as perhaps the top offensive coordinator hire in college football. He is a familiar assistant for Kalen DeBoer and could be the missing piece for an Alabama program that seeks a return to the elite level at which it performed during the Nick Saban era. Grubb’s first task is to sort out the quarterback battle between Ty Simpson, Austin Mack and Keelon Russell, and spring practices should go a long way in determining which of those signal-callers leads the new-look offense.

Ohio State returns just 46% of its production from last year’s national championship roster, per ESPN’s Bill Connelly. It also features new coordinators on both sides of the ball in Brian Hartline and Matt Patricia. All of those changes combine to generate uncertainty about the Buckeyes’ ability to repeat as CFP title-winners. Ryan Day is in for a tough spring as he puts the puzzle pieces together, but he earned the benefit of the doubt when he finally broke through and delivered his first national championship.

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The Tar Heels roll 91-59, breaking away to their most lopsided victory in ACC play this season.

The head coach says this UNC team ‘functions more on limited changes,’ whereas last season’s group was better equipped to handle all sorts of adjustments.

Spring practices are imperative to these college football teams’ success.

TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS

WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS

NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS

MIAMI HURRICANES

NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH

OKLAHOMA SOONERS

AUBURN TIGERS

FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES

LSU TIGERS

MICHIGAN WOLVERINES

ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE

OHIO STATE BUCKEYES

What channel is UNC basketball vs Virginia Tech today? Time, TV, streaming, schedule

The North Carolina Tar Heels men’s basketball team will try to even up its road record in the final ACC road game of the season against the Virginia Tech Hokies on Tuesday (7 p.m., ESPNU) at Cassell Coliseum.

The Tar Heels (19-11, 12-6 ACC) have an opportunity to remedy that blemish against the Hokies (13-16, 8-10). UNC, which is 5-6 in true road games this season, is 9-5 against Virginia Tech at Cassell Coliseum. The Heels have lost two of their last three games in Blacksburg.

As of Tuesday afternoon, UNC remains on the NCAA Tournament bubble and is included on just 19 of 104 bracket projections on Bracket Matrix.

The Tar Heels will likely need to win at Virginia Tech and top No. 2 Duke in the regular-season finale to get on the right side of the bubble conversation. The ACC Tournament begins March 11 in Charlotte, but the Tar Heels are currently slated to play Wednesday, March 12 at Spectrum Center.

Here’s everything you need to know about UNC vs. Virginia Tech including time, TV and streaming info and more:

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TV Channel: ESPNU

Livestream: Fubo, ESPN+

UNC vs. Virginia Tech will be broadcast on ESPNU. Kevin Brown and Jon Crispin will be on the TV call from Cassell Coliseum. Streaming options for the game include FUBO and ESPN+. Jones Angell, Tyler Zeller, Adam Lucas and Dave Nathan will have the radio call on the Tar Heel Sports Network.

Date: Tuesday, March 4

Start time: 7 p.m. ET

The UNC vs. Virginia game starts at 7 p.m. ET from Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Game lines and odds from BetMGM will be posted as they become available.

UNC 80, Virginia Tech 69: The Tar Heels tinkered with their lineup and found positive momentum in time for March. Cassell Coliseum is an underrated venue and Mike Young is an underrated coach, but UNC appears to be aware of the stakes in the final week of the regular season.

Spread: UNC is an 7.5-point favorite

Over/under: 150.5 points

Moneyline: UNC (-350), Virginia Tech (+280)

Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.

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