North Carolina is going through some deja vu in some ways this season.

UNC started the year ranked No. 1 overall in the country in the preseason, but fell out of the rankings after a 6-4 start, including a four-game losing streak Nov. 25-Dec. 4.

The Tar Heels have bounced back, but haven’t quite hit their stride to carry a 13-6 overall record and 5-3 in the ACC. The deja vu part is that on Jan. 24, 2022, UNC was 13-6 and 5-3 in the league following a win at Virginia Tech.

North Carolina hosts NC State at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C.

North Carolina’s “Big Three” of senior center Armando Bacot and junior guards R.J. Davis and Caleb Love usually make or break the Tar Heels.

Northwestern graduate transfer Pete Nance is back healthy and starting at power forward, and senior small forward Rechon “Leaky” Black is a quality defender and improved three-point shooter.

Rankings

North Carolina is No. 36 in the NET rankings, and NC State is No. 25.

ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index (BPI) has the Tar Heels ranked No. 30 overall, and the Wolfpack are No. 37.

KenPom.com has North Carolina at No. 25, and NCSU is at No. 35.

RealtimeRPI.com has North Carolina ranked No. 18 in the country, and NC State is No. 32.

Shooting

UNC is averaging 79.6 points per game, and are shooting 45.8 percent from the field, 32.0 percent on three-pointers and 73.2 percent at the free-throw line.

Davis has gone 36-of-94 from three-point land for 38.3 percent. Four different players have made at least 15 three-point field goals.

Rebounding

The Tar Heels are averaging an impressive 39.4 rebounds per game and are a plus-5.0 in rebounding margin.

Bacot leads the way with 11.2 rebounds a contest with Nance and Black combining for 11.8 rebounds a game.

Defense

UNC is allowing 72.4 points per game, with opposing teams shooting 43.4 percent from the field and 33.3 percent on three-pointers.

Bacot has 21 blocks and Nance has chipped in 15 blocks, and Black has a team-high 31 steals. Five different players have at least 10 steals.

Depth

The Tar Heels played four guys off the bench against Boston College on Tuesday, but two of the players played less than three minutes.

Junior forward Puff Johnson leads the bench with 4.1 points and 2.6 rebounds in 14.9 minutes per game. Sophomore wing D’Marco Dunn is also averaging 4.1 points per game and he’s shooting 45.0 percent from three-point land.

Freshmen Tyler Nickel and Seth Trimble round out the bench. Fellow freshman post freshman Jalen Washington is coming off an ankle injury that occurred during pregame warmups against BC.

North Carolina senior center Armando Bacot has seen his scoring improve every single year with the Tar Heels.

The 6-foot-11, 235-pounder is averaging 17.6 points, 11.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game this season. He’s also shooting 57.9 percent from the field and 65.7 percent from the free-throw line. He isn’t a three-point shooting threat.

Bacot went to work against the short-handed Wolfpack last year, getting 28 points, 18 rebounds and five blocks in the 84-74 win in Raleigh on Feb. 26, 2022. He also had 18 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks in the 100-80 win in Chapel Hill, N.C., on Jan. 29.

Bacot has battled some injuries, but he is fresh off of getting 20 points, 16 rebounds and three blocked shots in the 72-64 win over Boston College on Tuesday.

Bacot has 11 double-doubles for points and rebounds this season. He had 28 points and 15 rebounds in the 89-84 overtime win over Ohio State on Dec. 17.

The Richmond, Va., native finished up at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy. Rivals.com ranked him the No. 27 overall player in the class of 2019.

NC State

PG — 1 Jarkel Joiner (6-1, 180, R-Sr., 16.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.2 spg)

SG — 0 Terquavion Smith (6-4, 165, Sops., 19.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 4.7 apg, 1.8 spg)

G — 14 Casey Morsell (6-3, 200, R-Jr., 12.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.3 sig)

PF — 23 Greg Gantt (6-8, 215, R-Jr., 2.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 0.4 apg)

C — 30 D.J. Burns (6-9, 275, R-Jr., 9.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.5 apg)

North Carolina

PG — 4 R.J. Davis (6-0, 175, Jr., 16.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.2 spg)

SG — 2 Caleb Love (6-4, 200, Jr., 16.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.4 spg)

SF — 1 Rechon Black (6-9, 205, Sr., 7.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.6 spg)

PF — 32 Pete Nance (6-11, 230, Sr., 10.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.6 apg)

C — 5 Armando Bacot (6-11, 235, Sr., 17.6 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.2 bpg)

10 Games this season that junior guard Caleb Love has attempted at least seven three-point field goals attempts.

15 The Tar Heels are minus-15 in their losses this season.

60 Career double-doubles for points and rebounds for senior center Armando Bacot, which is tied with Billy Cunningham for the school record.

Junior point guard R.J. Davis has been the calming presence for the Tar Heels, playing off of junior guard Caleb Davis.

The 6-0, 175-pound Davis is averaging 16.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. He’s shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 38.3 percent on three-pointers.

Davis had a season-high 27 points and five assists in the 88-79 win over Wake Forest. He made 5 of 8 on three-pointers — the most he’s made all season — and he’s made at least three three-pointers in four games.

Davis went for 18 points and 4 of 7 on three-pointers in the win over Boston College on Tuesday, and he’s scored at least 10 points in every game but against the Citadel. Davis has topped 20 points in four contests this season.

Rivals.com ranked Davis at No. 52 overall in the class of 2020, coming out of White Plains (N.Y.) Archbishop Stepinac.

NC State point guard Jarkel Joiner, a Ole Miss transfer, will be playing his first game against UNC. He is averaging 16.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game this season.

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