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UNC heads west for first back-to-back road trip
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- UNC heads west for first back-to-back road trip
North Carolina will play back-to-back road games for the first time this season when it visits Cal and Stanford in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The trip presents several challenges. It's always tougher to win on the road. The Tar Heels also must adjust to a three-hour time difference between the Eastern and Pacific time zones. On top of that, both Cal and Stanford have solid guards who can pressure UNC's perimeter defense — a concern after the Tar Heels' struggles in their first three ACC games.
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Here is a quick look at both teams:
Stanford
Stanford Cardinal guard Ebuka Okorie (1) shoots a shot as Virginia Tech Hokies guard Jailen Bedford (0) defends during the second half at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Virginia on Jan 7, 2026.
Stanford (13-4, 2-2 ACC) has the tools to give UNC problems. The Cardinal upset Louisville and beat a good Virginia Tech team, and they have one of the best players in the country in guard Ebuka Okorie. He averages 22.1 points per game, the second-best mark in the ACC and the eighth-best nationally. He also leads the ACC in free throws made and ranks third in free throw attempts.
The defense, unspectacular during the nonconference slate, has become a top-five unit in the ACC since league play began. Stanford is holding opponents to 40.1% shooting from the floor and 25.8% from 3-point range, which ranks fourth in the ACC in conference play. Opponents have an effective field goal percentage of just 44.7% against the Cardinal, the third-best mark in the league.
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Offensively, though, Stanford is not efficient. The Cardinal rank 14th in the ACC in 3-point percentage (33.6), 16th in field-goal percentage (42.7) and second-to-last in effective field goal percentage (49.7). They also rank second-to-last in the ACC in assists and last in assist-to-field goal ratio.
California
Feb 22, 2017; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears mascot, Oski, performs on the court during a timeout against the Oregon Ducks during the second half at Haas Pavilion. The Ducks won 68-65. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
The second game of the road trip, Cal poses its own problems. The Bears have a strong backcourt led by Dai Dai Ames and Justin Pippen, who can score from all over the floor. Cal also ranks among the nation's best free throw shooting teams, hitting 79.4% from the line, second in the ACC and 19th nationally. The Bears also protect the ball, ranking second in the ACC in turnovers per game and fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio.
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Cal has struggled, however, in ACC play. The Bears entered conference play at 12-1 but have dropped three of their first four league games, with two losses coming by 20 points or more. While they are a decent 3-point shooting team overall, they have slumped from deep in ACC games, shooting 27.9% from beyond the arc, which ranks 15th in the league.
Depth and rebounding are also issues. Cal ranks last in the ACC in bench points (12.4), last in offensive rebounds (9.6), second-to-last in rebound margin (-1.1) and 16th in total rebounds per game (34.7).
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Basketball: What to know about the Tar Heels' Bay Area road trip
