All Tar Heels

UNC Basketball Set to Battle Two Familiar Faces in Round of 64

UNC basketball will square off against an Ole Miss squad that features a pair of former ACC talents.
Matt Giles|
UNC basketball head coach Hubert Davis
UNC basketball head coach Hubert Davis | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

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North Carolina Tar Heels

Hubert Davis and his fourth UNC basketball team took care of business in Dayton on Tuesday night, as the Tar Heels (23-13) made an NCAA Tournament First Four statement via their 95-68 victory over fellow No. 11 seed San Diego State. Now, the surging bunch from Chapel Hill is preparing for a Round of 64 bout against No. 6 seed Ole Miss (22-11) in Milwaukee at 4:05 p.m. ET Friday (TNT).

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UNC and Ole Miss haven't encountered each other in men's basketball since the 1920s. That decade played host to the program's only two meetings to date, which they split.

However, Friday night won't be the first time that Carolina has faced the veteran players who now occupy the top two spots in the 2024-25 Rebels' scoring column. They are former three-year Virginia Tech guard Sean Pedulla, averaging 14.9 points in his first campaign in Oxford, and former one-year Duke talent Jaemyn Brakefield, averaging 10.8 points as a fourth-year Ole Miss forward.

The 22-year-old Pedulla and 24-year-old Brakefield — two of six Rebels currently boasting double-digit scoring averages — are a combined 2-5 in the previous clashes against the Tar Heels.

Pedulla's highest-scoring performance versus UNC came in December 2022 with his 14 points to help power a Virginia Tech home win, one of two Hokie victories in his five matchups against UNC.

As for Brakefield, he went 0-2 versus the Tar Heels as a member of Mike Krzyzewski's 2020-21 Blue Devils, totaling only two points between his 15 minutes off the bench in those rivalry showdowns.

If UNC basketball prevails, then the Tar Heels will play either the No. 3 seed Iowa State Cyclones (24-9) or No. 14 seed Lipscomb Bisons (25-9) in the South Regional Round of 32 on Sunday.

Stay tuned to North Carolina Tar Heels On SI for more UNC basketball news.

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Matt Giles
MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, Duke Blue Devils on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining UNC on SI in 2023, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.

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