Predicting North Carolina's Top Players Against California

The North Carolina Tar Heels are coming off a disappointing loss to the Stanford Cardinal on Wednesday night at the Maples Pavilion. After being in front for the majority of the game, the Tar Heels surrendered the lead in the final moments of the game. Stanford would hold on to secure a 95-90 win at home against the 14th-ranked team in the country.

On Saturday, North Carolina faces another tough road matchup at the Haas Pavilion against the California Golden Bears, who are in the midst of a three-game losing streak.

With all of that said, here are predictions for which Tar Heels' players will produce standout performances against a struggling California team.

Caleb Wilson

Stat line prediction: 25 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals

In the loss to Stanford, the freshman forward totaled 26 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block while shooting 11-of-16 from the field and 4-of-7 from the free throw line. Wilson should be able to replicate that production against the Golden Bears, who have allowed at least 71 points in the last five games.

The 6-foot-9, 216-pound forward has scored at least 20 points in eight of the last nine games, and that trend will continue on Saturday afternoon.

North Carolina needs to win this game to maintain any confidence heading into the latter half of January, and Wilson must be the driving force of that success.

Henri Veesaar

Stat line prediction: 21 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block

Veesaar was utterly dominant against on Wednesday night, recording 26 points, six rebounds, one assist, and one block while shooting 9-of-12 from the field, including 2-of-2 from three-point range. Over the last two games, the Arizona transfer has shot 18-of-22 from the field, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.

Like Wilson, Veesaar should continue to produce elite numbers against California, which is struggling to contain formidable forwards and centers. The Tar Heels are dependent on the frontcourt for the majority of their points and rebounds, and that will need to be apparent again on Saturday.

Seth Trimble

Stat line prediction: 15 points, 4 rebounds, and four assists

Trimble has not shot more than nine shots in either of the last two games, and that needs to change against the Golden Bears. North Carolina is a much more effective when the senior guard is attacking the rim and putting pressure on the opposing defense in transition.

Expect the 6-foot-3, 200-pound guard to play with an aggressive mindset on Saturday afternoon in a pivotal game for the Tar Heels.

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