3 Georgia Players UNC Basketball Must Monitor in Matchup

The first three games of the season have been tune-up outings for the North Carolina Tar Heels, who've faced Western Carolina, Wofford, and Wyoming.

On Friday night, the Tar Heels face their first Power 4 conference opponent, Georgia. The Bulldogs are often overlooked because they're not viewed as an above-average program, but their talent says otherwise. Like North Carolina, Georgia carries a 3-0 record heading into this matchup. With that in mind, here are three Bulldogs the Tar Heels must keep tabs on when these two teams square off at the Dean E. Smith Center.

Blue Cain

One aspect that’s vastly different between these two teams is the level of cohesion. While the Tar Heels have 11 new players in the rotation, Georgia retained several starters from last season's roster. Cain is one of those players, and he's in his fourth year in the program.

The 6-foot-5, 195-pound shooting guard's scoring prowess has improved since 2025. Through three games this season, Cain is averaging 16.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 58.8% from the field and 41.7% from three-point range. It's only been three games, so those averages and percentages may not stick, but the senior guard is undoubtedly someone North Carolina must pay attention to. Expect Matt Able to be the primary defender on Cain.

Kanon Catchings

Catchings was a significant factor in Georgia reaching the NCAA Tournament as an 8-seed. The Bulldogs were ultimately outmatched against St. Louis in the first round, but they were nowhere near a lock to make the field.

The 6-foot-9, 220-pound forward hasn't been the most efficient scorer throughout his career, but he's capable of producing points in quick spurts. So far this season, Catchings is averaging 13.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 42.9% from the field and 21.4% from three-point range. The junior forward is a career 35.8% three-point shooter, so his efficiency in that area is perplexing.

Mar 19, 2026; Buffalo, NY, USA; Georgia Bulldogs forward Kanon Catchings (6) shoots a layup against Saint Louis Billikens guard Quentin Jones (1) during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Nevertheless, Catchings is a matchup nightmare, as he's extremely elusive and quick off the dribble, with the ability to stop on a dime and pull up or coast by defenders to the basket. On the other hand, Catchings is a subpar free-throw shooter. In 2024, He shot 58.7% from the stripe at BYU and 65.1% last season.

In this brief stretch, the junior forward is shooting 53.3% from the line. The Tar Heels need to avoid foul trouble, but force Catchings to beat them. Fouling him and forcing him to make free throws isn't the end of the world.

Marcus Millender

Millender is a fascinating player to evaluate from the Tar Heels' perspective, as the 5-foot-11, 175-pound guard is a do-it-all player for the Bulldogs. This season, Millender is averaging 12.3 points, 3.7 assists, and 2.3 rebounds while shooting 40.7% from the field and 36.4% from beyond the arc.

While Millender is a capable scorer, his ability to get others involved is what unlocks Georgia's offense. Cain and Catchings are fantastic talents, but they predominantly create for themselves, which isn't a slight. However, a player who can score and facilitate is the key to everything. If Millender can sprinkle in scoring production and accumulate seven or eight assists, it will be a long night for the Tar Heels. Terrence Brown will have his hands full defending Millender.

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