2015 NCAA Tournament Preview: No. 4 North Carolina vs. No. 5 Arkansas

Get ready for a track meet. Two teams that survived by a combined five points clash in the Round of 32 on Saturday. The North Carolina Tar Heels nearly fell asleep at the wheel against the Harvard Crimson, coughing up a 16-point advantage over the stretch of the second half, only to regain the final lead of the game in a 67-65 victory. The Arkansas Razorbacks endured numerous lead changes, and a last possession scramble to hold off the Wofford Terriers 56-53.

By the numbers, North Carolina is rated second and seventh in offensive and defensive rebounding, respectively. The Tar Heels are also consistently unselfish, having totaled the second most assists per game in Division I basketball.

According to the eye test, Arkansas could pose the Tar Heels some very real problems. The Razorbacks are athletic, and have a collective motor that apparently never runs out of fuel. This well-oiled machine also has one heck of a power train. SEC player of the year Bobby Portis anchors the Razorbacks on the inside, and prevents opponents from reciprocating Arkansas’ speedy tempo.

What To Watch For:

Watch for North Carolina to hang with Arkansas in what could be one of the highest-scoring first halves of this tournament. Portis may not get started down low until the second half, but the 6-foot-11 Arkansas forward will definitely be a factor. The Tar Heels will move the ball well laterally, while Arkansas should be expected to test Carolina vertically.

Prediction:

The Tar Heels are talented, but not always the most disciplined. Having a penchant for giving up leads — either due to boredom or lack of focus — what happened against Harvard was not an anomaly. There is no better-conditioned team in the country than Arkansas, so the Razorbacks won’t be going away and will give the Heels an ever bigger late-onset headache than Harvard. I can’t see North Carolina putting together premium basketball for the entire 40 minutes, and against Arkansas, you have to compete for a complete game.

Arkansas 78, North Carolina 73

Jerry Landry is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow Jerry on Twitter at @Jerry2Landry, “Like” him on Facebook or add him on Google.