UNC basketball continues the postseason against No. 4-seeded Wake Forest on Thursday (2:30 p.m., ESPN) at the 2025 ACC Tournament in Charlotte.
The fifth-seeded Tar Heels (21-12) remain projected to miss the NCAA Tournament for the second time in the last three seasons under head coach Hubert Davis. Like UNC, the Demon Deacons (21-10) enter the postseason on the wrong side of the March Madness bubble.
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UNC has won five ACC Tournament championships in Charlotte, tying Duke for the most titles won in the Queen City. The Tar Heels, who haven’t won the tourney since 2016, are 4-5 as a No. 5 seed in the tournament. It advanced to the 2015 title game as a No. 5 seed in Greensboro.
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UNC is 13-8 against Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament, but the Tobacco Road rivals haven’t played in the postseason since 2000.
Here’s a preview, some players to watch and a score prediction for UNC vs. Wake Forest at Spectrum Center. The winner will play Duke or Georgia Tech in Friday’s semifinals.
UNC basketball, Wake Forest free-throw shooting
In the Tar Heels’ loss at Wake Forest, the Demon Deacons dominated at getting to the free-throw line and taking advantage of their opportunities at the charity stripe. Wake Forest made 21 of 27 freebies in the first meeting, with UNC attempting 10 free throws and 32 three-pointers. The Heels only got to the line 12 times against Notre Dame, but they made 13 treys. They have to do a better job of keeping Wake off the line this time.
Cameron Hildreth, Jae’Lyn Withers as scorers for Tar Heels, Demon Deacons
Wake Forest’s Cameron Hildreth had 20 points, including 10 free throws, in the win against UNC earlier this season. Hildreth scored 22 or more points in six of the last 10 games ahead of the postseason, including 28 against Notre Dame on March 1. UNC’s Jae’Lyn Withers has been just as impressive down the stretch, making 22 three-pointers across the last nine games. He set a UNC record in the ACC Tournament with seven treys in the opener and is up to 47.2% from beyond the arc, which is the seventh-best percentage in the nation.
Efton Reid vs Ven-Allen Lubin in the post
Ven-Allen Lubin will have 7-footer Efton Reid to contend with in the post. Lubin has been on a tear of late as UNC’s most productive player on the interior. He had six points and seven rebounds in the loss at Wake, but he’s coming off a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double debut for the Tar Heels in the tournament. Reid, who had 12 points and six rebounds against the Heels in the first meeting, is also coming off a double-double performance. He had 12 points and 13 rebounds in the regular-season finale against Georgia Tech.
UNC vs Wake Forest score prediction
UNC 75, Wake Forest 70: The Tar Heels aren’t the same bunch that lost a close one in Winston-Salem. UNC will keep its March Madness hopes alive and burst the Demon Deacons’ bubble. Wake Forest hasn’t played in the semis since 2006.
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to [email protected].
