Ernest Udeh Jr. dominated UNC with a season-high 15 points and 10 rebounds, fueling the Miami Hurricanes' upset victory and showcasing his newfound confidence.
Senior center Ernest Udeh Jr. isn't the most highlighted center in the country, but he delivered a great impact in the Miami Hurricanes' 75-66 victory over the 11th-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels on Tuesday night. The 22-year-old scored a new season-high of 15 points on 87.5 percent shooting, including five alley-oop dunks, 10 rebounds, an assist, a steal, and a block. Udeh Jr. provided a strong presence in the paint, especially against a Tar Heels' frontcourt that contains great size and length.
The Orlando native revealed after the game that there was an early sense of feeling different, in a good way.
"I needed this, for sure," Udeh Jr. said. "I'm hard on myself in practice and past games. I expect a lot of myself and hold myself to a high standard. One thing I was just doing leading up to the game was praying. My faith is everything. I had a great feeling about today. We do this thing in our shootarounds where we shoot half-court shots and today was my first make."
"It might not seem like anything crazy, but I knew we were in the right place today."
Udeh Jr. doesn't need the ball to impact a game, but when it finds him, good things happen for the Hurricanes. He's on pace to have a career season: currently averaging 7.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 22 games. Udeh Jr. has played a tremendous role in the program's turnaround, transferring after spending the last couple of seasons in the Big 12 playing for the TCU Horned Frogs.
The arrival of the veteran center, alongside senior guard Tre Donaldson and senior forward Malik Reneau were critical in coach Jai Lucas's recruitment. They've been impactful throughout the regular season.
The Hurricanes currently sit with a 19-5 overall record, 8-3 in ACC play. They have three wins over Quad 1 opponents, with the Tar Heels being the latest. The team will have a few more upcoming opportunities to continue an NCAA Tournament push, such as the North Carolina State Wolfpack, 15th-ranked Virginia Hokies, SMU Mustangs, and 24th-ranked Louisville Cardinals.
If coach Lucas and the Hurricanes manage to add a couple more Quad 1 victories, it would solidify a spot in the NCAA Tournament. It would be a complete turnaround after finishing with a 7-24 overall record, 3-17 in ACC play.
Udeh Jr. will leave an impact on the program in his final season of college basketball.
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