FACTS & STATS: Site: Smith Center (21,750) -- Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Television: FSN. Home Record: UNCA 3-0, N. Carolina 2-0. Away Record: UNCA 0-2, N. Carolina 1-0. Neutral Record: UNCA 0-0, N. Carolina 3-0. Conference Record: UNCA 1-0, N. Carolina 0-0. Series Record: North Carolina leads, 4-0.

GAME NOTES: The top-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels have been dominant thus far, and they are heavily favored in this evening's non-conference home clash with the UNC-Asheville Bulldogs.

Since opening the season with three straight victories over weak competition, UNC-Asheville has suffered back-to-back defeats. After losing to Campbell by 37 points last weekend, the Bulldogs dropped a 74-69 decision to Wofford on Tuesday. Clearly, the Tar Heels represent a monumental leap in competition.

North Carolina has won its first six games, all by 15 or more points. Most recently, the team captured the Maui Invitational championship with a 102-87 victory over a strong Notre Dame squad. The Tar Heels held a comfortable lead for the majority of that contest against the nation's eighth-ranked team.

North Carolina cruised past UNC-Asheville last season has won all four previous meetings with the Bulldogs.

Through five outings, UNC-Asheville has four players averaging double figures in scoring. Leading the squad is Reid Augst, who is netting 12.2 ppg. Sean Smith checks in with 11.8 ppg, and John Williams adds 11.4 ppg. The fourth and final member of the group is J.P. Primm, who contributes 10.8 ppg. In the loss to Wofford last time out, Augst scored a team-high 15 points. Williams tallied 14 points, Smith added 12, and both Primm and Dickey pitched in with 11 points apiece. Shaky defense certainly played a role in the setback, as the Bulldogs permitted the Terriers to make good on 52.1 percent of their field goal attempts. UNCA was also outrebounded and outscored from the foul line by narrow margins.

Tyler Hansbrough, the reigning national player of the year, has missed action this season because of injury, but he was on the floor against Notre Dame in the title game of the Maui Invitational. The senior power forward was sensational, as he scored 34 points on 13-of-19 shooting from the floor and 7- of-7 from the foul line. Ty Lawson was tremendous as well, as he poured in 22 points and dished out 11 assists against only one turnover. Deon Thompson, who has been better than expected this season, finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds. The Tar Heels earned a 44-36 rebounding advantage and shot 55.7 percent from the floor while committing just eight turnovers. UNC is generating 93.7 ppg while limiting opponents to 70.3 ppg. Hansbrough is netting 21.0 ppg and certainly looked healthy against the Irish. Thompson checks in with 15.3 ppg and 7.8 rpg, while Lawson adds 15.0 ppg and 6.5 apg. Danny Green is scoring 14.0 ppg for UNC, which has six players averaging double figures in all.

Put simply, North Carolina's reserves would beat UNC-Asheville's starters. This game will be over by intermission.

Predicted Outcome

North Carolina 100, UNC-Asheville 62