What to know about Providence, UNC's second-round opponent

After defeating Southern California 70-69 on Thursday, Providence advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, where it will face North Carolina.

This marks the second time in three years the Tar Heels have faced the Friars, as sixth-seeded UNC squeaked out a 79-77 victory over 11th-seeded Providence in the opening round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament.

Here are three things to note about this year’s Providence squad, which will face UNC at 9:40 p.m. on Saturday at PNC Arena in Raleigh. The game will be televised by TBS.

Two-headed monster

Junior guard Kris Dunn and sophomore forward Ben Bentil, who both received first-team All-Big East honors this season for their stellar play, lead the Friars on both sides of the ball.

Dunn has earned multiple All-American honors this year after averaging 16 points per game, but the junior is most renowned for his defense.

The guard was tabbed as the Big East Player of the Year and the Big East Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season after leading the conference in steals with 2.5 per game.

On the other end of the floor, Bentil has been a dominant force all season, capturing the Big East scoring title after averaging 22.9 points per game during conference play. In the Big East Tournament quarterfinals, he set a record for the most field goals made in a Big East Tournament game with 16.

During Thursday’s win over Southern California, the duo of Dunn and Bentil combined for 35 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, showing why they deserve UNC’s attention on Saturday.

Beating the best

The Friars boast a 4-5 record this season against top-25 teams, including three wins over teams ranked in the top 15 at the time.

Those wins came against Arizona, Butler and Villanova — which were ranked No. 11, No. 9 and No. 4 at the time, respectively. Providence beat Butler again on Jan. 19, when it was ranked No. 18 in the country.

The Tar Heels entered the NCAA Tournament ranked as the No. 3 team in the country in the AP Top 25 poll.

Close contests

The Tar Heels’ six losses this season have been by a total of 22 points, marking the fewest combined points in UNC’s first six losses in a season since 1941.

While North Carolina has struggled in some close games, the Friars have thrived.

Providence went 9-1 this season, including a 5-1 record in Big East games, in games decided by four points or less. The Friars won three of those games — including Thursday's contest against the Trojans — on a shot just before the buzzer.

If Saturday’s contest comes down to the wire, Providence could rely on its experience in tight games to knock off the Tar Heels.

@patjames24

sports@dailytarheel.com