No. 12 North Carolina (11-1) will take on ECU (5-7) at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill.
Carolina will play its final game of the nonconference slate before it begins ACC play on Dec. 29 against Florida State in Chapel Hill. It comes on the heels of an emotional, thrilling 71-70 victory over Ohio State at the CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta. However, there’s always the worry of a letdown after a game like that, considering how the Tar Heels pulled it out.
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With that being said, here are three things to watch before the game on Monday.
Utter Domination
Dec 20, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) dunks against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
UNC should dominate ECU, and the game shouldn’t be close. This is the Tar Heels’ time to assert their will, especially after an emotional win over Ohio State, and to leave no doubt as ACC play starts in a week. With Trimble back and Carolina red hot, this is UNC’s chance to secure a dominant win over an overmatched East Carolina team.
Derek Dixon Starting at Point Guard
Dec 20, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Derek Dixon (3) dribbles against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Given his increased workload, no one should be shocked if Dixon ends up in the starting lineup at point guard. He played 24 minutes in North Carolina’s win over Ohio State on Dec. 20 and was involved in some of the most critical parts of the game, including the final minute of play.
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He played eight more minutes than the usual starter at the 1, Kyan Evans, who logged just 16 minutes. This suggests that Dixon will be a starter in Monday’s game. While Evans is averaging more assists and has more experience than Dixon, his shooting form has been off. He is averaging just 4.6 points per game while shooting 26% from the floor and 23% from beyond the arc in the last five games, an area where he previously made more than 44% of his 3-point attempts.
Dixon, on the other hand, has been averaging 7.2 points per game while shooting 42.3% from the field and 41.1% from 3 in the last five games. He has also consistently gotten to the free-throw line in that span, making seven of his eight attempts (87.5%). Meanwhile, Evans has not been to the charity stripe once in the last five games.
Stopping Jordan Riley
East Carolina’s Jordan Riley attempts a dunk on Michigan State’s Carson Cooper at the Fort Myers Tipoff, Nov. 25, 2025.
UNC will have all its eyes on ECU’s star player, Jordan Riley. Riley is averaging 21.7 points per game this season and nearly 25 over his last five. Slowing him down will be key to preventing an upset — one that looks unlikely, but you never know.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Basketball: What to watch for vs. East Carolina
