When the North Carolina Tar Heels take on the American University Eagles tonight in men's college basketball action, they'll be doing so without two of their star freshmen.

Per InsideCarolina, guard Ian Jackson and center James Brown will be unavailable due to lower-leg injuries. They are considered day-to-day.

Jackson, a projected starter this offseason, has instead averaged 7.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 0.5 blocks off the bench. Brown, UNC's voice of reason who was a key behind its second-half comeback against Kansas, grabbed two points and two rebounds against Kansas on Friday, Nov. 8.

What do Jackson and Brown's injuries mean for North Carolina, besides the fact it'll be down two of its best young players?

Brown's injury likely won't impact the Tar Heels as much, as they're deep in the post with Jalen Washington, Jae'Lyn Withers, Ty Claude and Ven-Allen Lubin.

It's Jackson's injury, though, where things get a bit tricky for UNC. He is North Carolina's third-best perimeter shooter, registering a 50 percent clip through two games. The Tar Heels will almost certainly miss Jackson's speed and him acting as a sixth man off the bench. If UNC's guard trio of RJ Davis, Elliot Cadeau and Seth Trimble get in foul trouble, the roster is pretty thin behind him – unless UNC elects to dip into its walk-ons.

Luckily for North Carolina, Jackson and Brown's injuries come in just the third game of 2024. Hopefully their injuries aren't too serious, but if Jackson and Brown are out for an extended period of time, Hubert will have to re-shuffle his minutes a bit.

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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire : Two UNC freshmen will NOT be available against American