University of North Carolina Athletics
Heels Open Hoops Season Monday Against USC
November 21, 1999 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 21, 1999
No. 5 North Carolina begins its season on Monday in the warm sun of Hawaii at the Maui Invitational against Southern California.
The team and coach Bill Guthridge will be looking for redemption after losing to unheralded Weber State in the NCAA tournament last March - the program's first loss in the first round since 1980.
"I hope the expectations stay there," Guthridge said. "If we lose it that means I haven't been doing a very good job."
If North Carolina gets by Southern California, it will play either Georgetown or Memphis on Tuesday. Other teams at the tournament include No. 7 Florida, No. 24 Purdue, Utah State and host Chaminade.
After finishing 24-10, reaching the finals of the ACC Tournament and earning its NCAA-record 25th consecutive NCAA Tournament berth with a very young team last season, the Tar Heels return four starters this year.
Ed Cota, who has led the ACC in assists in each of the last three seasons, will run the offense.
USC, which has lost to North Carolina in all five meetings, opened its season with a 73-59 win over Cal State Northridge on Saturday. The Trojans received 24 points from Sam Clancy and 18 from Brian Scalabrine, who led the Trojans in scoring last year with 14.6 per game.
The Trojans, who returned four starters from last year's 15-13 squad, were picked to finish seventh in the preseason Pac-10 poll, prompting coach Henry ibby to say, "What do they know? We've got four guys back, and they're all better."
Cota should have his hands full with guard Jeff Trepagnier, who was the only Pac-10 player to finish in the top 10 in steals (1.8), blocks (1.1) and field-goal percentage (49 percent) last year.
