University of North Carolina Athletics
Men's Basketball Game Notes
January 18, 2002 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 18, 2002
Complete Game Notes in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
at Connecticut Huskies (11-3, 5-0 Big East)
Date: Saturday, January 19, 2002, 4 p.m.
Site (capacity): Gampel Pavilion, Storrs, Conn. (10,027)
UNC's Series Record vs. Connecticut: UNC leads, 2-0
Television: CBS (Craig Bolerjack, Jim Spanarkel)
Radio: Tar Heel Sports Network, a division of Learfield Communications.
Woody Durham (play-by-play) and Mick Mixon (color) provide the call. A live broadcast also is available on Carolina's official athletic website, TarHeelBlue.com
Websites: UNC (TarHeelBlue.com), UConn (www.uconnhuskies.com)
Tar Heels Step Out of ACC Play
* Carolina plays on the road for the second consecutive game and third time in four contests when the Tar Heels visit The University of Connecticut on Saturday, Jan. 19. Gametime is set for 4 p.m. at Gampel Pavilion, UConn's on-campus home facility.
* This is the first time this season the Tar Heels have played back-to-back road games. On Wednesday night, UNC lost an 81-71 decision at Florida State in a game that was much closer than the score indicated.
* This is Carolina's first game against a Big East opponent since beating Miami (Fla.), 67-45, on December 4, 2000.
* Carolina is 2-0 against the Huskies. Both previous encounters were played in the state of North Carolina. On December 6, 1990, 10th-ranked Carolina beat 14th-ranked UConn, 79-64, in Chapel Hill in the ACC-Big East Challenge. On March, 21, 1998, No. 1 rated UNC topped No. 6 Connecticut, 75-64, in the NCAA East Regional Final in Greensboro.
* The Tar Heels are playing in the state of Connecticut for the first time since beating Navy and UNC Charlotte in the 1998 NCAA East Regional first and second rounds.
* Carolina has lost four straight games for the first time since 1999-2000. UNC's last five-game losing streak came in 1952. UNC has lost five or more games in a row on four occasions in school history. The four-game losing streak followed a stretch in which the Tar Heels won three in a row.
Inexperience Shows in Inconsistent Play
Carolina is playing this year with one of the most inexperienced lineups in decades. Wednesday evening at Florida State, Carolina played most of the final minutes with one senior (Kris Lang), two sophomores who saw limited minutes as freshmen (Adam Boone and Brian Morrison) and two freshmen (Jackie Manuel and Jawad Williams). On the other hand, the Seminoles lineup featured three seniors (point guard Delvon Arrington, Monte Cummings and Antwuan Dixon) and a sophomore who started last year (Michael Joiner).
That inexperience showed in the latter minutes of Carolina's last two contests, close losses to seventh-ranked Virginia and FSU. The Tar Heels led the Cavaliers by eight points midway through the second half, but committed turnovers on four straight possessions as Virginia tied the game. Wednesday, Carolina trailed by a point with 6:34 to play, but committed two straight turnovers and gave up an offensive rebound on a missed free throw and the Seminoles pulled away to an eight-point lead.
Two freshmen guards - Melvin Scott and Manuel - were in the starting lineup together in eight games this season before Boone moved back into the starting lineup. This is the first time UNC has started two freshmen in the backcourt in any game since first-year players became eligible to play on the varsity in 1972-73.
Should Manuel, Scott and freshman forward Jawad Williams all start any time this season, it would be the first instance in which Carolina started three freshmen in a single game.
The Tar Heels are averaging 16.6 turnovers per game, 2.2 more per game than the opposition. Carolina is shooting 42.7 percent from the field, its lowest percentage since shooting 41.3 percent from the floor in 1959-60.
Capel Doubtful for Connecticut Game
Senior forward Jason Capel (Fayetteville, N.C.) suffered a concussion in practice on Tuesday, January 15, and did not travel with the team to Tallahassee, Fla., for its game at Florida State. Capel suffered the concussion when he collided with a teammate while diving for a loose ball. It s doubtful he will be able to play at UConn. The last time Carolina's leading scorer missed more than one game due to injury was in 1993-94 when shooting guard Donald Williams missed nine games because of a stress fracture in his foot and a separated shoulder.
The Florida State game was the first Capel missed since his freshman season when he missed eight games with a sore back and mononucleosis.
Capel is second in the Atlantic Coast Conference in rebounding with 10.3 per game. He leads the ACC in defensive rebounds and is third in the league in offensive boards. Capel also is sixth in the ACC in scoring (16.8 ppg) and sixth in free throw percentage. Capel leads the Tar Heels in 14 statistical categories, including minutes played, field goals, field goal attempts, free throws, free throw attempts, offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds, total rebounds, assists, steals, points and scoring average.
No Carolina player has led the team in scoring, rebounding and assists since UNC recorded assist leaders in 1968-69.
Capel is one of only two players in the ACC averaging a double-double in points and rebounds (Travis Watson of Virginia). The last Carolina player to average a double-double for an entire season was Antawn Jamison, who earned National Player of the Year honors in 1997-98 when he averaged 22.2 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Prior to Jamison, the last Tar Heel to achieve a double-double for the season was Mitch Kupchak in 1975-76.
Capel, O'Koren and Okulaja
Jason Capel passed the 300-career assist mark in his last game against Virginia. He is one of only three Tar Heels in history to score 1,000 points, grab 700 rebounds and have 300 assists. Three-time All-America forward Mike O'Koren (1977-80) and first-team All-ACC forward Ademola Okulaja (1996-99) are the others. Capel has scored 1,276 points, grabbed 727 rebounds and handed out 301 assists. He is 34th alltime in scoring at UNC, 20th in rebounding and 22nd in assists.
FYI, Mike O'Koren will be inducted into the New Jersey Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame on January 27, 2002. O'Koren is an assistant coach with the New Jersey Nets.
Lang Back on Track
Senior Kris Lang (Gastonia, N.C.) appears to have fully recovered from a left knee sprain, an injury he suffered in practice on December 18. Lang, the team's second-leading scorer and rebounder, averaged more than 16 points in Carolina's first five games. After the injury, he missed a pair of games and scored a combined 24 points in three contests. He had just four points in the home loss to Wake Forest.
However, in the last three games, Lang has scored 10 at Maryland, 18 against Virginia and 23 at Florida State. In those three games, he is 20 for 35 from the field, a percentage of .571.
The 23-point performance at Florida State was his highest scoring output since he had a career-high 27 against Indiana on November 28.
Lineups
Head coach Matt Doherty adjusted the starting lineup against Virginia by inserting Brian Morrison at the 2-guard and sliding freshman Jackie Manuel from the 2-guard to small forward. It was the first time this year Doherty started Adam Boone (point), Morrison, Manuel, Jason Capel (forward) and Kris Lang (center). Doherty was forced to change the lineup again at Florida State because of Jason Capel missing the game due to a concussion.
Boone Helping the Scoring Load
Sophomore point guard Adam Boone has scored in double figures in three of the last six games, including a career-high 13 against North Carolina A&T and 12 in the Carolina's most recent game at Florida State. Boone had not hit more than one three-pointer in a game since his second game of his freshman season, but connected on three three-pointers against NC A&T and two against both Maryland and Florida State. He gave Carolina a 50-49 lead at FSU with a three, then cut into a four-point Seminole advantage with a three from the corner.
oone is becoming more aggressive with the ball, as evidenced by the fact that he has gone to the free throw line in three of the last five games. Prior to that, he had been to the line in just four of his first 41 collegiate games.
Manuel Taking Care of the Ball
Freshman swing man Jackie Manuel has eight assists and three turnovers in the last two games against Virginia and Florida State, games in which he started at small forward. For the season, the West Palm Beach, Fla., native has 30 assists and 27 turnovers. He was minus seven (nine assists, 16 turnovers) in the first six games. Since then, Manuel has 21 assists and 11 miscues.
Williams Continues to Contribute
Freshman forward Jawad Williams scored 11 points, all in the second half, in the loss at Florida State. Williams made only 1 of 5 from three-point range, but was 5 for 10 overall from the floor. Williams has scored in double figures in five of the last seven games, including a season-high 20 against North Carolina A&T. He is averaging 12.0 points per game in the last seven contests.
The Cleveland, Ohio, native is shooting 52.8 percent from the floor. He shot 4 for 16 from the field in the first three games, but is 52 for 90 from the floor in the last 11 games (.578).
Big Men Knocking Them In
Carolina is shooting just 42.7 percent from the floor this season, its lowest percentage since 1959-60. However, centers Brian Bersticker and Kris Lang and power forward Jawad Williams are all shooting better than 50 percent from the field. Bersticker leads the team in field goal percentage at .617, Williams is second at .528 and Lang is next at .500. Bersticker, Lang and Williams are a combined 149 for 281, a percentage of .530.
Next Up, NC State
Carolina returns to the Smith Center and ACC play on Wednesday, January 23, at 9 p.m. against NC State. The game will be televised by Raycom/Jefferson Pilot Sports. The Tar Heels have won seven in a row over the Wolfpack and 11 of the last 12. UNC is 12-3 alltime in the Smith Center against NC State.
Complete Game Notes in PDF FormatDownload Free Acrobat Reader
