University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Back on the Road at Illinois on Tuesday
December 2, 2002 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 2, 2002
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CHAPEL HILL -- Carolina returns to action for the first time since winning the Preseason NIT when the Tar Heels travel to Champaign, Ill., to meet the University of Illinois in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Tuesday, December 3. Gametime is 9:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The game will be televised nationally by ESPN2. This is the fifth national telecast in the first six games for UNC.
"I don't think I would say I'm surprised. I'm happy," Carolina head coach Matt Doherty said following the win over Stanford. "We are good, but we can play better."
The Tar Heels are coming off a 74-57 win over the Cardinal in the championship game of the Preseason NIT. Carolina won four games in the tournament en route to the title. UNC beat Penn State and Rutgers in Chapel Hill and second-ranked Kansas and Stanford in New York's Madison Square Garden.
Doherty says defensive improvement has been a key factor for the Tar Heels so far in 2002-03.
"We can guard people," Doherty says. "Our team speed and quickness is pretty good, and every night you can count on your defense, you hope. Offensively, we may turn the ball over and miss some shots. A team may try to slow you down, throw in a zone, whatever. Defense, you hope to bring it every night, and so far we have."
The Tar Heels have started the same five players in each of the first five games this season. Sophomores Jackie Manuel (two guard) and Jawad Williams (power forward) are joined in the starting lineup by freshmen Raymond Felton (point guard), Sean May (center) and Rashad McCants (small forward). This is the first time in Carolina Basketball history that three freshmen are starting. Prior to the Penn State game, Carolina had played 2,439 games without starting three freshmen.
Last year, Carolina started the same lineup a season-long five straight times in games three through seven. The five included seniors Jason Capel and Kris Lang, junior Will Johnson and freshmen Jackie Manuel and Melvin Scott.
