University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Host Clemson in Home Finale
March 2, 2004 | Men's Basketball
March 2, 2004
North Carolina (17-8, 7-7 ACC) hopes to rise above .500 in the Atlantic Coast Conference for the first time this season when it hosts Clemson (10-16, 3-12 ACC) on Tuesday night at 9 p.m. in the Smith Center. The game will be televised regionally by Raycom/Jefferson-Pilot.
Tuesday's contest is the Tar Heels' final home game of the season and the last Smith Center appearance in the careers of three walk-on seniors - Phillip McLamb, Jonathan Miller and Damien Price. The trio are veterans of Carolina's junior varsity program. McLamb and Price have been three-year members of the varsity squad, while Miller is a second-year varsity player. It is also the final Smith Center appearance for senior head manager Eric Hoots.
With a win on Tuesday, Carolina would improve to 50-0 all-time at home versus Clemson. The Tar Heels hope to avenge an 81-72 loss to the Tigers in Littlejohn Coliseum earlier this season (Jan. 31).
A win over Clemson also would make the Tar Heels 8-7 in the ACC this season and ensure that Carolina finishes at least .500 in the conference in 2003-04. UNC has finished .500 or better in the ACC 46 times in 50 previous years of competition (the exceptions were 1953-54, 1963-64, 2001-02 and 2002-03). Carolina is ranked No. 14 by the Associated Press and No. 16 by the coaches in this week's national polls. Clemson is unranked.
Carolina is coming off a 71-64 win at NC State on Sunday evening. The Tar Heels have gone 9-7 in the 2004 calendar year after starting the 2003-04 season 8-1.
The Tigers are coming off a 79-60 home loss to Georgia Tech on Saturday.
Following Tuesday's game, Carolina will close out its 2003-04 regular season at Duke on Saturday night at 9 p.m.
Manuel, Felton Questionable
Guards Raymond Felton (right big toe) and Jackie Manuel (right ankle) are questionable for Tuesday evening's game against Clemson. Both players saw very limited action in Monday's practice.
Manuel sprained his ankle on February 27 and was unable to play in Sunday evening's win at NC State. Felton was injured late in the game as he fell to the floor after being fouled bringing the ball upcourt in the final minutes of the game.
Broadcast Information
Tuesday's game will be televised regionally by Raycom/Jefferson-Pilot. Tim Brant (play-by-play) and Billy Packer (analyst) will have the call.
This season, 26 of 27 regular-season Carolina games will be televised (the lone exception was the Dec. 30 game vs. Coastal Carolina). Fifteen UNC games will be nationally broadcast, not including ACC and NCAA Tournament contests.
The game will be broadcast live on radio by the Tar Heel Sports Network, for which Woody Durham (play-by-play) and Mick Mixon (analyst) are in their 15th year together calling the action for Carolina Basketball. For the third straight season, former UNC All-America Phil Ford (analyst) joins Durham and Mixon on the broadcast team. All Carolina men's basketball games may be heard on the Internet (for a fee) at TarHeelBlue.com.
Last Time Out - Carolina 71, NC State 64 (Feb. 29)
Rashad McCants scored 22 points, hitting two crucial three-pointers late in the game, and No. 12 Carolina defeated No. 14 NC State, 71-64, on Feb. 29. Jawad Williams had 15 points off the bench for Carolina, hitting 6 of 7 shots and both of his three-point attempts.
Carolina's field goal percentage of 55.6 was a season-high against ACC foes, while NC State's field goal percentage of 35.9 was the lowest allowed by UNC in an ACC game in 2003-04. State went 8 for 34 from three-point territory (23.5 percent).
The Tar Heels led by as many as 16 points in the first half and led, 40-27, at halftime. Carolina hit 57.1 percent of its shots in the first period while holding NCSU to 28.6 percent. NC State had been 14-0 at home in the ACC entering the game. The Tar Heels improved to 2-5 on the road in ACC play this season, with both wins coming against ranked opponents (Wake Forest and NC State).
The win meant that Carolina swept the season series from the Wolfpack in 2003-04. The Tar Heels now have swept at least one ACC opponent in all 51 seasons of ACC play.
The Series with Clemson
Carolina leads the all-time series against Clemson, 112-19. The Tar Heels have beaten the Tigers 25 times in their last 31 meetings (since the 1990-91 season).
Carolina has never lost at home to Clemson, leading the series 49-0 in games played in Chapel Hill. Carolina's 49-game unbeaten mark against the Tigers is the second-longest home streak in NCAA history for a team against one opponent. Princeton defeated Brown 52 times in a row at home from 1929-2002. Carolina's streak against Clemson is the longest active streak.
Carolina has beaten the Tigers at home by double figures in 17 of the last 19 seasons (the exceptions are 1997-98 and 2002-03).
Earlier this Season in Clemson - Clemson 81, Carolina 72 (Jan. 31)
Clemson hit 11 of 13 three-pointers and Shawan Robinson scored 24 points as the Tigers downed the Tar Heels, 81-72, in Clemson, S.C., on Jan. 31.
Clemson's school-record three-point percentage of 84.6 was the highest by an opponent in UNC history. The Tigers shot better than 50 percent from the floor overall in both halves. Tar Heel opponents have shot 50 percent or better in seven of the last nine halves of play (beginning with Connecticut in the second half on Jan. 17).
Clemson held Carolina scoreless for a span of 8:20 in the first half, outscoring the Tar Heels 14-0 during the stretch.
Rashad McCants led Carolina with 26 points, his fourth 25-point performance in five games. Melvin Scott had 12 points and Jawad Williams 10. No other Tar Heel reached double figures.
Last Season in Chapel Hill - Carolina 68, Clemson 66 (Jan. 14, 2003)
Last season in Chapel Hill, Carolina improved to 49-0 all-time at home against Clemson with a 68-66 win on Jan. 14. The two-point edge was the closest margin of victory for UNC against the Tigers in Chapel Hill since the 1974-75 season. Rashad McCants was limited by foul trouble but still led the Tar Heels with 20 points in 22 minutes. Jawad Williams had 19 points, while Raymond Felton had 15 points (including four first-half three-pointers), eight assists and six rebounds. Edward Scott scored 17 points for Clemson but hit just 6 of 17 shots. Clemson out-rebounded Carolina, 42-35, including a 16-13 edge in offensive boards.
Marked Defensive Improvement for Tar Heels
After allowing its opponents to shoot 50 percent or better in 10 of 13 halves from Jan. 14-Feb. 5, Carolina has held its foes to under 50 percent in 12 of the last 13 halves (the exception was Georgia Tech in the second half on Feb. 10). In nine of those 12 halves, Tar Heel opponents shot under 45 percent.
In the current string, UNC held Maryland to 30.0 percent in the first half, Duke to 33.3 percent in the second half, Wake Forest to 40.7 percent in the first half and NC State to 28.6 percent shooting in the first half.
Tar Heels Looking for a .500 ACC Season
A win over Clemson also would make the Tar Heels 8-7 in the ACC this season and ensure that Carolina finishes at least .500 in the conference in 2003-04 for the first time since 2000-01.
UNC has finished .500 or better in the ACC 46 times in 50 previous years of league competition (the exceptions were 1953-54, 1963-64, 2001-02 and 2002-03).
McCants at His Best vs. ACC and Ranked Opponents
In conference games this season, sophomore Rashad McCants leads the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring (21.1 points per game) and field goal percentage (49.3). He leads the ACC in conference scoring average by 2.0 points (his next closest competitor is NC State's Julius Hodge at 19.1 ppg).
McCants has scored 20 or more points in nine of 14 ACC games this season, reaching 25 points in seven of those contests.
McCants is averaging 24.2 points per game, 5.4 rebounds per game, shooting 57.1 percent from the field, and making 50 percent of his three-pointers in his last five games against ranked opponents (Connecticut, Duke, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech and NC State).
Win Over NC State Extends Tar Heel Sweep Streak
With their win over NC State on Feb. 29, the Tar Heels completed a sweep of the season series with the Wolfpack. Carolina has now swept at least one series from a conference foe in all 51 years of Atlantic Coast Conference play.
UNC has split with Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Florida State and Virginia in 2003-04, with remaining games against Clemson and Duke (both of whom beat Carolina earlier this season).
McCants Scoring at a Torrid Pace
Sophomore Rashad McCants has 1,082 career points entering Tuesday's game with Clemson, placing him 13th in ACC history in scoring through sophomore seasons (see chart at right).
Among Carolina players, only Joseph Forte (1,290 points), Michael Jordan (1,181) and Antawn Jamison (1,152) scored more points as sophomores.
McCants is 95 for 175 (54.3 percent) from the floor in the last 12 games and is averaging 22.2 ppg in that stretch. He has scored 25 or more points in seven of 14 conference games this season, averaging an ACC-best 21.1 ppg in league games.
McCants has scored 25 or more points nine times this season and 15 times in 60 career games (25.0 percent of the time).
McCants leads the ACC in scoring with 19.5 points per game. He also ranks among the conference's top 10 in field goal percentage, free throw percentage, three-point percentage and steals. In ACC games only, McCants leads the conference with 21.1 ppg and is third in field goal percentage at 49.3
Games Won vs. Games Lost
* Carolina is shooting 48.9 percent in the second half of its wins this season and 39.9 percent in the second half of its losses.
* UNC is shooting 69.5 percent from the free throw line in wins and 61.3 percent in losses.
* Sean May is shooting 48.4 percent from the floor and 71.4 percent from the free throw line in wins. He is shooting 41.4 percent and 59.5 percent, respectively, in losses.
* In Carolina's victories this season, Jawad Williams is averaging 15.1 points per game and has hit 51.9 percent of his field goals. In Tar Heel losses, he's averaging 9.2 points per game and is making just 40.3 percent of his shots.
ACC Leaders
Rashad McCants, Sean May and Raymond Felton lead the ACC in scoring, rebounding and assists, respectively. No team has ever had three different players lead the ACC in scoring, rebounds and assists.
The last time a team had different players lead the ACC in scoring and rebounding was 1998-99, when Clemson's Terrell McIntyre led in scoring and Harold Jamison led in rebounding. The only time since 1973 (when assists became an official statistic) that a team had players lead in all three categories was 1997-98 (UNC - Antawn Jamison in scoring and rebounding and Ed Cota in assists).
