University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels To Welcome Capel, Mountaineers Saturday
December 14, 2011 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 14, 2011
CHAPEL HILL - Fifth-ranked North Carolina will play the first of three games in five days when it hosts Appalachian State on Saturday at 6 p.m. in the Smith Center. The Tar Heels also will look to win its 22nd consecutive home game and its 52nd home game in a row against non-conference opponents.
The Mountaineers are led by third-year head coach Jason Capel, who played at Carolina from 1998-2002 for head coaches Bill Guthridge and Matt Doherty. A four-year starter, Capel played in 120 games and scored 1,447 career points for the Tar Heels, playing on the 2000 Final Four squad.
The game will be televised by ESPNU. Rob Stone (play-by-play) and Jay Williams (analyst) will have the call for ESPN.
The game against the Mountaineers will be Carolina's first in a week. UNC completed its Fall semester final exams on Friday Dec. 16. Starting Saturday against Appalachian State, the Tar Heels will play three games in five nights. Nicholls will visit the Smith Center on Monday night and Carolina will host Texas on Wednesday.
After playing five of their first eight games away from home, Carolina is in the midst of a nine-game homestand that will include the final seven non-conference games of the year and the first two Atlantic Coast Conference contests against Boston College and Miami.
Carolina is ranked No. 5 in the Associated Press poll and No. 6 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll this week.
UNC is 8-2 this season after winning 84-78 at home over Long Beach State last Saturday night.
Appalachian State also will be playing its first game in a week on Saturday. The Mountaineers are 4-5 this season.
UPCOMING: After Saturday's game, Carolina will continue its stretch of three games in five games with home dates on Monday vs. Nicholls and Wednesday against Texas. After an eight-day break for Christmas, the Tar Heels will play their final non-conference games of the regular season when they host Elon (Dec. 29) and Monmouth (Jan. 1). UNC's Atlantic Coast Conference opener is Jan. 7 against Boston College.
