University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina Hosts Miami For ACC Lead
February 19, 2016 | Men's Basketball
THE MATCHUP
♦ North Carolina (21-5, 10-3 ACC) and Miami (21-4, 10-3) will face off on Saturday in Chapel Hill with first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference on the line.
♦ The Tar Heels and Hurricanes will tip off at 1:06 p.m. in the Smith Center.
♦ Ian Eagle (play-by-play) and Bill Raftery (analyst) will call the game for a CBS national TV audience.
♦ ESPN Radio will broadcast the game nationally with Mark Kestecher (play-by-play) and Bob Valvano (analyst) on the mic.
TAR HEEL STORYLINES
♦ Carolina and Miami enter the weekend tied atop the ACC standings at 10-3. Virginia is a half-game behind at 10-4.
♦ Saturday is the last date in a three-game homestand for the Tar Heels, who beat Pitt on Sunday and lost to Duke on Wednesday.
♦ UNC is ranked No. 5 in the Associated Press poll and No. 4 in the coaches' poll this week. Miami is No. 11 and No. 10, respectively, in the same polls.
♦ Carolina is 2-2 against ranked teams this season but has lost its last two (to Louisville and Duke).
UP NEXT
♦ Carolina will play back-to-back road games next week at North Carolina State (Wednesday Feb. 24) and Virginia (Saturday Feb. 27).
♦ UNC has five regular season games left on its 2015-16 schedule, two at home and three on the road.
A TAR HEEL WIN WOULD ...
♦ Improve UNC to 22-5, 11-3 ACC in 2015-16.
♦ Make UNC 14-1 in the Smith Center in 2015-16 and 377-68 there in 31 seasons overall.
♦ Give Carolina its 12th win over Miami in the last 15 meetings.
♦ Snap UNC's two-game home losing streak to Miami.
♦ Improve Carolina to 10-3 at home against Miami.
♦ Improve Roy Williams' career record as a head coach to 772-207 overall.
♦ Make Williams 354-106 at Carolina and tie him with Bobby Cremins for fourth-most wins in ACC history.
A TAR HEEL LOSS WOULD ...
♦ Drop Carolina to 21-6, 10-4 ACC.
♦ Be the Tar Heels' fourth loss in six February games.
♦ Make UNC 13-2 in the Smith Center this season and 376-69 in the arena overall.
♦ Be Miami's fifth win in the last six meetings with Carolina and its third in a row in Chapel Hill.
♦ Drop Roy Williams' career record to 771-208 overall.
♦ Make Williams 353-107 at Carolina.
TAR HEELS LEAD LIST OF BEST NBA PLAYERS
♦ ESPN ranked the top 100 players in NBA history and North Carolina and UCLA shared the top spot with six players apiece, including UNC's Michael Jordan, the No. 1 player, and the Bruins' Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was No. 2.
♦ The other five Tar Heels who joined Jordan on the list included: James Worthy (43), Bob McAdoo (52), Vince Carter (69), Billy Cunningham (88) and Bobby Jones (96).
♦ Carolina's six players equal the number of other ACC players who made the list, including Duke's Grant Hill, Georgia Tech's Chris Bosh and Mark Price, N.C. State's David Thompson and Wake Forest's Tim Duncan and Chris Paul.
♦ The top five schools represented on the list of top 100 NBA players included: North Carolina (6), UCLA (6), Georgetown (4), Houston (3) and LSU (3).
TAR HEEL TIDBITS
TEAM NOTES
♦ Close Losses: Carolina's five losses this year have been by a total of 17 points (four at UNI, two at Texas, six at Louisville, four at Notre Dame and one vs. Duke). That's UNC's lowest combined margin of defeat in five losses to start a season since 1940-41 when the Tar Heels lost by a combined 15 points (one, one, one, four and eight).
♦ Assist-Turnover Ratio: Carolina's assist-to-turnover ratio (1.69) ranks third in the nation and is the best of any Tar Heel team since turnovers were first recorded in 1981-82. The second-best figure is 1.53 in 1985-86. Other top-five seasons include 1.45 (2008-09), 1.45 (2011-12) and 1.42 (1997-98).
♦ UNC has four of the top 10 players in the ACC in assist/turnover ratio in Marcus Paige (third at 3.17), Justin Jackson (sixth at 2.89), Joel Berry II (eighth at 2.44) and Theo Pinson (10th at 2.17). No other school with more than one player in the top 10.
♦ Sharing the Ball: The Tar Heels had 26 assists on 32 field goals vs. Pitt, an ACC season high for assists by UNC.
♦ Cutting Down on Turnovers: UNC is averaging 10.92 turnovers per game, the lowest figure of any Carolina team since turnovers were first recorded in 1981-82. Last year, the Tar Heels averaged nearly 13 turnovers per contest.
♦ There have been seven seasons in which UNC has committed fewer than 13 turnovers per game. The current record was set in 2013-14 (11.94 per game). The other seasons below 13 are 2011-12 (11.95), 2012-13 (12.3), 2008-09 (12.4), 1994-95 (12.9) and 1981-82 (12.9).
♦ Shooting 50 Percent: UNC is 15-1 this year when shooting at least 50 percent from the floor.
♦ The Tar Heels shot a season-best 59.3 percent in last Sunday's win over Pitt but only 42.9 percent in the loss to Duke.
♦ Carolina shot 55.6 percent in the first half and 63.0 percent in the second half vs. Pitt. That was the seventh time this season and the third time in ACC play UNC shot 50 percent or better from the floor in both halves.
♦ The Tar Heels have shot 50 percent or better in the second half of 25 of their last 36 games (including 16 of 25 games in 2015-16).
♦ Carolina is 170-16 under Roy Williams when its opponents shoot under 40 percent.
♦ UNC's three-point percentage of 30.9 would be the lowest in school history if the season were to end today. The current low is 32.8 percent, set in 2010-11.
♦ Carolina has had seven different players lead the team in scoring in games this season.
♦ 80 or More: Carolina has scored 80 or more points in 18 of 26 games and is averaging 83.4 ppg this season.
♦ The Tar Heels are 230-28 in 13 seasons under Roy Williams when they score at least 80 points (17-1 this season).
♦ 90 or More: The Tar Heels have scored 90 or more points seven times his season after doing so five times all of last year.
♦ 100 or More: UNC is 49-1 under Williams when it scores 100 points or more.
♦ 25-Point Games: No Tar Heel player scored 25 points in a game last season, but the team has had eight 25-point performances already this year by four different players: Justin Jackson (25 vs. Northern Iowa), Kennedy Meeks (25 vs. Temple), Marcus Paige (30 at Florida State) and Brice Johnson five times (25 vs. Tulane, 27 vs. UCLA, 39 at Florida State, 27 vs. Wake Forest and 29 vs. Duke).
♦ Carolina is 2-2 vs. ranked opponents this season (wins over Maryland and UCLA and loss es to Louisville and Duke). The Tar Heels are 65-53 against ranked foes under Roy Williams.
♦ The Tar Heels are 3-1 this season when trailing at halftime.
♦ In the NCAA stats: The Tar Heels are 10th in the nation in scoring at 83.4 points per game, 16th in scoring margin at 13.1, third with an assist-turnover ratio of 1.69, fifth with 18.5 assists per game, 22nd in rebounding margin (7.6) and 23rd in field goal percentage (48.1).
♦ KenPom Ratings: Carolina is ranked No. 8 in the nation in the KenPom.com statistical rankings. UNC is 10th in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency (117.7) and 35th in adjusted defensive efficiency (95.6).
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
♦ Roy Williams has 353 wins at Carolina, one behind Bobby Cremins for fourth place in ACC history.
♦ Williams is 771-207 as a head coach, including 353-106 at Carolina, 151-60 in ACC regular-season games, 383-44 at home and 181-27in the Smith Center.
♦ Brice Johnson has scored 25 or more points five times this season. That's the most 25-point games in a season since Marcus Paige had five in 2014. The last Tar Heel with more than five 25-point games in a season was Tyler Hansbrough, who had 10 such games in 2009. Johnson has scored 39 at Florida State, 29 vs. Duke, 27 vs. UCLA and Wake Forest and 25 vs. Tulane.
♦ Johnson has led UNC in scoring 11 times and in rebounding 17 times this season. Both figures lead the team.
♦ Johnson is seventh in the ACC in scoring (16.9 ppg), tied for first in rebounding (10.4 rpg) and first in field goal percentage (62.3). He also leads the conference in defensive rebounding (7.88 per game).
♦ Johnson had 10 double-doubles in 108 games in his first three seasons and has 15 in 26 games as a senior.
♦ Johnson has 889 career rebounds, 11th in UNC history. Ademola Okulaja is 10th with 890. Rusty Clark is ninth with 929.
♦ Johnson has 1,477 career points, 30th in school history. Donald Williams is 29th with 1,492, Tyler Zeller is 28th with 1,501, Scott Williams is 27th with 1,508.
♦ Johnson is averaging a team-high 16.9 points and 10.4 rebounds per game this season. His previous career highs were 12.9 ppg and 7.8 rpg last season.
♦ Joel Berry II has the third-highest scoring increase in the ACC this season (+7.8 ppg) behind Duke's Grayson Allen and N.C. State's Cat Barber.
♦ Berry has stepped into a starting role this season and improved across the board statistically, including scoring (4.2 to 12.0 ppg), field goal percentage (40.4 to 40.9), three-point percentage (35.4 to 36.3) and assists (1.5 to 4.0 per game).
♦ Berry has scored in double figures in 15 of the last 17 games and 21 of 26 contests this season. As a freshman he scored in double figures one time.
♦ Berry leads UNC with 41 steals and is fourth in the ACC at 1.58 per game.
♦ Isaiah Hicks has 267 career rebounds – 122 on the offensive glass and 145 on the defensive (46 percent offensive rebounds, the highest percentage among active Tar Heels).
♦ Marcus Paige has scored 1,670 points, 19th in Carolina history. Wayne Ellington is 18th with 1,694
♦ Paige is third in the ACC in assist/turnover ratio at 3.17 (73 assists vs. 23 turnovers).
♦ Paige is the ACC's top active career scorer with 1,670 points and Brice Johnson is fourth with 1,477.
♦ Paige has 547 assists, 10th in school history. Jeff Lebo is ninth with 580.
♦ Paige is the only Tar Heel and one of four players in ACC history with at least 1,500 points, 500 assists, 350 rebounds, 250 three-pointers and 175 steals. The other ACC players to reach those threshholds are Travis Best of Georgia Tech, Malcolm Delaney of Virginia Tech and Jason Williams of Duke.
♦ Paige is one of four Tar Heels with 1,500 career points and 500 career assists (joining Phil Ford, Jeff Lebo and Kenny Smith).
♦ Paige made three three-pointers vs. Pitt to extend his career school record to 265.
♦ Justin Jackson is shooting 28 for 50 (.560) in the last five games.
♦ Theo Pinson has 24 assists in the last six games. He tied for the team lead with six vs. Pitt (the seventh time this season he's led or shared the team lead in assists).
PREVIEWING THE HURRICANES
♦ Miami enters Saturday's game with a 21-4 overall record, 10-3 in the ACC.
♦ The Hurricanes have won five games in a row and eight of their last nine.
♦ In the KenPom.com adjusted efficiency ratings, Miami ranks No. 12 overall, including No.21 offensively (114.8) and No. 20 defensively (94.4).
SERIES HISTORY
♦ Carolina leads the series with the Hurricanes, 19-6, including a 9-3 advantage in Chapel Hill, an 8-2 edge in Coral Gables and a 2-1 record at neutral sites.
♦ UNC beat Miami last year in Coral Gables, but the Hurricanes beat Carolina four times in a row prior to that Tar Heel win.
♦ Those four consecutive UM wins included three wins in the 2012-13 season (two in the regular season and one in the ACC Tournament championship game). In 2013-14, Miami won, 63-57, in Chapel Hill.
♦ Prior to the four-game UM winning streak in 2012-13 and 2013-14, Carolina had beaten Miami 10 consecutive times.
♦ Roy Williams is 15-6 as a head coach against the Hurricanes, including 12-5 at UNC and a 2-1 record at Kansas.
♦ At Carolina, Williams has a 6-3 mark against Miami in Chapel Hill, a 6-1 record in Coral Gables and a 1-1 mark in the ACC Tournament.
