University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Visit Cavs In Top-10 Clash
February 27, 2016 | Men's Basketball
THE MATCHUP
♦ North Carolina (23-5, 12-3 ACC) will try to maintain its slim Atlantic Coast Conference lead on Saturday night when it visits Virginia (21-6, 10-5) in the only meeting between the two schools in the 2015-16 regular season.
♦ ESPN's College Gameday program will be on hand as the Tar Heels and Cavaliers will tip off just after 6:30 p.m. in the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville.
♦ Dan Shulman (play-by-play), Jay Bilas (analyst) and Shannon Spake (reporter) will call the game for an ESPN national TV audience (also online with WatchESPN).
♦ ESPN Radio will broadcast the game nationally with Mark Kestecher (play-by-play) and Bob Valvano (analyst) on the call.
TAR HEEL STORYLINES
♦ Carolina enters the game leading the ACC with a 12-3 mark in conference play. Miami is second at 11-4, followed by Louisville (11-4), Virginia (10-5) and Notre Dame (10-5).
♦ The Tar Heels will be playing their 14th game at the site of an ESPN College Gameday broadcast, most of any team in the nation. Three weeks ago, College Gameday was on-site for the Carolina game at Notre Dame.
♦ Saturday's contest will complete back-to-back ACC road games for Carolina, which won at N.C. State on Wednesday night. The game also wraps up a stretch of three ranked foes in four outings for UNC.
♦ Carolina is ranked No. 7 in the Associated Press poll and No. 6 in the coaches' poll this week. Virginia is No. 3 in both polls.
UP NEXT
♦ After Saturday night, the Tar Heels will have a 48-hour turnaround before hosting Syracuse on Monday for Senior Night. That game will mark the final home games for seniors Justin Coleman, Spenser Dalton, Toby Egbuna, Joel James, Brice Johnson and Marcus Paige.
♦ UNC has three regular season games left on its 2015-16 schedule: at Virginia, at home vs. Syracuse and at Duke.
A TAR HEEL WIN WOULD ...
♦ Improve UNC to 24-5, 13-3 ACC in 2015-16.
♦ Make UNC 6-4 on the road this season, including 6-2 in ACC play.
♦ Improve Roy Williams's record on the road in ACC play to 70-37.
♦ Make UNC 6-2 on the road in ACC play this season and extend UNC's 39th winning record on the road in 63 ACC seasons (including 10 times in 13 years under Williams).
♦ Give Carolina its 12th win over Virginia in the last 16 meetings.
♦ Snap UNC's two-game losing streak at Virginia and mark its first win at UVA since 2012.
♦ Improve UNC to 45-32 against Virginia in Charlottesville (including 5-2 in John Paul Jones Arena).
♦ Make Williams 17-7 as a head coach against Virginia, including 15-6 at UNC.
♦ Improve Williams' career record as a head coach to 774-207 overall.
♦ Make Williams 356-106 at Carolina.
A TAR HEEL LOSS WOULD ...
♦ Drop Carolina to 23-6, 12-4 ACC.
♦ Drop UNC to 5-5 on the road in 2015-16, including 5-3 in ACC play.
♦ Extend UNC's losing streak at Virginia to three games.
♦ Drop Roy Williams' career record to 773-208 overall.
♦ Make Williams 355-107 at Carolina.
TAR HEELS HEADLINE ESPN COLLEGE GAMEDAY AGAIN
♦ ESPN College Gameday, the network's flagship traveling college basketball show, will originate from Charlottesville for the game between the Tar Heels and Cavaliers on Saturday night.
♦ North Carolina will be making its 14th all-time appearance (home or away) at a College Gameday Site, most of any school in the nation.
♦ The Tar Heels also lead with 10 road appearances at a Gameday site (including Saturday).
♦ UNC is 6-7 in games played at College Gameday sites.
♦ Carolina won its first five such games (2006-09) but has lost five in a row and seven of its last eight (since 2010).
WINNING ON THE ROAD IN THE ACC
♦ Roy Williams' Tar Heel teams have been one of the nation's top road teams over the years.
♦ The Tar Heels are 5-2 on the ACC road this season (wins at Florida State, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Boston College and N.C. State and losses at Louisville and Notre Dame).
♦ Williams's teams are 69-37 (.651) on the road in ACC play and have finished above .500 on the road 10 times in 13 years under Williams.
♦ Williams' ACC road winning percentage is second-best in ACC history behind Vic Bubas of Duke (.667 from 1960-69). Frank McGuire of UNC and South Carolina is third at .618.
♦ UNC now has 39 winning road records in 63 overall ACC seasons.
♦ Under Williams, UNC went 6-2 on the road in the ACC in 2004-05, 7-1 in 2005-06, 8-0 in 2007-08, 6-2 in 2008-09, 6-2 in 2010-11, 7-1 in 2011-12, 5-4 in 2012-13, 5-4 in 2013-14 and 6-3 in 2014-15.
TAR HEEL TIDBITS
TEAM NOTES
♦ UNC's defense has allowed only one opponent to shoot 50 percent or better from the floor this season (Maryland at .508 on Dec. 1).
♦ The Tar Heels have held 17 consecutive opponents to under 45 percent in field goal percentage.
♦ Carolina is 3-2 vs. ranked opponents this season (wins over Maryland, UCLA and Miami and losses to Louisville and Duke). The Tar Heels are 66-53 against ranked foes under Roy Williams.
♦ Carolina has won 12 or more ACC regular-season games nine times in Roy Williams' 13 years as UNC's head coach. (The Tar Heels have won 13 or more six times and 14 games four times under Williams.)
♦ Carolina committed eight turnovers vs. N.C. State. That is the 10th time this season UNC had fewer than 10 turnovers in a game (second time in a row).
♦ 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 (1.72) ranks second 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 three of the top 10 players in the ACC in assist/turnover ratio in Justin Jackson (third at 3.17), Marcus Paige (fifth at 2.96), and Joel Berry II (seventh at 2.50). No other school with more than one player in the top 10.
♦ Cutting Down on Turnovers: UNC is averaging 10.75 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 16-1 this year when shooting at least 50 percent from the floor.
♦ Carolina shot 52.9 percent in the first half and 55.3 percent in the second half vs. Miami. That was the eighth time this season and the fourth time in ACC play UNC shot 50 percent or better from the floor in both halves.
♦ he Tar Heels have shot 50 percent or better in the second half of 27 of their last 38 games (including 18 of 27 games in 2015-16).
♦ Carolina is 171-16 under Roy Williams when its opponents shoot under 40 percent.
♦ UNC's three-point percentage of 31.4 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.
♦ 80 or More: Carolina has scored 80 or more points in 20 of 28 games and is averaging 83.8 ppg this season.
♦ The Tar Heels are 232-28 in 13 seasons under Roy Williams when they score at least 80 points (19-1 this season).
♦ 90 or More: The Tar Heels have scored 90 or more points eight 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).
♦ In the NCAA stats: The Tar Heels are ninth in the nation in scoring at 83.8 points per game, 13th in scoring margin at 13.5, second with an assist-turnover ratio of 1.72, fifth with 18.5 assists per game, 17th in rebounding margin (7.9) and 20th in field goal percentage (48.3).
♦ KenPom Ratings: Carolina is ranked No. 6 in the nation in the KenPom.com statistical rankings. UNC is fifth in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency (119.8) and 30th in adjusted defensive efficiency (95.7).
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
♦ Roy Williams has won 355 games at Carolina, the fourth-most wins all-time by an ACC coach. Gary Williams is third with 461 at Maryland.
♦ Williams is 773-207 as a head coach, including 355-106 at Carolina, 153-60 in ACC regular-season games, 384-44 at home and 182-27 in 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 leads the ACC with 17 double-doubles this season. He had 10 in 108 games in his first three seasons.
♦ Johnson has led UNC in scoring 13 times and in rebounding 19 times this season. Both figures lead the team.
♦ Johnson is fifth in the ACC in scoring (17.0 ppg), first in rebounding (10.6 rpg) and first in field goal percentage (61.8). He also leads the conference in defensive rebounding (7.86 per game).
♦ Johnson has five games this season with 15 or more rebounds. He's the first Tar Heel to accomplish that since John Henson in 2010-11. The last Tar Heel to have six 15+ rebound games was Sean May in 2004-05.
♦ Johnson has 915 career rebounds, 10th in UNC history. Rusty Clark is ninth with 929.
♦ Johnson has 1,515 career points, 27th in school history. J.R. Reid is 26th with 1,552 and Jeff Lebo is 25th with 1,567.
♦ Johnson is averaging a team-high and career-high 17.0 points and 10.6 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 (+7.7 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 11.9 ppg), field goal percentage (40.4 to 41.2), three-point percentage (35.4 to 36.8) and assists (1.5 to 3.9 per game).
♦ Berry has scored in double figures in 17 of the last 19 games and 23 of 28 contests this season. As a freshman he scored in double figures one time.
♦ Berry leads UNC with 44 steals and is seventh in the ACC at 1.46 per game.
♦ Isaiah Hicks has 278 career rebounds – 126 on the offensive glass and 152 on the defensive (45 percent offensive rebounds, the highest percentage among active Tar Heels).
♦ Marcus Paige has scored 1,687 points, 19th in Carolina history. Wayne Ellington is 18th with 1,694, Rick Fox is 17th with 1,703, Billy Cunningham is 16th with 1,709 and Rashad McCants is 15th with 1,721.
♦ Paige is the ACC's top active career scorer with 1,687 points and Brice Johnson is fourth with 1,515.
♦ Paige has 551 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 two three-pointer vs. N.C. State to extend his career school record to 268.
♦ Justin Jackson is shooting 40 for 70 (.571) in the last seven games.
♦ Jackson has scored in double figures in five straight games and six of the last seven.
♦ Jackson made two three-pointers in the win at N.C. State. That was the fourth time in his last five games he made multiple three-pointers (did that twice in the first 23 games this season).
♦ Jackson is 9 for 16 from three-point range in the last five games.
♦ Jackson led Carolina with a career-high eight assists vs. Miami (committing just one turnover).
♦ Theo Pinson has 29 assists in the last eight games.
♦ Junior walk-on guard Kanler Coker broke a bone in his right hand in practice on Tuesday Feb. 24, a day prior to the win at N.C. State. Doctors expect Coker to miss three to four weeks of action as a result.
PREVIEWING THE CAVALIERS
♦ Virginia enters Saturday night's game with a 21-6 overall record, 10-5 in the ACC.
♦ The Cavaliers have lost two of their last three games to quality opponents on the road at Duke (Feb. 13) and Miami (Feb. 22).
u Prior to losing two of three, the Cavs had won seven in a row.
♦ In the KenPom.com adjusted efficiency ratings, Virginia ranks No. 3 overall, including No. 11 offensively (117.7) and No. 9 defensively (92.7).
u The Cavalier offense has an average possession length of 19.8 seconds, ranking 294th among NCAA Division I schools. Conversely, Carolina's average possession length of 15.0 seconds is 10th-fastest nationally.
♦ Virginia's adjusted tempo of 61.5 ranks 351st nationally (slowest among all NCAA Division I programs).
SERIES HISTORY
♦ Carolina leads the series with Virginia, 129-52, and has won 11 of the last 15 meetings.
♦ Roy Williams is 16-7 as a head coach against Virginia, including a 14-6 mark at Carolina and a 2-1 record at Kansas.
♦ Carolina has an all-time record of 44-32 against Virginia in Charlottesville.
♦ The Tar Heels are 4-2 at John Paul Jones Arena (UNC wins in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012 and UVa wins in 2013 and 2014).
♦ Carolina has won four of its last six games in Charlottesville (but lost its last two).
♦ UNC is 5-4 in Charlottesville under head coach Roy Williams with wins in 2005 (110-76), 2008 (75-74), 2009 (83-61), 2011 (62-56) and 2012 (54-51) and losses in 2004 (72-74), 2006 (68-72), 2013 (52-61) and 2014 (71-67).
♦ The Tar Heels went 23-18 at University Hall in Charlottesville prior to the opening of John Paul Jones Arena.
