University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Look To Rebound At Notre Dame
February 6, 2016 | Men's Basketball
♦ North Carolina (19-3, 8-1 ACC) will try to bounce back from its first loss in six weeks when it visits Notre Dame (15-7, 6-4) on Saturday night.
♦ The Tar Heels and Fighting Irish will tip off just after 7 p.m. in the Purcell Pavillion at the Joyce Center.
♦ Dan Shulman (play-by-play), Jay Bilas (analyst) and Shannon Spake (reporter) will call the game for an ESPN national television audience. Watch online with WatchESPN.
♦ ESPN Radio will carry the game nationally, with Bill Rosinski (play-by-play) and Bob Valvano (analyst) on the call.
TAR HEEL STORYLINES
♦ Carolina will be playing the second of three consecutive road games in a nine-day span. The run began with a loss at Louisville on Monday and will conclude at Boston College next Tuesday.
♦ Carolina sits atop the ACC standings at 8-1.
♦ Arriving in Notre Dame with a 19-3 overall record, UNC's next win will mark the 57th 20-win season in Tar Heel history.
♦ UNC is ranked No. 2 in this week's Associated Press poll and No. 1 in the coaches' poll.
UP NEXT
♦ After the trip to Notre Dame, Carolina will play at Boston College on Tuesday Feb. 9.
♦ After the game at BC, the Tar Heels will play three consecutive home games starting on Sunday Feb. 14 vs. Pitt.
A TAR HEEL WIN WOULD ...
♦ Improve UNC to 20-3, 9-1 ACC in 2015-16.
♦ Give Carolina its 57th 20-win season, including its 12th in 13 seasons under Roy Williams.
♦ Make UNC 4-3 on the road this season, including 4-1 in ACC play.
♦ Improve Roy Williams's record on the road in ACC play to 68-36.
♦ Mark Carolina's 13th win in its last 14 games.
♦ Give UNC its eighth win in the last 11 meetings with Notre Dame and snap the Irish's two-game winning streak over Carolina.
♦ Improve UNC to 5-1 all-time on the road Notre Dame.
♦ Improve Roy Williams' career record as a head coach to 770-205 overall.
♦ Make Williams 352-104 at Carolina.
A TAR HEEL LOSS WOULD ...
♦ Drop Carolina to 19-4, 8-2 ACC.
♦ Mark Carolina's second consecutive loss and its first losing streak of the 2015-16 season.
♦ Be Notre Dame's third win in a row over the Tar Heels.
♦ Drop UNC to 3-4 on the road in 2015-16, including 3-2 in ACC play.
♦ Drop Roy Williams' career record to 769-206 overall.
♦ Make Williams 351-105 at Carolina.
TAR HEELS HEADLINE ESPN COLLEGE GAMEDAY AGAIN
♦ ESPN College Gameday, the network's flagship traveling college basketball show, will originate from Notre Dame for the game between the Tar Heels and Fighting Irish on Saturday.
♦ North Carolina will be making its 13th all-time appearance (home or away) at a College Gameday Site, most of any school in the nation.
♦ The Tar Heels also lead with nine road appearances at a Gameday site (including Saturday).
♦ UNC is 6-6 in games played at College Gameday sites. Carolina won its first five such games but has lost six of its last seven (since 2010).
A WIN AWAY FROM 20
♦ Carolina needs one win to clinch its 57th 20-win season in 106 seasons as a varsity program.
♦ UNC has won at least 20 games 42 times in the last 45 years (every season since 1970-71 except 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04).
♦ The 2014-15 season marked Carolina's 11th 20-win season in a row under head coach Roy Williams, who has won at least 20 games 25 times in 27 seasons as a head coach (and won 19 in each of the other two years).
♦ Carolina won at least 20 games for an NCAA-record 31 consecutive seasons from 1970-71 to 2000-01.
TAR HEEL TIDBITS
TEAM NOTES
♦ Carolina's assist-to-turnover ratio (1.71) ranks second in the nation and would be 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).
♦ Cutting Down on Turnovers: UNC is averaging 10.8 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).
♦ UNC's three-point percentage of 30.2 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 started 8-0 in ACC play for the first time under Roy Williams. The last time UNC began ACC action better was 2000-01 (an 11-0 ACC start under head coach Matt Doherty).
♦ Carolina has had seven different players lead the team in scoring in games this season.
♦ The Tar Heels had five different leading scorers in their first five ACC games. Marcus Paige led with 18 points vs. Clemson, Joel Berry II had 19 vs. Georgia Tech, Brice Johnson had 39 at Florida State, Isaiah Hicks had 21 at Syracuse and Kennedy Meeks had 23 vs. N.C. State.
♦ 80 or More: Carolina has scored 80 or more points in 17 of 22 games and is averaging 84.9 ppg this season.
♦ The Tar Heels are 229-28 in 13 seasons under Roy Williams when they score at least 80 points (16-1 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.
♦ Carolina has shot 50 percent or better from the floor in 14 of 22 games this year. The Tar Heels are shooting .479 as a team.
♦ The Tar Heels have shot 50 percent or better in the second half of 23 of their last 32 games (including 14 of 22 games in 2015-16).
♦ Roy Williams is 769-205 as a head coach, including 351-104 at Carolina, 149-58 in ACC regular-season games and 180-26 in the Smith Center.
♦ 25-Point Games: No Tar Heel player scored 25 points in a game last season, but the team has had seven 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 four times (25 vs. Tulane, 27 vs. UCLA, 39 at Florida State and 27 vs. Wake Forest).
♦ Carolina is 2-1 vs. ranked opponents this season (wins over Maryland and UCLA and a loss to Louisville). The Tar Heels are 65-52 against ranked foes under Roy Williams.
♦ In the NCAA stats: The Tar Heels are eighth in the nation in scoring at 84.9 points per game, 10th in scoring margin at 14.6, second with an assist-turnover ratio of 1.71, seventh with 18.5 assists per game, 17th in rebounding margin (8.9) and 28th in field goal percentage (47.9).
♦ KenPom Ratings: Carolina is ranked No. 4 in the nation in the KenPom.com statistical rankings. UNC is fourth in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency (120.0) and 36th in adjusted defensive efficiency (95.6).
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
♦ Roy Williams has 351 wins at Carolina, three behind Bobby Cremins for fourth place in ACC history.
♦ Brice Johnson is among 10 watch list finalists for the Karl Malone Award, given to the top power forward in the nation.
♦ Johnson has led UNC in scoring nine times this season (most on the team) and in rebounding 14 times (most on the team).
♦ Johnson is 11th in the ACC in scoring (16.7 ppg), second in rebounding (10.2 rpg) and first in field goal percentage (62.4). He also leads the conference in defensive rebounding (7.77 per game).
♦ Johnson had 10 double-doubles in 108 games in his first three seasons and has 13 in 22 games as a senior.
♦ Johnson has four double-doubles in a row, the longest streak of his career.
♦ Johnson is averaging 19.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game in his last 13 outings. Those figures come despite a three-point performance vs. Clemson and six points and two rebounds vs. N.C. State during the stretch.
♦ Johnson enters the Notre Dame game with 844 career rebounds, 14th in UNC history. Pete Brennan is 13th with 854, Scott Williams is 12th with 861 and John Henson is 11th with 885.
♦ Johnson is averaging a team-high 16.7 points and 10.2 rebounds per game this season. His previous career highs were 12.9 ppg and 7.8 rpg last season.
♦ Joel Berry II had one turnover at Louisville on Monday, his first in four games. He's played turnover-free in five of Carolina's first nine ACC games.
♦ Berry has the third-highest scoring increase in the ACC this season (+8.2 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 12.4 ppg), field goal percentage (40.4 to 41.9), three-point percentage (35.4 to 37.3) and assists (1.5 to 4.1 per game).
♦ Berry scored in double figures in 12 consecutive games before finishing with nine at Louisville.
♦ Berry has scored in double figures in 18 of 22 games this season. As a freshman he scored in double figures one time.
♦ Berry leads UNC with 36 steals and is tied for fourth in the ACC at 1.64 per game.
♦ Isaiah Hicks became the seventh different player to lead Carolina in scoring this season when he scored 21 points at Syracuse.
♦ Hicks made five or more field goals three times in his first 84 career games (through the Tulane game) and has made five or more field goals in six of the last 12 games.
♦ Hicks has 251 career rebounds – 115 on the offensive glass and 136 on the defensive (46 percent offensive rebounds, the highest percentage among active Tar Heels).
♦ Marcus Paige has scored 1,615 points entering the Notre Dame game, tied for 22nd in Carolina history with Hubert Davis. Jawad Williams is 21st with 1,626, Eric Montross is 20th with 1,627 and Kenny Smith is 19th with 1,636.
♦ Paige is the ACC's top active career scorer with 1,615 points and Brice Johnson is fourth with 1,406.
♦ Paige enters the Notre Dame game with 537 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 one three-pointers vs. Louisville to extend his career school record to 254.
♦ Paige has 63 assists and 15 turnovers in his 16 games this year (an assist/turnover ratio of 4.2).
PAIGE'S MINUTES PLAYED
♦ Marcus Paige needs 23 minutes played to reach 4,000 for his career.
♦ Since the ACC began recording minutes played in 1980, seven Tar Heels have played 4,000 or more minutes – Ed Cota (4,631), Sam Perkins (4,459), Tyler Hansbrough (4,394), Ademola Okulaja (4,390), Kenny Smith (4,217), Matt Doherty (4,077) and Jeff Lebo (4,048).
♦ Paige has averaged 32.3 minutes played per game over four years. He is one of 14 Tar Heels to average 30 minutes a game since 1980. The others include: Joseph Forte (33.91), Raymond Felton (33.87), Cota (33.6), Antawn Jamison (33.4), Kenny Smith (33.2), James Worthy (33.2), Perkins (33.0), Jason Capel (32.0), Doherty (31.6), Okulaja (31.6), Hansbrough (30.9), Michael Jordan (30.8) and Lebo (30.4).
ON THE ROAD IN ACC PLAY
♦ Roy Williams' Tar Heel teams have been one of the nation's top road teams over the years.
♦ Williams's teams are 67-36 (.650) on the road in ACC play and have finished above .500 on the road nine times in 12 years under Williams.
♦ The Tar Heels are 3-1 on the ACC road this season (wins at Florida State, Syracuse and Virginia Tech and a loss at Louisville).
♦ 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 has 38 winning road records in 62 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.
SCHEDULE TOUGHENS IN FEBRUARY FOR TAR HEELS
♦ Carolina has nine games remaining on its 2015-16 regular season schedule, and it's likely this challenging stretch will be good training for postseason play for the Tar Heels.
♦ UNC's final nine games include a home-and-home with Duke, trips to Virginia, Notre Dame, North Carolina State and Boston College and home games vs. Pitt, Miami and Syracuse.
♦ The final nine Tar Heel opponents include six of the top 40 teams in the KenPom.com statistical rankings as of Feb. 4 (No. 5 Virginia, No. 14 Duke, No. 16 Miami, No. 32 Notre Dame, No. 34 Syracuse and No. 45 Pitt).
♦ The final nine Carolina foes also include six teams in the top 50 of the NCAA RPI rankings as of Feb. 4 (No. 8 Virginia, No. 15 Miami, No. 25 Duke, No. 31 Pitt, No. 35 Notre Dame and No. 41 Syracuse).
PREVIEWING NOTRE DAME
♦ Notre Dame enters Saturday night's game with an overall record of 15-7, 6-4 in the ACC. The Fighting Irish received votes in both national polls but are not ranked this week.
♦ The Fighting Irish have lost two of their last three games and are coming off a 79-70 loss at Miami on Wednesday night.
♦ In the KenPom.com adjusted efficiency ratings, Notre Dame ranks No. 32 overall, including No. 1 in offensive efficiency (122.8) and No. 227 in defensive efficiency (105.9).
♦ Notre Dame is No. 6 in the nation in lowest turnover percentage (14.5) and is 10th in effective field goal percentage (56.1).
♦ The Fighting Irish are shooting 38.1 percent as a team from three-point territory.
SERIES HISTORY
♦ Carolina leads the all-time series with Notre Dame, 18-6.
♦ The Tar Heels are 4-1 on the road against the Fighting Irish, winning in South Bend in 1963, 1985, 1994 and 2014 and losing in 1987.
♦ Notre Dame swept two matchups between these schools last year, but the Tar Heels have won five of the last seven meetings and seven of the last 10.
♦ Last season, Notre Dame beat the Tar Heels, 71-70, in Chapel Hill (Jan. 5) and 90-82 in the ACC Tournament final in Greensboro (March 14).
♦ Two years ago in the Irish's first ACC campaign, Carolina beat Notre Dame in both South Bend and Chapel Hill.
♦ Roy Williams is 3-2 as a head coach against Notre Dame (all at UNC).
♦ Prior to Notre Dame joining the ACC in 2013-14, the most recent meeting between the two schools had been a 102-87 Tar Heel win in the 2008 Maui Invitational championship game.
♦ Before that was an 80-71 Tar Heel win in South Bend on Feb. 23, 1994. Eric Montross had 23 points and 11 rebounds and Jerry Stackhouse had 17 points.
♦ Carolina also beat Notre Dame in 1990-91 at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J., in a regular season game and on March 19, 1987, in the NCAA Tournament East Regional semifinals in the Meadowlands.
♦ Notre Dame's wins over UNC have come in the 1957-58, 1972-73, 1986-87, 1991-92 and 2014-15 seasons (twice).
