University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Look To Rebound Vs. Pitt
January 31, 2017 | Men's Basketball
| UNC (19-4, 7-2 ACC) vs. Pitt (12-9, 1-7 ACC) |
| When: Jan. 31, 2017 - 7 p.m. |
| Where: Smith Center, Chapel Hill |
| Tickets: Available |
| Watch: ESPN2 |
| Live Stats: GoHeels.com |
| UNC Notes • Pitt Notes |
| Rankings: UNC No. 12/No. 10 (AP/coaches); Pitt is unranked. |
| Series: UNC leads, 10-3 |
• Carolina opens a two-game homestand when the Tar Heels play host to Pitt on Tuesday, Jan. 31. Game time is 7 p.m. at the Smith Center.
• The Tar Heels finish the week with a 6 p.m. home game vs. Notre Dame on Saturday, Feb. 4.
• Carolina enters the contest with a half-game lead over Virginia in the ACC. The Tar Heels are 7-2; Virginia is 6-2. Florida State, Notre Dame and Louisville are a game back of UNC at 6-3.
• The Tar Heels are playing their third ACC game in six days (Thursday, 1/26 vs. Virginia Tech; Saturday, 1/28 at Miami; and Tuesday, 1/31 vs. Pitt).
• The Tar Heels are 19-4 overall and 7-2 in the ACC.
• Pitt is 12-9 overall, 1-7 in the ACC. The Panthers opened league play with an overtime loss to Notre Dame, then beat Virginia before losing their next six games.
• The Panthers feature Jamel Artis and Michael Young, who rank first and third in the ACC in scoring at 21.1 and 20.3 points per game, respectively.
• UNC is ranked 12th in the Associated Press and 10th in the USA Today/Coaches polls.
• Carolina is one win away from its 58th 20-win season and its 12th in 14 years under head coach Roy Williams. The Tar Heels won 19 games in 2004 and 2010 and 20 or more in Williams' 11 other seasons.
• Theo Pinson will not play against Pitt. He rolled his right ankle on 1/26 vs. Virginia Tech and did not play at Miami. He was in a walking boot until Monday and continues to be evaluated. There is no timetable for his return.
CAROLINA FOR THE KIDS FOUNDATION ONE-DAY CAMPAIGN
• At 7:00 pm, Carolina tips off against Pitt and Carolina For The Kids Foundation (CFTK) kicks off its annual One Day campaign to raise $50,000 in 24 hours. CFTK is the largest student-run nonprofit in the state of North Carolina. Their mission is to raise money for the patients and families served by UNC Children's Hospital to cover expenses that insurance cannot, such as gas cards, bill payments, and meal tickets, as well as funding several programs at UNC Children's. Throughout the year, CFTK hosts several events including the annual UNC Dance Marathon, which will occur on March 24-25, 2017. In their 19 years, they've raised over $5 million for UNC Children's. Members of CFTK will be on the concourse throughout the game collecting donations and answering questions. To donate online or for more information, visit carolinaftk.org.
UNC-PITT SERIES
• Carolina is 10-3 vs. Pitt, including 3-2 since the Panthers joined the ACC.
• Carolina has won all five games in the series in Chapel Hill, including 4-0 in the Smith Center.
• Roy Williams is 4-2 against Pitt (1-0 at Kansas and 3-2 as UNC's head coach).
• Pitt head coach Kevin Stallings was an assistant coach for five seasons under Roy Williams at Kansas (1989-94), helping the Jayhawks reach the 1991 and 1993 Final Fours.
• This is the second meeting as head coaches between Williams and Stallings. On 11/21/10, Stallings was the head coach at Vanderbilt when the Commodores beat the Tar Heels, 72-65, in San Juan, P.R., in the Puerto Rico Shootout.
LAST YEAR VS. PITT
• The Tar Heels beat the Panthers, 85-64, in Chapel Hill on 2/14/16 and 88-71 in Washington, D.C., on 3/10/16 in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament.
UNC 85, Pitt 64, 2/14/16 in Chapel Hill
• The Tar Heels shot 59.3 percent from the floor (55.6 percent in the first half and 63.0 in the second) and held Pitt to 37.3 percent for the game.
• Carolina had 16 fast break points, which was five more than UNC combined to score in its previous three games.
• Carolina grabbed one offensive rebound (shot a season-high percentage from the floor and second-highest percentage from the free throw line), the fewest in any game in the Roy Williams era at UNC.
• The Tar Heels had 26 assists on 32 field goals.
• The Panthers out-rebounded the Tar Heels, 41-29. That was the largest margin UNC was out-rebounded by last year.
• Brice Johnson led five Tar Heels in double figure scoring with 19 points. Marcus Paige had 15 points, three assists and two steals. Justin Jackson had 14 points, six assists and two blocks.
• Theo Pinson had six assists in 15 minutes.
• Joel Berry had 13 points, six rebounds, three steals, two blocked shots and two assists.
UNC 88, Pitt 71, 3/10/16 in Washington, D.C.
• Carolina shot 58.9 percent from the floor, its highest percentage since shooting .593 against the Panthers in Chapel Hill. UNC shot 61.5 percent in the second half (shot 63.0 percent in the second half in the game in Chapel Hill).
• Pitt opened the game with eight straight points, but UNC took the lead by the 12:00 mark and led by four at the half. The game was tied at 45 before a Marcus Paige three gave UNC the lead for good.
• Brice Johnson had his 20th double-double of the season with 19 points and a game-high 10 rebounds and tied his career high with five blocks (also against Pitt in 2014).
• Joel Berry II led UNC with 20 points, making 7 of 8 shots from the floor, and tied his career high with four steals.
• Justin Jackson scored all 11 of his points in the second half.
• Theo Pinson had a game-high seven assists.
• Freshman Kenny Williams came into the game with UNC leading by four (59-55) and checked out with UNC ahead, 69-56. He hit his first three-pointer of the season to give UNC an 11-point lead.
TAR HEEL NOTES
Scoring/Shooting
• Carolina is averaging 88.3 points per game, first in the ACC and seventh in the nation.
• UNC is on pace for the seventh-highest scoring average in school history and the third-highest average in Roy Williams' 14 years as Carolina's head coach (89.8 in 2009 and 88.6 in 2008).
• The Tar Heels have scored under 80 points five times (wins over Wisconsin and Tennessee and three losses), 80 or more 18 times, 90 or more 13 times and 100 or more five times.
• Carolina is third in the nation in assists per game, fifth in scoring margin and seventh in points per game.
Points Per Game
1. The Citadel 93.3
2. UCLA 92.2
3. Kentucky 91.3
4. Central Michigan 89.7
5. Oklahoma State 88.4
6. Fort Wayne 88.3
7. North Carolina 88.3
Scoring Margin Per Game
1. Gonzaga 23.8
2. West Virginia 22.3
3. Wichita State 18.7
4. Kentucky 18.5
5. North Carolina 17.2
• Carolina is ninth nationally in offensive efficiency and 23rd in defensive efficiency (KenPom's version of points per 100 possessions).
• Prior to the loss at Miami, UNC had won
seven consecutive conference games and scored 85 or more points in all seven games, the first time in school history the Tar Heels have scored 85 or more points in seven straight ACC games.
• It was the fourth-longest streak in ACC history in which a team scored 85 or more points in seven straight ACC games (regular season and Tournament included) and the third-such streak in one season.
• Carolina's 107 points vs. NC State, 93 at Wake Forest and 96 vs. Florida State marked the first time UNC scored 90 or more points in three consecutive ACC games since 1992 and the first time UNC scored 93 or more points in three straight ACC games since the 1986-87 season (only happened 12 times in ACC history).
• Small forward Justin Jackson and point guard Joel Berry II are Carolina's leading two scorers. The last time UNC's top two scorers were perimeter players was 1990-91, when small forward Rick Fox (16.9) and shooting guard Hubert Davis (13.3) were UNC's top two scorers.
• Isaiah Hicks would rank second in the ACC in field goal percentage at .604 but he is five made field goals short of qualifying.
• Carolina averages 5.7 more field goal attempts per game than its opponents. Only two UNC teams have averaged more – 1967 (9.4), 1968 (6.5).
• Isaiah Hicks is 24 for 35 from the floor (.686) and 30 for 34 from the line (.82) in the last five games.
• Four Tar Heels are averaging in double figures in all games and in the 19 wins, but in the four losses only Justin Jackson (23.0) and Joel Berry II (10.3) are averaging double figures. The Tar Heels have scored 73 points in their four losses (15.3 below season average).
• Justin Jackson has scored 31.5 percent of Carolina's points in its four losses and 19.4 percent in UNC's 19 victories.
• Three different perimeter players have led UNC in scoring in 19 of the 23 games (Justin Jackson has been the top scorer 11 times, Joel Berry II six and Kenny Williams twice.)
• Forward Isaiah Hicks led UNC in scoring three times (Hawai'i, Chaminade and Syracuse) and forward Kennedy Meeks topped the Tar Heels with 18 points vs. Northern Iowa.
• Justin Jackson leads the team with 21 double-figure scoring games. Isaiah Hicks and Kennedy Meeks are tied for second with 16.
• Justin Jackson has scored 20 or more points 11 times, including 26 or more five times.
• Jackson's scoring average is up 6.5 points from a year ago (12.2 to 18.7). The last returning starter to improve that much in one season was Marcus Paige, who increased his average 9.3 points from his freshman to sophomore seasons.
• Four Tar Heels have scored 20 or more points in a game this year. Justin Jackson has 11 20-point games, Joel Berry II has seven, Isaiah Hicks has three and Kennedy Meeks two.
• The last time two players scored 20 points seven or more times in a season was 2012 when Harrison Barnes (12) and Tyler Zeller (11) combined for 23 20-point performances.
• The Tar Heels have hit the century mark five times this year. That's the most 100-point games in one season since 2008-09, when the eventual national champions hit 100 nine times.
• Earlier this season, Kennedy Meeks and Justin Jackson became the 73rd and 74th Tar Heels to score 1,000 career points. Carolina has more 1,000-point scorers than any other school in the nation.
• Justin Jackson is UNC's active career scoring leader with 1,324 points. He is 41st on the Tar Heels' all-time scoring list. Pete Brennan is 40th with 1,334.
• Joel Berry II has 949 points (needs 51 for 1,000). Isaiah Hicks has 940 points (needs 60 for 1,000).
• The Tar Heels are shooting 48.5 percent from the floor and 39.2 percent from 3FG in the 19 wins and 40.2 percent from the floor and 30.7 percent from 3FG in the four losses.
• The opponents are shooting 40 percent from the floor and 32.8 percent 3FG in Carolina's 19 wins and 46.8 percent from the floor and 40 percent from 3FG in UNC's four defeats.
Rebounding
• Carolina leads the nation in rebound margin (13.7 per game), rebounds per game (45.3) and offensive rebounding (16.4 per game).
Rebounding Margin Per Game
1. North Carolina 13.7
2. Central Florida 11.6
3. SMU 11.0
4. St. Mary's (Calif.) 10.5
5. Wisconsin 9.6
Total Rebounds Per Game
1. North Carolina 45.35
2. Central Florida 43.43
3. BYU 43.35
4. Rutgers 42.2
5. Kent State 41.9
Offensive Rebounds Per Game
1. North Carolina 16.4
2. Kent State 16.2
3. West Virginia 15.5
4. Rutgers 15.0
5. UC Santa Barbara 14.8
• Carolina's rebound margin of 13.7 per game not only leads the nation but is the highest in school history.
• Carolina's rebound margin of 13.7 is the second-highest for any school in the country since 1980. Michigan State's margin in 2001 was 15.4, the largest since 1980.
Highest Rebound Margin, Any School Since 1980
Michigan State, 2001 15.4
North Carolina, 2017 13.7
Northeastern, 1991 12.9
Kentucky, 2015 12.4
Central Florida, 2017 12.3
• This is the fourth year in which the Tar Heels are out-rebounding their opponents by at least 10 rebounds per game.
• The school record for rebound margin for a season is 11.0 per game by the 2007-08 team that went 36-3, won the ACC Tournament and played in the Final Four.
• Three of the top five rebound margins in UNC history have come in Roy Williams' 14 years as head coach.
Highest Rebound Margin in UNC History
2016-17 13.7
2007-08 11.0
1956-57 10.8
2011-12 10.4
1960-61 9.8
Highest Rebound Margin, Roy Williams Era
2016-17 13.7
2007-08 11.0
2011-12 10.4
2015-16 8.6
2006-07 8.5
• Carolina has 377 offensive rebounds, while the opponents have 506 defensive rebounds. The Tar Heels are getting 43 percent of their own missed shots. On the defensive end of the floor, UNC is grabbing 75 percent of the missed shots.
• Carolina has shot a higher field goal percentage than its opponents in 13 of 23 games but has more offensive rebounds in 20 games and has scored more second-chance points 21 times.
• Carolina averages 16.4 offensive rebounds per game, its highest average since stats for offensive rebounds were kept beginning in 1995-96.
Offensive Rebounds Per Game/UNC
1. 2016-17 16.39
2. 2007-08 15.51
3. 2011-12 15.50
4. 2003-04 15.33
5. 1996-97 15.14
• Carolina leads the country in offensive rebound percentage at .424. UNC is one of only five teams to rebound 40 percent of its own missed shots. Kent State, SMU, West Virginia and Wagner are the other four.
• Kennedy Meeks leads UNC with 91 offensive boards, is third in the country in offensive rebounding percentage (17.5 percent) and sixth in the nation in offensive rebounds per game (4.0). James Thompson of Eastern Michigan (.180) and Derrick Griffin of Texas Southern (.178) are the only players with a higher offensive rebound percentage.
• Meeks is averaging a career-high 9.7 rebounds this season. Meeks has double-figure rebounds 10 times this year; he did that four times all of last season.
• Freshman Tony Bradley is second with 65 offensive rebounds. He grabs 21 percent of the offensive rebounds when he is on the floor and leads the team in offensive boards per 40 minutes (8.2).
• Bradley has seven or more offensive rebounds in three games (eight at Hawai'i, seven vs. Chattanooga and seven vs. Tennessee).
• Sophomore Luke Maye set career highs in rebounds against NC State (eight) and Florida State (15).
• Junior Justin Jackson had 10 rebounds against Syracuse (five on each end). It was the sixth time this year Jackson pulled down at least eight rebounds, something he did three times in his first two seasons.
• The Tar Heels have scored 20 or more second-chance points 12 times this year: 28 at Hawai'i, 26 vs. Chaminade, 25 vs. Tennessee, 25 vs. Florida State, 24 at Boston College, 22 vs. NC State, 21 vs. Chattanooga, 21 vs. Oklahoma State, 20 vs. Monmouth, Clemson, Syracuse and Virginia Tech.
• The Tar Heels are 12-0 this year when they score 20 or more second-chance points. They average 12.5 per game in the four losses.
• The opponents have 10 or more second-chance points seven times, including a season-high 18 by Oklahoma State.
• Carolina has 50 or more rebounds in eight games this year with a high of 57 vs. Monmouth. That is the most 50-rebound games in one season since the 2011-12 team did it nine times.
• Carolina has a plus-16.7 rebound margin in its 19 wins and a minus 0.5 margin in its four losses.
Three-Pointers
• Carolina is making 7.6 three-pointers per game, up from 5.6 a year ago. It's tied for the third-most three-pointers per game in UNC history. It's also the third-highest increase in three-pointers made from one season to the next (increases of 3.7 per game from 1994 to 1995, 2.5 from 2012 to 2013 and 2.0 from 2016 to 2017).
• This is the eighth season since 1986-87 in which the Tar Heels are averaging at least seven three-point field goals per game.
UNC 3FGs Per Game
2002-03 8.3 per game
1994-95 7.8
2016-17 7.6
2012-13 7.6
2001-02 7.6
2004-05 7.5
1995-96 7.3
1991-92 7.0
• Carolina has attempted 20 or more three-pointers in 13 of 23 games and made seven or more 17 times. The Tar Heels are 10-3 this year when they attempt 20 or more three-pointers and 15-2 when they make seven or more.
• UNC is shooting 37.6 percent from three-point range, up from a school-record low of 32.7 percent last season.
• The Tar Heels have shot 40 percent or better 3FG in 12 games and are 11-1 in those games (lost to Kentucky despite making 9 of 17 3FGs).
• Carolina has shot 40 percent from three-point range in six of its last eight games (.417 at Clemson, .444 vs. NC State, .444 vs. Wake Forest, .444 vs. Florida State, .429 at Boston College and .467 vs. Virginia Tech).
• Justin Jackson leads UNC with 61 threes and is shooting 40.1 percent from beyond the arc, up from 29.2 percent last year.
• Joel Berry II leads UNC in three-point percentage at .420 and is second in made threes with 50.
• Jackson has 61 three-pointers in 23 games. He made 28 in 38 games as a freshman and 35 in 40 games as a sophomore.
• Justin Jackson has made four or more three-pointers eight times this season. Prior to this season, he made four in a game once (vs. Virginia in the 2015 ACC Tournament).
• Jackson is the first Tar Heel since 2004 to make six or more three-pointers in three games in the same season.
• Thirty-two percent of the opponents' baskets have been three-point field goals. Twenty-four percent of UNC's field goals are behind the arc.
• The opponents have attempted 39 percent of their shots from three-point range. UNC has attempted 30 percent of its field goals from behind the arc.
Free Throws
• Carolina has made 401 free throws, while the opponents have attempted 412.
• Three starters are shooting 78 percent or better from the FT line– Joel Berry II (.902), Isaiah Hicks (.812) and Justin Jackson (.785).
• Berry is second in the ACC and 19th in the nation in free throw shooting at 90.2 percent.
• Berry II has the highest career free throw percentage in UNC history at .857 (174 for 203). That's 11th in ACC history.
• Berry is 55 for 61 from the line this year – 90.2 percent, the second-highest in UNC history. UNC's single-season record is 91.1 percent by Shammond Williams in 1997-98.
• Four of UNC's top five all-time leaders have played for Roy Williams.
Carolina's All-Time Free Throw Pct. Leaders
.857 Joel Berry II, 2014-
.849 Shammond Williams, 1994-98
.847 Marvin Williams, 2004-05
.845 Danny Green, 2005-09
.844 Marcus Paige, 2012-16
Miscellaneous
• Carolina's strength of schedule is the 16th-toughest in the country (KenPom).
• Carolina's opponents have the ninth-highest average points per possession of any team in the nation.
• Carolina has played 12 games this year in which it had a points per possession of 1.0 or better with a season high of 1.14 vs. Kentucky and 1.13 vs. Oklahoma State.
• Carolina's points per possession in its 19 wins is .99; the opponents' points per possession in UNC's three losses is .97.
• Carolina's points per possession in the second half is 1.00 per game. UNC has scored 1,067 points on 1,063 second-half and overtime possessions.
• Carolina is third in the nation in assists (18.3 per game) behind UCLA (22.1) and Purdue (19.3).
• Carolina has 422 assists and 297 turnovers, while the opponents have 267 assists and 346 turnovers. UNC is third in the ACC behind Notre Dame and Virginia in assist-turnover ratio.
• Carolina has 10 more turnovers than assists in its three ACC games without Theo Pinson and has 45 more assists than turnovers in the six ACC games in which Pinson has played.
• Carolina averages 10.2 more second-chance points per game, 7.3 more points off turnovers and 14.2 more points in the paint than the opponents.
• Tar Heels have won ACC Player of the Week honors five times this season. Joel Berry II won four times for his play against Tulane/Chattanooga, the Maui Invitational, Clemson/NC State and Wake Forest/FSU. Justin Jackson won following his 34-point performance against Kentucky.
• Four Tar Heels have played 100 or more college games, including Isaiah Hicks (135), Nate Britt (134), Kennedy Meeks (127) and Justin Jackson (101).
• Meeks has started 100 games, two more than Jackson (98).
• The Tar Heels have won seven of their last nine overtime games.
