Men's Basketball Welcomes Cavs Saturday

• North Carolina has won three of its last four games as it prepares to host Virginia on Saturday at 4 p.m. on ESPN2.
• The Tar Heels are 16-11 overall and 9-6 in the ACC play after wins over Syracuse and NC State. Carolina did not trail in either of those games.
• UNC is 10-2 at home this season. The Virginia game is one of three remaining home starts for the Tar Heels this season (Miami on March 1 and Duke on March 8).
• Virginia has been idle since Monday's home loss to Duke. The Cavaliers are 13-13 overall, 6-9 in the ACC. Prior to the Duke game, Virginia had won three in a row, including road wins at Pitt and Virginia Tech. UVa is 3-5 on the road this season.
• Carolina has won three in a row or better twice this season – a three-game run in November and a four-game stretch in league play in early January (Notre Dame through Cal).
• A win over the Cavaliers would give the Tar Heels their 48th season with 10 or more regular-season ACC victories.
• Carolina routed NC State, 97-73, on Wednesday behind good shooting, relentless offensive rebounding and solid first-half defense. The Tar Heels shot 57.4% from the floor, including 40% from three, made 19 of 24 free throws. UNC converted 14 offensive rebounds into 21 second-chance points (17 in the first half) and out-rebounded the Wolfpack by 19, Carolina's second-largest margin of the season. And the Tar Heel defense forced nine turnovers (which matched State's season average) and held the Pack to 35.7% shooting in the first half as Carolina built a 54-26 lead at the break.
• The Tar Heels established ACC season-highs in field goal shooting, rebound margin, second-chance points and bench points (43) and their 52 points in the paint doubled State's output and were Carolina's third most all season.

CAROLINA-VIRGINIA
• The Tar Heels have won four of the last six games against the Cavaliers and are 135-62 all-time in the series.
• Carolina is 68-9 at home, including 26-6 in the Smith Center. The Tar Heels have won the last two games in the Smith Center (in 2022 and 2023).
• The teams met once last season, a 54-44 UNC victory in Charlottesville on 2/24/2024.
• The win snapped Carolina's eight-game losing streak in Charlottesville.
• The 54 points were the fewest in any Carolina win since a 54-51 win at Virginia on 2/25/2012.
• UNC had lost the previous five times it scored fewer than 60 points.
• Cormac Ryan made six three-pointers and led UNC with 18 points. He scored 15 of the Tar Heels' 26 points in the first half.
• RJ Davis made a season-low one field goal (a three in the second half).
• Elliot Cadeau had a game-high six assists, one more than Virginia had as a team.
• Jalen Washington blocked a then-career-high four shots.
• Both teams made 16 field goals. It was the first time both teams made that few since Carolina's 51-40 win over The Citadel on 2/1/1980 (UNC made 16, The Citadel 15).
• The last time UNC played an ACC game when both teams made 16 or fewer field goals was 3/4/1966, when UNC and Duke both made seven field goals in a 21-20 Blue Devil win in the ACC Tournament.
• UVa shot 27.6% from the floor (16 of 58), the Cavaliers' lowest percentage in 11 seasons.
• Carolina held UVA to 16.7% from the floor in the first half.
• RJ Davis has averaged 12.0 points in seven games against Virginia (17.0 in the last four games over the previous two seasons). His career high vs. the Cavaliers is 24 points in the 2023 ACC Tournament in Greensboro.

NOTEBOOK
• The Tar Heels have not trailed in either of their last two games, wins at Syracuse (they led for 35:44) and against NC State (led for 38:08).
• In each of those two wins, UNC went 7 for 15 from three-point range in the first half in building halftime leads of eight and 28 points, respectively.
• Carolina finished those two wins a combined 21 for 43 from three-point range (48.8%).
• For the season, the Tar Heels are shooting 33.2% from three, the eight-lowest percentage in UNC history. Carolina is 14-4 this season when it makes 30% or better from three-point range and 2-7 (wins over Georgia Tech and Notre Dame) when it makes less than 30% of its three-point attempts.
• The win over NC State was the third time in the last four games the Tar Heels have shot better than 40% from three-point range, something they have done only six times all season. UNC shot 46.7% from three in beating Pitt on February 8, 46.4% at Syracuse and 40.0% against the Wolfpack.
• In the six games this season in which UNC has shot 40% from three it beat Elon (40.6%), lost to Michigan State in overtime (47.8%), and defeated SMU (50%), Pitt, Syracuse and NC State.
• Conversely, the Tar Heels have shot 31 for 114 (27.2%) from three-point range in their last five losses.
• Carolina is shooting 36.8% from three in its 16 wins and 28.0% in the 11 losses.
• The Tar Heels led NC State on Wednesday by double digits for the last 33:23 and by 20 or more points for the final 28:08. However, that was a one-sided game in a season filled with close games. The Tar Heels have played 12 games this season in which the margin was within five points with 5:00 to play.
• UNC has led by five or fewer points with 5:00 remaining three times (beat Georgia Tech and lost to Kansas and Stanford) and trailed by five or fewer points eight times (beat Dayton, UCLA, Notre Dame, Boston College and Pitt and lost at Louisville, at Wake Forest and at Pitt). The score was tied once (in the loss to Florida).
• The Tar Heels have played 10 one-possession games (decided by one, two or three points) this season. Those are the most played by the Tar Heels in a season in the three-point era, which began in 1986-87. The 2010-11 team played nine one-possession games and won eight.
• The 10 one-possession games don't include the overtime win against Boston College, which UNC won, 102-96. They also don't include the win at Syracuse, which UNC led by two points with less than a minute to play.
• The Tar Heels' six one-possession wins this season are the second most in the three-point era. UNC won eight in 2010-11, six this season and five in 1998-99 (5-3), 2002-03 (5-2) and 2016-17 (5-1).
• The losses to Stanford and Wake Forest were just the fourth time ever Carolina lost by a point in back-to-back games. The other instances include the 1929-30 season (Loyola Chicago and Duke), 1940-41 (Fordham and St. Joseph's) and 1967-68 (South Carolina and Duke).
• In all games, Carolina is third in the ACC in scoring at 80.9 points per game, trailing only SMU and Duke in scoring average. In ACC play the Tar Heels are fifth in the conference in scoring offense (75.1 ppg) and 11th in points allowed (73.5 ppg).
• The Tar Heels have averaged 92.5 points in the last two games. Prior to the Syracuse game, Carolina had topped 75 points once in the previous seven games.
• In 15 ACC games, the Tar Heel defense has held the opponents to just 42.5% shooting from the floor, which is fifth best in the league behind Wake Forest, SMU, Duke and Louisville (which not coincidentally hold four of the top five spots in the ACC standings). And Clemson is sixth in FG% defense and second in the standings.
• Carolina attempted more free throws in nine of the first 13 games this season. In the last 14 games, the opponents have shot more free throws eight times (UNC is 3-5 in those games).
• The Tar Heels have shot more free throws in six of the last 14 games – wins over SMU, Cal, Boston College, Syracuse and NC State and a one-point loss to Stanford.
• RJ Davis scored a game-high 21 points in the win over NC State. It was Davis' 43rd career 20-point game and the 58th time he led the Tar Heels in scoring. Carolina in 7-6 this season and 38-20 in his career when Davis is UNC's top scorer.
• The NC State game was the eighth time in the last nine games Davis led UNC in scoring. Ian Jackson led UNC with 23 points at Syracuse. It was the first time Jackson was Carolina's top scorer since he had 20 against Cal on January 15. The Cal game marked the sixth time Jackson led UNC in scoring in a seven-game stretch.
• The Tar Heels are 6-2 this season when Jackson leads in scoring.
• Davis made just one of eight three-pointers against NC State. That snapped an eight-game stretch in which Davis made multiple three-pointers, including five games when he made three 3FGs.
• Seth Trimble, a 6-3 guard, has led UNC in rebounds in each of the last two games (eight at Syracuse and a game-high seven vs. NC State). Trimble leads the Tar Heels in rebounding at 5.5 per game. He is on pace to become the shortest player to lead the Tar Heels in rebounding average since at least 1950. Bud Maddie (1952-53) and Larry Miller (1965-66) were both listed at 6-4.
• Trimble has three point/rebound double-doubles this season (27 points and 10 rebounds vs. Dayton, 18 and 12 vs. Boston College and 10 and 12 at Pitt).
• Carolina's strength of schedule fell from 11th to 21st in the country (sixth in non-conference games) after its last two games.
• Carolina's opponents collectively have the 17th-best offensive efficiency and 28th-best defensive efficiency in the nation.
• The Tar Heels have played the top four teams and eight of the top 25 in the February 17 Associated Press poll.
• Carolina has already played No. 1 Auburn, No. 2 Florida, No. 3 Duke, No. 4 Alabama, No. 14 Michigan State, No. 18 Clemson, No. 23 Kansas and No. 25 Louisville.

SCORING EFFICIENCY
• The Tar Heels are 37th in the country in scoring at 80.9 points per game and 304th in scoring defense (76.7).
• Factoring in pace of play and the number of possessions, Carolina is 39th in the country in offensive efficiency and 64th in defensive efficiency.
• Carolina compiled its highest and third-highest offensive efficiencies in ACC play in the last two games. The Tar Heels' season best offensive efficiency in league play was 135.7 when they scored 102 points in an overtime win over Boston College on January 25. Carolina's 139.6 on Wednesday vs. NC State was the second highest in ACC play and third best all season. UNC's 126.3 at Syracuse a week ago is its third-best efficiency in conference play.
• The Tar Heels are 11-1 this season when holding opponents at or below 105 points per 100 possessions. Wake Forest (92.0 ppp) is the only team to beat UNC despite scoring 105 or fewer points per 100 possessions.
• Carolina is shooting 55.4% from two-point range, its highest two-point percentage since the 1997-98 ACC champion and NCAA East Regional champion Tar Heels shot 56.5% from two-point range.

MORE FROM WINS AND LOSSES
• Carolina is shooting nearly 50% from the floor (49.9%) in its 16 wins, which is 9.4% better than its opponents (49.9 to 40.5%). However, in the losses, the opponents are out-shooting the Tar Heels 47.0 to 43.8%.
• Carolina is 8-1 this season and 228-10 in the last 22 seasons when it shoots 50% from the floor.
• This season, UNC is 13-4 when it shoots 45% from the floor.
• The opponents average 83.8 points in UNC's losses and just 71.8 in the Tar Heels' wins.
• Carolina has held ACC opponents below 75 points 11 times and is 8-3 in those games (includes one-point losses to Stanford and Wake Forest and the loss at Pitt).
• Carolina is plus 5.4 rebounds per game in its wins and minus 3.1 per game on the boards in the losses. The opponents have out-rebounded the Tar Heels in seven of the 11 losses.
• RJ Davis averages 17.7 points in Carolina's victories and 17.2 in the losses.
• Carolina is 9-3 when it makes the same number or more three-pointers and is 7-8 when the opponents make more 3FGs.
• The Tar Heels are 11-4 when they attempt 20 or more free throws and 5-7 when attempting fewer than 20.
• UNC is 9-2 when it makes more free throws (losses to Kansas and Stanford) and 7-9 when making an equal amount or fewer free throws.

TAR HEELS AND THE ACC
• Carolina is a charter member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
• This is the 72nd season of ACC men's basketball.
• UNC has won the regular-season championship 33 times, including the 2023-24 season, when the Tar Heels went 17-3 to win the title outright for the 22nd time. Duke is second with 20 regular-season titles.
• The Tar Heels are 767-319 all-time in ACC regular-season play. The 767 wins are the most by any team.
• RJ Davis was the 2024 ACC Player of the Year and Hubert Davis was the Coach of the Year.
• Davis is the first Player of the Year to return the following season since UNC's Tyler Hansbrough won the award in 2008 and came back for his senior season in 2009, when he led the Tar Heels to an NCAA title.

RJ MAKING HISTORY
• Davis has played in 165 games over five seasons. He is second in games by a Tar Heel behind Armando Bacot's ACC-record 169. Davis and Bacot played five seasons due to Covid-19.
• The White Plains, N.Y., native is averaging a career-high 3.9 assists this season. His previous season bests were 3.6 per game in 2021-22 and 3.5 last season.
• RJ Davis, Duke's Cooper Flagg and Pitt's Jaland Lowe are the only players in the top 10 in the ACC in both scoring and assists.
• Davis leads Carolina and is eighth in the ACC in scoring at 17.5 points per game and is ninth in the league in assists at 3.9 per game.
• Davis is Carolina's all-time leader and is eighth in ACC history with 331 three-pointers. Hunter Cattoor (Virginia Tech) is seventh with 332 and Scott Wood (NC State) is sixth with 334.
• Davis is averaging 14.2 field goal attempts per game this season. Last year, he averaged 16.4. He is attempting 6.8 threes per game (7.7 per game last season).
• Davis is the second-leading scorer in Carolina history with 2,560 points and is fourth in ACC career scoring. He passed NC State's Rodney Monroe (2,551) and Duke's Johnny Dawkins (2,556) against NC State.
• He has the highest free throw percentage ever by a Tar Heel (86.2%). That is ninth best in ACC history.
• Davis' career scoring average is 15.5, the eighth-highest by a Tar Heel guard.
• Last year, Davis became the 19th Tar Heel to earn consensus first-team All-America honors. Those 19 players have won consensus first-team All-America honors a total of 28 times.
• Davis joined Lennie Rosenbluth in 1957, Phil Ford in 1978, Michael Jordan in 1983 and 1984, Kenny Smith in 1987, Jerry Stackhouse in 1995, Antawn Jamison in 1998, Joseph Forte in 2001 and Tyler Hansbrough in 2008 and 2009 as the only Tar Heels to make first-team All-America on each of the teams the NCAA recognizes to determine consensus first-team All-America.

SMITH CENTER
• This is the 40th season the Tar Heels are playing in the Dean E. Smith Center.
• Carolina is 10-2 in the Smith Center this season and 487-89 (.845) all-time.
• The Tar Heels are 255-70 against ACC opponents in the Smith Center.

NOVEMBER SIGNEES
• Carolina signed Isaiah Denis of Concord, N.C., and Derek Dixon of Vienna, Va.
• Denis is a 6-5 guard at Davidson Day High School in Davidson, N.C. His parents are Nancy Denis and Frantz Denis, and he plays AAU for CP3.
• Dixon, the son of John and Kari Dixon, is a 6-3 guard at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C. He also plays AAU for Team Takeover.

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Players Mentioned

Armando Bacot

Elliot Cadeau

RJ Davis

Ian Jackson

Cormac Ryan

Seth Trimble

Jalen Washington