Tar Heels Host Wofford On Wednesday

Wednesday, December 20

Chapel Hill

9:00 PM

North Carolina

Wofford

Theo Pinson and the Tar Heels play their final regular season, non-conference home game on Wednesday.

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

December 19, 2017 | Men's Basketball

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• Carolina is 10-1. This is the sixth time in the last 15 years under head coach Roy Williams the Tar Heels are either 10-1 or 11-0 in their first 11 games. UNC was 11-0 in 2007-08 and 2008-09 and 10-1 in 2004-05, 2006-07, 2016-17 and 2017-18.
• A win over Wofford would make the Tar Heels 11-1. That would be the fifth time in the last 15 years and the first time since 2008-09 the Tar Heels would have 11 wins in their first dozen games.
• The Dec. 20th game vs. Wofford is Carolina's final non-conference home game. The Tar Heels are 5-0 at home this year.
• Carolina concludes the regular-season non-conference portion of its schedule on Saturday, Dec. 23rd, vs. Ohio State in New Orleans in the CBS Sports Classic.
• Carolina has a 398-68 record in the Dean E. Smith Center, including a 198-15 record against non-conference opponents.
• The Tar Heels have won 23 straight home games (22 in a row vs. non-ACC teams). This ties the fifth-longest home winning streak in Carolina history and is the longest since UNC won a school-record 31 in a row from 2010-12. The current streak includes 22 in a row at the Smith Center, the third-longest in the arena's 32 years.
• The Tar Heels are ranked No. 5 in the nation in the Associated Press poll and No. 4 in the coaches poll.
• Carolina is 3-0 on the road. No other school in the current AP Top 10 has played three road games. Carolina and Nevada are the only teams in the NCAA's RPI top 25 that have at least three road wins.
• Carolina is No. 2 in the country in the NCAA's RPI. Duke (1), UNC (2), Michigan State (3), Arizona State (4) and Villanova (5) make up the top five.
• Carolina's first 11 opponents have an average RPI of 100, which is the eighth-highest average RPI in the country.
• As of 12/18, Carolina and Villanova are the only two teams with four wins over Quadrant I opponents. Six other teams have three Quadrant I wins (defined as a win over a top 30 team at home, a top 50 team at a neutral site or a top 75 team on the road).

UNC-WOFFORD
• UNC has won all three of the previous games against Wofford, although the teams have played just once since 1926.
• Top-ranked Carolina beat Wofford, 78-58, in Chapel Hill on 11/18/2015.
• It was a five-point game at the half (34-29 UNC).
• Brice Johnson led the Tar Heels with 16 points and 14 rebounds. Joel Berry II and Kennedy Meeks also scored 16.

GAME 11: UNC 78, TENNESSEE 73
• Carolina overcame a nine-point second half deficit and out-scored the 20th-ranked Volunteers 16-7 over the final five minutes to win its third road game of the season.
• It was the 12th time a Roy Williams-UNC team has played an AP top-20, non-ACC opponent on the road. The Tar Heels are 5-7 in those games with wins at No. 19 Connecticut on 2/13/2005, No. 10 Kentucky on 12/3/2005, No. 17 Arizona on 1/27/2007, No. 1 Michigan State on 12/4/2013 and No. 20 Tennessee on 12/17/17.
• It was the 33rd non-conference, scheduled road game in Roy Williams' 15 seasons as UNC's head coach (does not include ACC/Big Ten Challenge or the 2010 NIT games). The Tar Heels are 22-11 in those 33 games.
• Joel Berry II led four Tar Heels in double figures with 21 points, 13 of which came in the second half.
• Kenny Williams hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 32.7 seconds to play.
• The Tar Heels led for only 89 seconds, including the final 32.7 seconds.
• Freshmen Sterling Manley and Garrison Brooks combined for 19 points and 16 rebounds, including nine offensive rebounds.
• Tennessee led several times by nine points (latest with 17:41 to play). That is the largest deficit UNC has overcome to win a game this year. Last year, UNC overcame a 15-point Volunteer lead to win. That was also UNC's largest comeback win of the entire season.
• UNC trailed 38-32 at the half. That was the second time UNC has trailed at the half (also vs. Michigan State) and the first time UNC has gone on to win when trailing at the break.
• Theo Pinson matched his career high with eight assists and tied his season-best with nine rebounds. He made 4 for 4 from the free throw line in the final 16 seconds.
• Pinson was one of four Tar Heels with eight or more rebounds (Luke Maye, Brooks and Manley all had eight).
• Carolina committed a dozen turnovers in the first half, but had only four in the second.
• The Vols scored 19 points off turnovers (most against UNC this year) and 16 second-chance points (second most vs. UNC this year), but the Tar Heels also scored 19 off UT turnovers and tallied 20 second-chance points.
• It was the third time this season UNC scored 20 or more second-chance points (25 at Davidson, 20 vs. Michigan and 20 at Tennessee).
• Carolina held the Vols to 30.6 percent shooting from the floor in the second half when UNC out-scored Tennessee, 46-35.
• Tennessee led 59-53 with 10:25 to play. From that point, UT made three of its final 18 field goals and committed three turnovers.

MAYE-HEM
• Junior forward Luke Maye is a two-time ACC Player of the Week. He earned the award following the season opener vs. Northern Iowa and after wins over Michigan, Davidson and Tulane.
• Maye leads Carolina in scoring (19.5), rebounding (10.3), field goals made and attempted (87 for 154), blocks (11) and minutes (31.1).
• Maye is second in the ACC in rebounding, fourth in scoring and eighth in field goal percentage.
• Maye has scored 214 points in UNC's first 11 games. Last year, as a sophomore, he scored 194 points in 35 games (missed five games due to an ankle injury early in the season).
• Maye is eighth in Ken Pomeroy's statistical rankings for national player of the year, an award Brice Johnson won in 2015-16.
• The Huntersville, N.C., native has scored 20 or more points in seven games and has 25 or more points three times.
• Maye has 10 or more rebounds six times this year and eight times in his career. Three times he grabbed 15 or more – 17 at Davidson, 16 vs. Arkansas and 15 last year vs. Florida State.
• Maye is averaging 14.0 points more per game than he did a year ago (increase from 5.5 to 19.5). No Tar Heel has ever increased his scoring average from one season to the next by that amount.
• The largest increase in scoring from one season to another by a Tar Heel is 12.1 points by Donald Williams from his freshman to sophomore season. Williams averaged 2.2 points in 1991-92 and 14.3 in 1992-93.

FINAL FOUR MOP JOEL BERRY II
• Senior point guard Joel Berry II is second on the team in scoring with a career-high 16.5 points per game (previous high was 14.7 as a junior).
• Berry has scored in double figures in eight of the 10 games in which he has played.
• The Apopka, Fla., native is tied with Kenny Williams for the team lead in three-pointers with 24 and leads UNC in free throw shooting at a career-best 89.1 percent.
• Berry has tied Hubert Davis (now a UNC assistant coach) for seventh all-time at Carolina in three-pointers (197), 16th in free throw percentage (.818), tied for 20th in assists (370) and 41st in scoring (1,361).
• Marcus Paige (299) and Jeff Lebo (211) are the only Tar Heels who played most of their minutes at the point with more career threes than Berry.
• Berry has scored 883 more points than any Tar Heel on the roster (Theo Pinson is second with 478, Luke Maye is third with 446).

MOST POINTS – UNC CAREER
38. Kris Lang – 1,392, 1998-2002
39. Ty Lawson – 1,375, 2006-09
40. Danny Green – 1,368, 2005-09
41. Joel Berry II – 1,361, 2014-active

MOST THREE-POINTERS — UNC career
1. Marcus Paige – 299, 2012-16
2. Shammond Williams – 233, 1994-98
3. Wayne Ellington – 229, 2006-09
4. Rashad McCants – 221, 2002-05
4. Donald Williams – 221, 1991-95
6. Jeff Lebo – 211, 1985-89
7. Hubert Davis – 197, 1988-92
7. Joel Berry II – 197, 2014-active
9. Dante Calabria – 193, 1992-96
10. Reggie Bullock – 188, 2010-13

MOST ASSISTS – UNC CAREER
18. Steve Bucknall – 382, 1985-89
19. Larry Drew II – 378, 2008-11
20. John Kuester – 370, 1973-77
20. Joel Berry II – 370, 2014-active
22. Mike O'Koren – 348, 1976-80

• Berry was a preseason first-team All-America by ESPN.com, second-team All-America by USA Today and Sporting News' third team selection.
• Berry was on the preseason watch list for the John R. Wooden Award, the Oscar Robertson Award (USBWA Player of the Year) and the Naismith Award (all for National Player of the Year) and the Bob Cousy Award (best point guard).
• He also was a preseason first-team All-ACC selection and received the second-most votes for preseason player of the year (tied with Duke's Grayson Allen behind Notre Dame's Bonzie Colson).
• Berry was the Most Outstanding Player at the 2017 Final Four and the Most Valuable Player at the 2016 ACC Tournament. James Worthy and Berry are the only Tar Heels to win both of those awards.
• He is the only Tar Heel in history to earn All-Final Four honors twice (2016 and 2017).
• He became the seventh player and the first since UCLA's Bill Walton in 1972-73 to score at least 20 points in consecutive national championship games.

THEO'S ALL-AROUND GAME
• Senior Theo Pinson leads the Tar Heels in assists (52). He is averaging career highs as a senior in scoring (9.2), rebounds (5.5) and a team-high 4.7 assists per game.
• Pinson has led UNC in assists in eight of the first 11 games and 29 times as a Tar Heel.
• Pinson led the 2017 national champions with 3.7 assists per game. He was the first non-point guard to lead UNC in assists per game since Steve Bucknall in 1988-89 (Marcus Paige played some at the point in 2015-16 and shared the team lead).
• Since 1975, the other non-point guards to lead the Tar Heels in assists were Mike O'Koren and Matt Doherty.
• Pinson had a game-high and career-high tying eight assists and a team-high nine rebounds in the win at Tennessee.

KWILL FROM THREE AND MORE
• Junior guard Kenny Williams is playing the best basketball of his college career on both ends of the floor.
• The Midlothian, Va., native leads the ACC in three-point percentage at .545, making 24 of 44 from three-point range.
• He is shooting 53.9 percent from the floor.
• Williams is averaging 13.5 points per game and has scored in double figures in 10 of the 11 contests.
• Last year, Williams scored 162 points in 26 games (6.2 per game). He has 149 points in 11 games this year.
• Williams has made multiple three-pointers eight times this year, including at least three four times and a career-high six at Stanford.
• Williams has won Carolina's defensive player of the game award three times this year (eight times as a Tar Heel).

TRENDING...
• Carolina set a school-record last season with a rebound margin of 12.3 per game, which was the fourth-highest margin by any school in the country since 1980. In the first 11 games this season, UNC has a rebound margin of 13.1 per game, which is tied with Wichita State for first nationally and is on pace to be the second-best by any school since 1980.
• Joel Berry II is averaging 25.7 points in UNC's three road wins (at Stanford, Davidson and Tennessee). He has made 12 three-pointers and is 15 for 15 from the free throw line in those games.
• Luke Maye is averaging 21.4 points in UNC's first five home games.
• Five Tar Heels are shooting at least 60 percent from three-point range at the Smith Center – Luke Maye (8 for 12, .667), Andrew Platek (4 for 6, .667), Brandon Robinson (2 for 3, .667), Kenny Williams (.600, 12 for 20) and Jalek Felton (.600, 6 for 10).
• The Tar Heels are shooting 54.6 percent from the floor and 47.6 percent from three-point range in their first five home games.
• Carolina is hitting 7.4 three-pointers per game, the sixth-most in school history. Last year, UNC made 7.1 per game.
• Carolina has scored 85 or more points nine times (all wins), 90 or more points five times, 100 points twice and 45 points in its only loss.
• The Tar Heels have shot 50 percent from the floor six times. UNC is shooting 49.0 percent for the season. Take away the record-low 15 for 61 (.246) against Michigan State, and UNC is shooting 51.2 percent from the floor in the other 10 games.
• Carolina ranks 10th nationally in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency and 14th in adjusted defensive efficiency.
• The Tar Heels are one of four teams ranked in KenPom's top 15 in both offensive and defensive efficiency (with Villanova, Michigan State and Purdue).
• Carolina has finished in the top 15 nationally in points per 100 possessions 10 times in Roy Williams' first 14 seasons.
• Carolina has scored 25.3 percent of its points on three-point field goals. That's the same percentage as last season and is the fourth-highest percentage in Roy Williams' 15 seasons as UNC's head coach.

SCORING FROM THREE-POINT FGs (last 15 seasons)
29.3 percent – 2012-13
26.2 percent – 2005-06
25.5 percent – 2004-05
25.3 percent – 2017-18
25.3 percent – 2016-17
• Last year, the Tar Heels led the nation in rebounds per game, offensive rebounds per game and rebound margin. Despite losing its top three rebounders and playing three true freshman big men a combined 37 minutes per game, the Tar Heel are second in the nation in rebound margin (13.1 per game) and fourth in rebounding (44.7 per game).
• UNC grabbed 19 offensive boards at Tennessee to move up to 27th in offensive rebounds per game (13.4).
• Roy Williams' teams have finished in the top 10 nationally in rebound margin in 14 of his previous 29 seasons as a head coach, including ninth, ninth and first in the last three seasons.
• Ten Tar Heels are averaging 10 or more minutes per game, including four freshmen (forwards Garrison Brooks and Sterling Manley and guards Jalek Felton and Andrew Platek).
• Luke Maye, Theo Pinson, Kenny Williams and Brandon Robinson are averaging career highs in minutes played.
• Theo Pinson averaged 3.2 three-point attempts in the first six games and has attempted three in the last five games. He has 30 assists and 10 turnovers in the last five contests.
• Garrison Brooks, Sterling Manley and Brandon Huffman are a combined 28 for 41 from the floor in the last three games.
• Manley is 10 for 14 (.714) from the floor in three road games.

IN THE POLLS
• Carolina is No. 5 in the Associated Press poll and No. 4 in the USA Today/Coaches poll released on Dec. 18th.
• Carolina is ranked in the AP poll for the 68th consecutive week (last four weeks in 2013-14, all 19 weeks in 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 and the first seven weeks this season).
• Carolina is ranked in the AP poll for the 884th time, most in college basketball history.
• This is UNC's 665th time in the AP top 10, second-most behind Kentucky.
• Carolina and Duke have combined for 244 weeks all-time as the No. 1 team in the AP poll. That's 244 of 300 weeks as No. 1 by every current ACC school.
• The 2017-18 season is the 55th (out of 70) in which the Tar Heels have been ranked in the top 10.
• Carolina was No. 9 in this season's preseason AP poll. It marked the 12th time in Roy Williams' 15 seasons as head coach the Tar Heels entered the year ranked in the top 10. UNC has finished the year in the AP top 10 nine times in Williams' first 14 seasons.

CAMERON JOHNSON ON THE MEND
• Cameron Johnson is out four to six weeks after undergoing surgery on Nov. 15 to repair a torn meniscus.
• Johnson suffered the injury in practice on Nov. 13. He did not play in the season opener against Northern Iowa after spraining his neck in practice on 11/7.
• He led UNC with 18 points in 16 minutes in the "jamboree" vs. ECU, UNCG and UNCW on Nov. 5 and had 11 in the exhibition against Barton on Oct. 27.
• Johnson averaged 11.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game last year as a Pitt Panther. He shot 44.7 percent from three-point range.
• Johnson matched his career high with 24 points against the Tar Heels in the Smith Center on 1/31/17.

WOODS OUT INDEFINITELY
• Sophomore guard Seventh Woods has not played in the last three games and is out indefinitely due to a stress fracture in his right foot.
• Woods was averaging almost 11 minutes per game off the bench in the first seven games.