Carolina hosts Marquette at the Dean E. Smith Center at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, February 24. Carolina is 14-7 overall, 8-5 in ACC play. The Tar Heels are in fourth place in the ACC standings with three games remaining on the schedule at home versus No. 11 Florida State, at Syracuse and home against Duke. Marquette is 10-12 overall, 6-10 in the Big East. The Tar Heels scheduled the Golden Eagles after UNC’s conference game at Boston College, originally scheduled for February 23, was postponed. The Golden Eagles last played on February 17, defeating Butler for the second time in 15 days. Marquette was off until the 27th, when it is scheduled to play at UConn.
About North Carolina
- Carolina is averaging 80.8 points in eight home games this season (70.5 in the other 13 games).
- UNC is 211-17 all-time against non-ACC teams in the Smith Center.
- Carolina defeated Louisville, 99-54, at the Smith Center on Saturday to improve to 8-0 at home this season (5-0 in ACC play, 3-0 vs. non-conference teams).\
- The Tar Heels’ 45-point margin of victory over Louisville tied UNC’s fourth largest in an ACC game.
- Led by three in double figures (21 by Day’Ron Sharpe, 19 by Kerwin Walton and 10 by Walker Kessler) UNC’s freshmen scored 73 points against Louisville, the most in UNC history. The previous high was 61 vs. NC State on 1/23/21 (prior to this season it was 58 in the 2002-03 opener vs. Penn State).
- Carolina set season highs in the win over Louisville in points/game (99), points/half (51 in the second), points in a first half (48), field goals (42), assists (29), field goal percentage/ game (.609) and field goal percentage/half (.647, second half).
About Marquette
- Marquette continues its six-game road swing. The Golden Eagles will go an entire month between home games, not returning to Fiserv Forum until March 6 against Xavier on Senior Day/National Marquette Day.
- Dawson Garcia, the Preseason BIG EAST Freshman of the Year is ranked among the
league leaders in scoring (18th, 12.6 ppg.), rebounding (12th, 6.5 rpg.), field goal percentage (14th, .473), free throw percentage (14th, .774), 3-point field goal percentage (15th, .379) and offensive rebounds (5th, 2.3 orpg.). He is the top-ranked freshman in both scoring and rebounding and has scored double figures in eight outings, including 20-or-more points five times.
- Marquette’s starting lineup at Butler on Feb. 17 featured Greg Elliott for the first time in 2020-21 and the junior guard responded with a career-best performance. The Detroit, Michigan, native netted a personal-best 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the floor, including a 3-of-6 effort from behind the 3-point line. He also chipped in six rebounds and a steal in 28 minutes.
- Senior forward Theo John is ranked among the league leaders (5th, 1.7 bpg.) in blocked shots this season and with every swatted attempt he had moved up Marquette’s alltime list.
- Senior forward Jamal Cain came off the bench for the first time this season at Butler
on Feb. 17. The Pontiac, Michigan, native collected his second career double-double, finishing with 14 points and 14 rebounds (personal best) in 33 minutes of action. He shot 5-of-9 from the floor overall and also found time to chip in two assists and a pair of steals.
UNC vs Marquette
- Carolina is 4-1 against Marquette (1-0 in the Roy Williams era).
- UNC led 40-15 at the half and defeated Marquette, 81-63, on 3/25/2011, in the most recent meeting between the schools. That was an NCAA East Regional Sweet 16 game in Newark, N.J. Tyler Zeller and Harrison Barnes combined for 47 points, Zelller and John Henson both had double-doubles and Kendall Marshall had seven assists.
- Carolina is 2-0 at home against Marquette (both in the Smith Center).
- This is Marquette’s first visit to Chapel Hill since an 84-54 Tar Heel victory on 1/13/2001. Brendan Haywood led five Tar Heel scorers in double figures (including Julius Peppers, who had 13 points and nine rebounds) with 17 points, nine boards and five blocks.
- Marquette defeated UNC, 67-59, in the 1977 NCAA title game in Atlanta.
How to Watch
Time: 7:00pm
TV: ESPN2 (Rece Davis, Jon Crispin)
Stream: Watch ESPN
Radio: Tar Heel Sports Properties (Jones Angell, Eric Montross, Adam Lucas)