Carolina returns to the Smith Center for its final scheduled non-conference game and the last game before the Christmas break when the Tar Heels host Appalachian State on Tuesday, December 21.
The Tar Heels are 8-3 overall, 1-0 in the ACC. Carolina’s five-game win streak came to an end on Saturday in Las Vegas with a 98-69 loss to Kentucky. Appalachian State is 6-6 after a 92-67 loss at Duke on Saturday.
The Tar Heels are 6-0 this season in the Smith Center. The Mountaineers are winless in
three road starts at Iona, Furman and Duke. The teams have one common opponent this far this season. Carolina defeated Furman, 74-61, in Chapel Hill; the Paladins toppled the Mountaineers, 73-65, in Greenville, S.C.
About UNC
- Carolina is 175-18 all-time against non-ACC opponents from the state of North Carolina, including wins over UNC Asheville and Elon earlier this season.
- Carolina is 31st in KenPom’s overall rankings. The Tar Heels are 16th in the country in offensive efficiency and 42nd in effective field goal percentage.
- Carolina’s strength of schedule is 54th most difficult in the country and third in the ACC (Notre Dame 13, Syracuse 18).
- The Tar Heels led 2-0 but didn’t lead again in the 98-69 loss to Kentucky, its largest against the Wildcats since 1950. Sahvir Wheeler had 26 points and eight assists, Oscar Tshiebwe had 16 points and 12 rebounds to lead the ‘Cats, while Armando Bacot led UNC with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
- Kentucky out-rebounded the Tar Heels, 44-26, UNC’s largest rebound deficit since a 2009-10 loss to Texas. Kentucky amassed the most points, field goals, rebounds and offensive rebounds by any opponent thus far this season.
- Carolina has shot 50 percent or better from the floor in the second half in each of the last five games and seven times in 11 games this season. The Tar Heels have shot 50 percent or better three times in the first half this season.
- The opponents have shot 50 percent or better just three times in the second half, but all three came in UNC losses and in all three the opponents shot at least 64.3% from the floor
(.643 by Purdue, .656 by Tennessee and .667 by Kentucky).
- Carolina has made 31 more free throws than its opponents have attempted (167 made by UNC vs. 136 attempted by the opponents).
- UNC won five straight starts prior to the Kentucky game, allowing 63 or fewer points in all five games. That was the first time UNC held the opposition to 63 or fewer points in five straight games since 2010-11.
- Caleb Love leads UNC in scoring (15.5 ppg), three-pointers (21), steals (16) and free throws (37 for 45). Love has made 21 three-pointers in the first 11 games.
- Armando Bacot is second in the ACC in field goal percentage (.618) and rebounding (9.8) and fifth in blocks (18). Bacot leads the ACC and is fourth in the country with seven double-doubles. He has 25 in three seasons as a Tar Heel. Bacot is 18th in the nation in rebounding and 19th in field goal percentage.
- Five Tar Heels are averaging double figures in scoring this season. The last time five Tar Heels averaged 10 or more points was 2017-18.
- Five different Tar Heels also have scored 20 or more points in a game this season. Caleb Love has four 22-point games, Armando Bacot also has scored 20 or more four times, Dawson Garcia has three 20-point games, and Brady Manek and RJ Davis have two apiece.
About App State
- App State fell 92-67 at No. 2 Duke on Thursday. Michael Almonacy had 17 points and Justin Forrest tallied 16 points. James Lewis Jr. added 11 points and seven rebounds and Adrian Delph reached double figures in scoring for the 10th time this season with 10 points.
- With 12 players returning from last season’s team, App State returns over 90 percent of its points from last season.
- App State is holding opponents to 60.8 points, which is third in the conference and 27.6 percent shooting on 3-pointers, which sits second in the league and 29th nationally.
- Adrian Delph had a career night on Nov. 22 against Delaware. He finished with career highs in points (39), field goals made (13) and 3-pointers made (seven). Delph is just one of four players in the Sun Belt averaging 15.0 points or more, ranking fourth in the conference at 15.3 points. He is also third in the league averaging 2.5 made threes a game.
- In voting done by the league’s 12 head coaches, Justin Forrest was named Preseason First Team AllSun Belt. The two-time All-Sun Belt honoree was named Second Team All-Sun Belt last year and averaged a team-best 13.2 points.
- With his appearance on Dec. 13 against Erskine, Justin Forrest appeared in the132nd game of his career. The appearance marked a new career program record for games played, passing Kellen Brand, who played in 131 games from 2006-10.
- After a 21-year wait, App State made its third appearance in the NCAA Tournament in program history in 2021. The Mountaineers won four straight games in the Sun Belt Tournament to punch the program’s ticket to the tournament.
UNC vs App State
- Carolina is 6-0 against Appalachian State.
- The Tar Heels are 4-0 in Chapel Hill and 2-0 in the Smith Center.
- UNC won, 94-70, in the most recent game, in the Smith Center on 12/21/2015. Brice Johnson led UNC with 22 points, Justin Jackson had 12 points and 10 rebounds and Joel Berry II added 11 points and a career-high 11 assists.
How to Watch
Time: 7:00 p.m. (ET)
TV: ACCN ((Wes Durham, Dan Bonner)
Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: Tar Heel Sports Properties (Jones Angell, Eric Montross, Adam Lucas)
Per Release