Carolina travels to Blacksburg, Va., Saturday to play Virginia Tech. Tip is 4 p.m. and the game is scheduled to air on ESPN2. The game features the top two teams in the ACC in three-point percentage, both in all games and ACC games only. In all games, the Hokies lead at 40.9% with Carolina second at 38.1%. Nationally, Tech is second and UNC is 19th in three-point accuracy.
The Tar Heels are coming off a 76-67 home loss to Pittsburgh. Carolina is 18-8 overall, 10-5 in the ACC. UNC is fourth in the ACC, two games behind Duke and Notre Dame. The Hokies have won six in a row and are 16-10, 8-7 in league play.
About UNC
- The Tar Heels are 5-3 in true road games this season, including 4-3 in ACC road games. Carolina has wins at Georgia Tech, Boston College, Louisville and Clemson.
- Carolina is averaging 79.9 points on the road and allowing 78.9.
- The Tar Heels have won three road games by double figures, two by seven or fewer points and lost three times by an average of 18.3 points.
- The Tar Heels are shooting 45.8% on the road and 45.6% in all games.
- Carolina has a rebound margin of plus 9.1 on the road.
- The Tar Heels are 22nd nationally in KenPom’s offensive efficiency, scoring 113.6 points per 100 possessions. That is fifth in the ACC behind Duke (12th), Syracuse (17th), Virginia Tech (19th) and Miami (21st).
- Carolina is allowing 88.0 points in its eight losses and just 66.3 in its 18 victories.
- The Tar Heels are minus 10 in assist-turnovers (89 assists/99 turnovers) in the eight losses, while the opponents are plus 66 (143 assists/77 turnovers).
- Armando Bacot leads UNC in scoring (18.5), rebounding (13.6) and field goal percentage on
the road. Bacot has converted 63.7% of his field goal attempts on the road this season and 54.8% at the Smith Center.
- Three Tar Heels are making at least 40% of their threes on the road – Caleb Love (.465), Leaky Black (.444) and Kerwin Walton (.412).
- Carolina has scored a combined four more points off turnovers in its five road wins and has
been outscored by 43 points off turnovers in its three road losses.
- The Tar Heels are 13-1 this season when scoring more points off turnovers and 5-7 when the opponents score more points off turnovers. The one loss was Wednesday night against Pittsburgh when the Tar Heels scored 24 points off Pitt turnovers, while the Panthers scored 22. However, Pitt scored 20 of their 22 points off turnovers in the first half as the Panthers built a 17-point lead.
- Brady Manek is averaging 2.23 threes per game this season, the second-most by a Tar Heel who measured 6-9 or taller behind only Cameron Johnson, who averaged 2.67 threes in earning first-team All-ACC honors in 2018-19.
About Virginia Tech
- Saturday will serve as Senior Day for Tech’s three fifthyear players Keve Aluma, Justyn Mutts and Storm Murphy.
- Tech is shooting 40.9 percent from three this season, which is on pace to break the school record of 40.3 set in the 2016-17 season.
- For the second time under Mike Young, Virginia Tech has limited its opponents to shooting 40.0% or less from the field in three consecutive ACC games.
- For the first time since March 1, 2012, against Clemson, the Hokies kept their opponent from hitting a 3-pointer. Virginia went 0-9 from beyond the arc on Monday night.
- In three games against Virginia, Keve Aluma has averaged 25 points and eight boards, while going 2-1 against the Cavaliers. He shot 59.2% (29-49 FG) and 87.5% (14-16 FT) in those three games.
- Aluma has scored 20-plus points and hauled in five or more boards in seven ACC games this season. He recorded 24 points against UVA on Monday night, one point shy of his season high.
- Despite recording a season low in 3-point percentage (.250) and losing the rebounding margin (-7), Tech secured its sixth-straight win in ACC play.
- For the first time in its six-game win streak, Virginia Tech went into the half trailing. The deficit was largely in part to Jayden Gardner’s 15 points and eight rebounds in the first half for UVA. In the second half, Gardner was limited to two points, six rebounds and three turnovers.
- The Hokies have had single-digit turnovers in the last three games, including the two lowest numbers in their last two games (four and six).
- Through 26 games, the Hokies’ reserves are averaging 15.5 points per game.
- Through eight ACC games played inside Cassell Coliseum, Keve Aluma has led the Hokies in scoring in seven of those contests.
- Through 26 games this season, Tech has won the turnover battle 17 times, posting a 12-5
record. The Hokies rank sixth in the ACC and 32nd nationally in turnovers per game (10.8).
UNC vs Virginia Tech
- Carolina is 71-15 all-time against the Hokies, including 18-5 since Tech began play in the ACC in the 2004-05 season.
- The Tar Heels have won three in a row and 11 of their last 13 games against the Hokies.
- Carolina is 21-6 against the Hokies on the road, including 8-4 in Cassell Coliseum.
- Virginia Tech defeated the Tar Heels, 79-77, in double overtime on 1/22/2020, UNC’s most recent game in Blacksburg. The loss was Carolina’s sixth in row playing without freshman point guard Cole Anthony. The Tar Heels were also without senior guard Brandon Robinson.
- Carolina played seven players, including four who played at least 45 minutes (48:21 by Garrison Brooks, 48:00 by Andrew Platek, 47:21 by Leaky Black and 45:53 by Justin Pierce).
- Brooks led UNC 28 points and 13 rebounds.
- Black set career highs with three three-point field goals and 12 points. It was the first time he scored in double figures as a Tar Heel.
How to Watch
Time: 4:00 p.m. (ET)
TV: ESPN (Wes Durham, Cory Alexander)
Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: Tar Heel Sports Properties (Jones Angell, Eric Montross, Adam Lucas)
Per Release