Carolina plays San Diego State in a First Four game in the NCAA South Regional at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio, on Tuesday, March 18. Game time is approximately 9:10 p.m. following the Tournament opener between Alabama State and St. Francis (Pa.).
The Tar Heels are 22-13. They tied for fourth in the ACC at 13-7 and went 2-1 in the ACC Tournament. Carolina beat Notre Dame and Wake Forest then lost, 74-71, to No. 1-ranked Duke in the semifinals.
San Diego State is 21-9, including 14-6 in the Mountain West. The Aztecs tied Boise State for fourth in the regular season and lost, 62-52, to the Broncos in the Mountain West Tournament in Las Vegas.
The winner of UNC-SDSU will play No. 6 seed Ole Miss on Friday, March 21, at 4 p.m. in Milwaukee.
About UNC
- Carolina’s No. 11 seed is its lowest since the Tournament began seeding the field in 1979. The previous low was No. 8 five times (1990, 2000, 2013, 2021 and 2022). Carolina was 12-5 as an eight seed and advanced to the Final Four in 2000 and 2022.
- Carolina is 7-2 in NCAA Tournament play under Hubert Davis. That includes wins against three national championship-winning coaches (Baylorās Scott Drew, Dukeās Mike Krzyzewski and Michigan Stateās Tom Izzo) and two other coaches who have taken teams to the Final Four (Marquetteās Shaka Smart and UCLAās Mick Cronin).
- RJ Davis has played in 10 NCAA Tournament games, winning seven. He has averaged 15.1 points and scored in double figures seven times (five in a row) with a high of 30 against Baylor in the 2022 second round. He also scored 22 last season vs. Wagner, 20 vs. Michigan State and 18 in the Final Four win over Duke.
- Davis is one of five current Tar Heels who have played in the NCAA Tournament. Elliot Cadeau, Seth Trimble, Jalen Washington and Jae’Lyn Withers all played in the three games last season.
- Trimble totaled 15 points in the three games last season, including eight vs. Alabama. Withers totaled 24 points last season in the NCAA Tournament. He had 16 points and 10 rebounds vs. Wagner in the first round in his hometown, Charlotte.
- Since February 10, the Tar Heels are 8-2 with losses only to Duke, have won six times by double figures and twice more by nine points, improved to 22nd in offensive efficiency, 33rd in KenPom and 36th in the NET.
About San Diego St.
- nSenior guard Nick Boyd has been on fire in leading the Aztecs in scoring in eight of the last nine games. He is averaging 17.3 points in the last nine contests. He has shot 50.0 percent in those nine games (54-of-108), 40.9 percent from the bonus distance (18-of-44), and 69.8 percent from the line (30-of-43).
- Sophomore guard Miles Byrd earned second-team all-conference honors and inclusion on the Mountain West All-Defensive Team. A 6-7 wing, Byrd paces the Aztecs in steals (60), 3-point attempts (168), 3-pointers made (52), free throw percentage (.824), and defensive rebounds (100). He is second in scoring (13.2 ppg), field goal attempts (299), field goals made (116), free throw attempts (91), free throws made (75), assists (78), and blocks (29).
- The Aztecs are making their 17th appearance in the Division I event, owning a 13-16 record. Head coachĀ Brian DutcherĀ has been on the Aztec sidelines for 26 of the programās 29 all-time tournament games and all 13 of the programās victories.
- San Diego State, which reached the Sweet 16 in last yearās NCAA Tournament, has lost the point production of its top seven scorers from a year ago. Six are no longer with the organization and one,Ā Reese Waters, has not played this season due to injury. San Diego State scored 2,742 points a year ago, but just 232 of those points (8.5 percent) have suited up for the Aztecs this year.
- San Diego State is the No. 1 ranked team in the nation in field goal percentage defense (.378) and one of two teams in the nation which is limiting opponents to no more than a combined 37.8 percent overall from the floor and 30.2 percent from long distance. (also: Tennessee).
- San Diego State is 10-0 this season when it holds its opponent to 60 or fewer points. The Aranked are ranked in the top 20 in Kenpomās Adjusted Defensive Efficiency in 10 of the last 15 years, in the top 10 in seven of the last 15 campaigns, and is currently No. 13 in that ranking. Additionally, the Aztecs are No. 1 in block percentage, No. 6 in effective field goal percentage defense, No. 8 in 2-point percentage defense, and No. 19 3-point percentage defense according to Kenpom.
UNC vs San Diego St.
The Tar Heels are 2-0 all-time against San Diego State. That includes a 103-92 win in San Diego on 12/29/1988, and a 99-63 win in the Smith Center on 11/24/1990. Hubert Davis played in both games, scoring 16 in the 1990 home win. Jeff Lebo scored 14 and was one of six Tar Heels in double figures in the game in the San Diego Sports Arena.
Per Release
