North Carolina (21-3, 9-2) vs. Clemson (12-12, 2-9)
Chapel Hill, N.C. - Dean E. Smith Center
1 p.m., ABC
Quotables
"On their home court, we are going to have to play extremely well to beat them. Playing a
half like we played here is not good enough. It's going to take the kind of effort we had
against Maryland, against South Carolina and maybe against Ohio State. Forty minutes of
really battling, starting on the defensive end of the floor, we are really going to need
to make some shots in order to beat them. We are going to have to play extremely well,
Carolina needs to be less than at their best in order to beat them." -- Oliver Purnell
"There is no question that Clemson's aggressivness was [their advantage] the last time we played. Their size and aggressivness were really impressive and even Ray Charles knew they kicked our butts in the first half. They embarrassed us and that was the worst feeling I've had all year." -- Roy Williams
PREGAME NOTES
First Matchup with UNC: The Heels played one of their worst halfs of the season to
start the Jan. 19 game at Clemson, committing 16 turnovers and going into the break tied,
27-27. But in the second half, UNC took over, as the offense and defense worked in tune
for a 77-58 final. Carolina
forced 20 turnovers and held the Tigers to 33% FG. Rashad McCants had 23 points and six
assists, while Marvin Williams contributed an important 12 points and eight rebounds off
the bench.
Season To Date: Head coach Oliver Purnell is still in the initial stages of his
rebuilding process at Clemson, so few expected the Tigers to climb out of the ACC basement
this season. Still, some flashes of impressive play have made the tough losses and poor
play more disappointing. They had two solid non-conference wins over Ohio State and South
Carolina in December, they hung with Duke at Cameron in January and then stunned Maryland
earlier this month. Those have been the highlights. The overall picture is a 2-9 ACC
record and more than 17 turnovers per game. The Tigers are coming off of a 59-42 win
over SEC cellar-dweller Georgia on Wednesday in which they held the Bulldogs to only six
second-half field goals.
Outgunned: In 11 league games this season, the Tigers trail their opponents in
every major shooting category. Clemson is shooting just 41.1 percent from the field, while
its opponents are hitting 50.3 percent of their shots. Also, the Tigers have nailed just
31.3 percent of their three-point attempts, while the opposition is knocking down 40.0
percent from beyond the arc. And even at the free throw line, Clemson has made 60.2
percent of its foul line attempts, while the other team makes 66.5 percent.
Lineup Shuffle: In an attempt to reward their defensive play and infuse more energy
into the lineup, Purnell has started freshmen James Mays and Sam Perry the last four
games. “These guys have earned the right to play that role, and this team needs that
role,” Purnell said. “We need guys who are committed to the defensive end of the floor to
start the game because if we don’t play that way for 40 minutes, we’re not going to have a
chance to win in this very talented league.” Clemson has more freshman starts than any
other team in the ACC.
Ford Factor: Senior Sharrod Ford is going to conclude his career at Clemson without
ever garnering the attention he deserves as one of the better big men in the conference.
The 6-9 shotblocker is averaging 14.1 points, 8.1 boards and nearly two blocks per game.
Purnell called him out after a three-point, zero-rebound showing against Georgia Tech two
weeks ago and Ford has responded. He also had 14 points, nine boards and three blocks in
the loss to UNC earlier this season.
The Streak: Clemson has made 50 trips to Chapel Hill since 1926 and come away with
losses each time, which is one of the ACC's most remarkable streaks and gets heavy media
play each season. The Tar Heels also hold a 113-19 record in the all-time series against
the Tigers.
Projected Starters:
25 Cliff Hammonds (6-3, 175, G, Fr.) – 10.1 ppg, 3.0 apg
3 Vernon Hamilton (6-0, 192, G, So.) – 5.9 ppg, 2.6 apg
32 Sam Perry (6-5, 190, F, Fr.) – 3.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg
44 James Mays (6-9, 215, F, Fr.) – 4.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg
5 Sharrod Ford (6-9, 223, F, Sr.) - 14.8 ppg, 8.1 rpg
Key Reserves:
22 Shawan Robinson (6-2, 183, G, Jr.) – 10.7 ppg, 3.2 apg
33 Akin Akingbala (6-9, 220, F, Jr.) – 7.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg
12 Olu Babalola (6-6, 242, F, Sr.) – 6.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg
15 Cheyenne Moore (6-6, 190, F, Fr.) - 6.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg
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Ford ... Robinson
Hamilton ... Babalola
Mays ... Akingbala
Purnell and Hammonds