North Carolina (4-0) vs. Syracuse (3-0)
New York, N.Y. - Madison Square Garden
7:15, ESPN2 (Dan Shulman, Dick Vitale, Bob Knight, Doris Burke)
Quotables
"I think we have a good chance of being a very good basketball team. I just want it to come sooner than it is coming to us." -- UNC coach Roy Williams
"Everybody is so unselfish. Everybody is going within the offense. And we have a great identity as a hard-working defensive team." -- Syracuse guard Andy Rautins
PREGAME NOTES
Season to Date: An exhibition loss to LeMoyne on Nov. 3 raised serious concerns, but blowout wins over Albany and Robert Morris followed and just over two weeks later that preseason loss seemed a distant memory as the Orange dismantled California in Thursday's 2K Sports Classic semifinal. Point guard Scoop Jardine led the way against Cal, posting 22 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals.
The Zone: The zone defense is a staple of head coach Jim Boeheim's program. With size and length extending out to the perimeter, passing lanes and open shots can be tough to find - and California's small lineup built around outside shooting was the perfect matchup for Syracuse. "Our zone is designed to be effective against three-point shots," Boeheim noted postgame.
Impact Transfer: Jardine captured the MSG spotlight on Thursday, but Syracuse's most versatile - and arguably most dangerous - weapon is Wesley Johnson, who transferred in from Iowa State. An athletic and long 6-7 forward, Johnson is a tough matchup on either end of the floor. He leads the Orange in points (14.7), rebounds (7.3), steals (3.3) and blocks (3.0)
Series History: UNC leads the all-time series with Syracuse 4-2, with the last meeting being a 96-93 overtime win for No. 1 UNC over No. 3 Syracuse in Nov. 21, 1987.
Projected Starters:
11 Scoop Jardine (6-2, 190, So.) – 13.3 ppg, 6.3 apg
1 Andy Rautins (6-4, 195, Sr.) – 10.0 ppg, 47.4% 3pt
4 Wesley Johnson (6-7, 205, Jr.) – 14.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg
00 Rick Jackson (6-9, 240, Jr.) – 9.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg
21 Arinze Onuaku (6-9, 261, Sr.) – 13.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg
Top Reserves:
32 Kris Joseph (6-7, 207, So.) – 8.0 ppg, 6.0 ppg
25 Brandon Triche (6-4, 198, Fr.) - 9.7 ppg, 3.7 apg
3 Mookie Jones (6-6, 220, Fr.) – 6.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg
SU Info
Schedule
Stats
Roster & Bios
Photo Gallery
Johnson ... Jardine
Onuaku ... Rautins
Jackson ... Joseph