The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
12.16.2013 | Men's Basketball
Longhorns visit Chapel Hill to take on the nationally-ranked Tar Heels on Wednesday (6 p.m. Central, ESPN2) at the Dean E. Smith Center.
Texas Longhorns (9-1) vs. No. 14/18 North Carolina (7-2)
Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2013 - 6 p.m. Central
Dean E. Smith Center (21,750) - Chapel Hill, N.C.
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GAMEDAY QUICK FACTS
TELEVISION: The game will be televised nationally by ESPN2. Dave O'Brien (pxp) and Doris Burke (analyst) will call the action.
RADIO: The Longhorn Sports Network and KVET (FM 98.1/1300AM Sportsradio the Zone) broadcast every UT game on the statewide network. Craig Way (pxp) and Eddie Oran (analyst) will call the action. Check www.TexasSports.com for a listing of affiliates carrying the game.
SERIES: Texas leads, 5-3 Last meeting: Texas 85-67 (Dec. 19, 2012; Austin, Texas)
TEXAS VS. NORTH CAROLINA
- Wednesday's contest marks the ninth meeting between Texas and North Carolina. It is the third game of a four-year home-and-home series between the two programs. UT has won five of the last six contests against the Tar Heels and holds a 5-3 series lead in the series which dates back to the 1992-93 season.
- In the first matchup, No. 7 UNC posted a 104-68 victory in the championship game of the Diet Pepsi Tournament of Champions (Charlotte, N.C.) on Dec. 4, 1992.
- Two years later, the two squads opened the regular season (11/26/94) against each other with No. 2 North Carolina recording a 96-92 win in Chapel Hill.
- Texas registered a 74-72 upset of No. 14 North Carolina in Austin on Dec. 30, 1995.
- No. 12 Texas posted a 78-75 win in the 2004 NCAA Second Round in Denver (3/20/04).
- Four years ago, then-No. 2 UT recorded a 103-90 victory against the No. 10 Tar Heels at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas (12/19/09).
- In the 2010-11 season, Cory Joseph drained a turnaround jumper from just beyond the free throw line with 1.4 seconds left to give the No. 22 Horns a 78-76 victory in Greensboro, N.C. (12/18/10).
- Two years ago, the fifth-ranked Tar Heels took an 82-63 win from Texas in Chapel Hill (12/21/11). Jonathan Holmes was one of three Longhorns to record 16 points.
- Last season's battle (12/19/12) resulted in UT's 85-67 victory over the No. 23/18 Tar Heels at the Erwin Center. Holmes shot 6-of-9 from the field, helping himself to a 15-point night.
PRE-HOLIDAY TRADITION
- Texas plays at North Carolina on Wednesday night before hosting Michigan State in Austin on Saturday. This pre-holiday back-to-back series for Texas against UNC and Michigan State started in the 2009-10 season.
- In the past four years, Texas has posted a 5-2 mark in those back-to-back pre-holiday games against the Spartans and Tar Heels. (UT did not play Michigan State during 2011-12 season.)
- The UNC series started as a pair of neutral-site games (Cowboys Stadium in 2009-10 and Greensboro Coliseum in 2010-11) before going to a four-year home-and-home series beginning in 2011-12. This will be the third game in that four-year series.
- MSU has been an ongoing series since 2007-08. The teams did not meet in 2011-12 due to other scheduling issues on both ends.
WHAT'S IN A WIN
- A win would mark the 1,684th victory in program history.
- A win would mark head coach Rick Barnes' 368th victory at Texas and his 570th victory all-time as a head coach.
- A win would extend UT's season-longest winning streak to six straight games (longest since winning seven consecutive games from Nov. 26-Dec. 17, 2011)
- A win would improve UT's record to 10-1, marking the program's best 11-game start to a season since 2009-10 (started 17-0). It would also mark the third time in the Rick Barnes era (last 16 years) that the Horns have opened the year with at least 10 wins in their first 11 contests (11-0 in 2009-10 and 11-0 in 2007-08).
BALANCED ATTACK
Texas features five players in double-figure scoring averages entering Wednesday's contest. The Horns have had at least four players score in double figures in eight consecutive games. All 10 scholarship players have reached double figures in scoring at least once in the first 10 contests.
RIDLEY RISING
Sophomore center Cameron Ridley posted a career-high 22 points (8-of-10 FG, 6-of-8 FT) and 10 rebounds to go along with three steals and two blocks in Saturday's win against Texas State. Ridley, who has posted three double-doubles this year, leads the squad in rebounding (7.8 rpg) and blocks (2.9 bpg) and ranks fifth in scoring (10.3 ppg) entering Wednesday's game.
FRESHMAN SUCCESS AT THE POINT
Isaiah Taylor leads the team in assists (3.8 apg) and boasts nearly a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio (38-20) while ranking second on the squad in scoring (11.7 ppg) and minutes (27.9 mpg). Taylor had 15 points (4-of-6 FG, 7-of-11 FT), eight assists without a turnover and five boards in Saturday's win against Texas State. He has posted a 20-to-5 assist-to-turnover ratio over the last four contests.
