By R.L. Bynum
No. 12 North Carolina (13–1, 1–0 ACC) at SMU (11–2)
When: 2:15 p.m. Saturday
Where: Moody Coliseum (7,000 seats)
TV: The CW: Thom Brennaman play-by-play, Mike Gminski analyst
Radio: Tar Heel Sports Network (affiliates list; streams on the Varsity Network app);
Jones Angell play-by-play, Tyler Zeller or Tyler Hansbrough
Coaches: Andy Enfield (294–187 in 15 seasons; 33–12 in second season at SMU) and Hubert Davis (114–46 in fifth season, all at UNC; was 228–95 in nine seasons as a UNC assistant coach)
UNC projected starters: Kyan Evans, Seth Trimble, Luka Bogavac, Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar
Series: UNC leads 3–1 (see list below), winning all three meetings since No. 4 SMU’s 84–82 win Jan. 13, 1985, over No. 5 UNC at the Greensboro Coliseum. Carolina’s 82–67 win last season in the Smith Center was the only matchup with neither team ranked and first meeting since No. 5 Carolina’s 90–74 home win Dec. 12, 1987.
Quad designation: SMU’s NET ranking is 28, making this a Quad 1 game.
Common opponents: Both beat Central Arkansas at home, UNC 94–54 on Nov. 3 and SMU 99–82 on Dec. 21.
SMU results (0–2 in Quad 1 games vs. Vanderbilt and LSU; 11–0 in all other games)
Oct. 25: 86–71 exhibition win vs. Oklahoma State
Nov. 3: 96–76 win vs. Tarleton State
Nov. 6: 69–58 win vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Nov. 11: 102–91 win vs. Murray State
Nov. 15: 87–85 win vs. Butler
Nov. 18: 106–60 win vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Nov. 21: 100–69 win vs. Arkansas State
Nov. 24: 89–72 win vs. Radford
Nov. 28: 87–81 OT win at Mississippi State in ACC/SEC Men’s Challenge
Dec. 3: 88–69 loss at No. 11 Vanderbilt
Dec. 7: 93–80 OT win over Texas A&M in Arlington, Texas
Dec. 13: 89–77 loss vs. LSU in New Orleans
Dec. 21: 99–82 win vs. Central Arkansas
Dec. 28: 110–63 win vs. Cal State Fullerton
Projected SMU starters
No. 2 | G | Boopie Miller (top photo) | 6–0, 175 | senior | Wake Forest transfer in second SMU season
— Team-leading 19.9 points, 47.2 FG%, 42.6 3P%, team-high 92.2 FT%, 3.5 rebounds; totals of team-high 92 assists (7.1 per game, second in the ACC), 34 turnovers, team-high 28 steals
— Is 0–2 against UNC, with both games at the Smith Center, scoring five points Jan. 22, 2024, for Wake Forest in an 85–64 loss and nine points for SMU last season on Jan. 7 in an 82–67 loss.
— Scored career-high 31 points for Wake Forest on March 20, 2024, in an 87–76 home NIT win over Appalachian State
— Began his career at Central Michigan before playing his sophomore season at Wake Forest
— Was All-ACC Third Team last season and also made the ACC All-Defensive Team
No. 5 | G | Jaron Pierre Jr. | 6–5, 210 | senior | Jacksonville State transfer
— 18.7 points, 46.6 FG%, 32.9 3P%, 75.0 FT%, 5.3 rebounds; totals of 23 assists, 15 turnovers, 10 steals and 5 blocks
— This is his fourth school; he played at Southern Miss as a freshman, Wichita State as a sophomore and, after redshirting one season, his junior season at Jacksonville State.
— Was the C-USA Player of the Year last season, scoring a career highs of 36 points and 10 3-pointers in Jacksonville State’s 77–63 win on Feb. 6 over Middle Tennessee
— Has scored at least 30 points five times, including 35 this season in SMU’s 93–80 overtime win in Arlington, Texas, over Texas A&M (highlights below).
— Led the C-USA and was fourth in the country at 21.6 points per game last season, and was third in the league with 3.8 assists.
No. 0 | G | B.J. Edwards | 6–3, 200 | senior | Tennessee transfer in third SMU season
— 13.5 points, 46.1 FG%, 31.0 3P%, 71.8 FT%, 5.8 rebounds; totals of team-high 72 assists, 26 turnovers, team-high 34 steals, 3 blocks
— Was second in the ACC and 11th in the country last season with 2.4 steals per game, and his 2.02 assist-to-turnover ratio was 10th in the league
— Transferred to SMU after playing his freshman season at Tennessee
— Scored a team-high 15 points last season in SMU’s 82–67 loss at UNC.
— Scored career-high 24 points and three 3-pointers in SMU’s 100–69 home win Nov. 21 over Arkansas State (highlights below)
No. 3 | F | Corey Washington | 6–6, 190 | senior | Wichita State transfer
— 12.4 points, 52.5 FG%, 36.1 3P%, 86.3 FT%, 5.8 rebounds; totals of 9 assists, 22 turnovers, 15 steals and 7 blocks
— Played his first two seasons at Saint Peter’s as a freshman, making the All-MAAC Rookie team; last season, he led Wichita State in scoring (13.7 points per game), rebounding (6.5), double-doubles (9) and steals (34).
No. 24 | C | Samet Yiğitoğlu | 7–2, 270 | sophomore
— 11.5 points, 63.9 FG%, 52.0 FT%, team-high 8.9 rebounds (6th in the ACC); totals of 18 assists, 19 turnovers, team-high 20 blocks (1.5 per game, fifth in the ACC), 8 steals
— From Istanbul, Türkiye, he started 32 of 35 games last season for SMU, averaging 10 points (51st in the ACC), 6.2 rebounds (17th) and 1 block (15th), with three double-doubles.
— Had four points and seven rebounds last season in SMU’s 82–67 loss at UNC; scored career-high 20 points last season on Jan. 25 in a 63–57 win at N.C. State.
More on Tar Heels
— Heels eye Quad 1 boost at SMU after FSU win drops NET ranking
— Inside Veesaar’s chemistry with Wilson and how he shook off rough first half
— Hours of film study pay off with stat that made Wilson proudest: 6 assists
— Evans shakes shooting slump, says his confidence never wavered
— Wilson ignites second-half surge, making more history in leading UNC to win in ACC opener
Notes
— SMU and Boston College are the only ACC teams that haven’t played a league game.
— SMU returned three starters from last season in senior guards Boopie Miller and B.J. Edwards and sophomore center Samet Yiğitoğlu.
— The Mustangs have five players averaging double-figure points: Miller (19.9, fourth in the ACC), Jaron Pierre Jr. (18.7, eighth in the ACC), Edwards (13.5), Corey Washington (12.4) and Yiğitoğlu (11.5). All five have at least one double-double, with Miller and Yiğitoğlu each recording four.
— SMU has won four games in the last seconds under Coach Andy Enfield, who is in his second season, including an 87–85 home win on Nov. 15 this season over Butler when Pierre scored on a reverse layup with 4.2 seconds left.
— The Mustangs have scored at least 100 points nine times under Enfield, including four this season.
— This is the first of three games on the road in the next two weeks against the ACC’s newest schools, with the Tar Heels playing at Stanford on Jan. 14 and at California on Jan. 17.
— UNC plays five road games in January and only two home games for the first time since 1990–91.
— Something has to give: SMU leads the ACC in fast-break points (16.5 per game; UNC is giving up only 5.9), is second in scoring (91.1; UNC hasn’t allowed more than 75 all season, leading the ACC and 17th in the country, giving up 63.7 per game) and third in field-goal percentage (49.9%; Carolina is third in the country in FG percentage defense at 36.1%).
— This is the first time UNC has held every opponent to fewer than 75 points through 14 games since the 1981–82 national championship team did it for all 34 games.
— Assistant coach Jeff Lebo led UNC with 22 points the last time the Tar Heels played SMU in Dallas. No. 4 UNC beat the Mustangs 88–86 in overtime on Dec. 30, 1986, at the Reunion Arena (then the home of the Dallas Mavericks).
— This is Carolina’s first game in Dallas since Coach Hubert Davis had 11 points off the bench in the Tar Heels’ 96–73 Sweet 16 loss at the Reunion Arena to Arkansas on March 22, 1990, in the Midwest Regional.
— Caleb Wilson’s 19.8 scoring average puts him on pace to break Tyler Hansbrough’s UNC freshman record of 18.9 in 2005–06. Wilson leads the Tar Heels in scoring, rebounding, offensive rebounding, free throws (made and attempted) and blocks. Hansbrough is the only UNC freshman to lead the team in scoring, rebounding, blocks and steals.
— Wilson’s 11.2 rebounds average puts him on pace to set the UNC freshman record set by Antawn Jamison (9.8 in 1995–96).
— Wilson has 10 20-point games, trailing only Hansbrough (14) and Rashad McCants (12 in 2002–03) among UNC freshmen. His 10 double-doubles trails only Jamison (13) and Armando Bacot (11 in 2019–20) among freshmen.
— Carolina’s average of 25.43 3-point attempts is on pace to break the UNC record of 23.94 by the 2018–19 team. UNC is making an average of 8.36, which would be third behind 8.67 in 2018–19 and 8.41 in 2021–22.
Series: UNC 3, SMU 1
UNC season statistics
SMU season statistics
Statistical comparison
| Category | UNC | SMU |
| Points per game | 81.2 | 91.1 |
| Scoring defense | 63.7 | 76.5 |
| Scoring margin | +17.5 | +14.6 |
| FG% | 47.1% | 49.9% |
| 3P FG % | 32.9% | 34.4% |
| 3P per game | 8.4 | 7.6 |
| FT% | 68.5% | 76.7% |
| FG% defense | 36.1% | 41.8% |
| 3FG% defense | 28.2% | 30.1% |
| Opponent 3P/game | 6.6 | 8.2 |
| Rebounds per game | 42.6 | 40.2 |
| Offensive rebounds/game | 12.4 | 13.4 |
| Rebounding margin | +8.6 | +5.0 |
| Assists per game | 17.3 | 19.0 |
| Turnovers per game | 9.9 | 11.6 |
| Assist-to-turnover ratio | 1.7 | 1.6 |
| Turnovers forced/game | 9.6 | 14.8 |
KenPom comparison
| Category | UNC | SMU |
| Overall ranking | 23 | 40 |
| Offensive efficiency | 118.5 (47) | 120.7 (27) |
| Defensive efficiency | 96.4 (18) | 102.4 (74) |
| Effective FG% | 54.1 (84) | 55.7 (56) |
| Turnover % | 14.3 (29) | 15.4 (75) |
| Offensive rebound % | 35.5 (60) | 37.1 (38) |
| FTA/FGA | 39.6 (93) | 36.4 (162) |
| Strength of schedule | 167 | 126 |
| Team | League | Overall | NET* |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 12 North Carolina | 1–0 | 13–1 | 18 |
| No. 6 Duke | 1–0 | 12–1 | 5 |
| Miami | 1–0 | 12–2 | 39 |
| Virginia Tech | 1–0 | 12–2 | 53 |
| No. 16 Louisville | 1–0 | 11–2 | 11 |
| Clemson | 1–0 | 11–3 | 36 |
| N.C. State | 1–0 | 10–4 | 32 |
| Notre Dame | 1–0 | 10–4 | 69 |
| Georgia Tech | 1–1 | 10–5 | 162 |
| SMU | 0–0 | 11–2 | 29 |
| Boston College | 0–0 | 7–6 | 180 |
| California | 0–1 | 12–2 | 54 |
| No. 21 Virginia | 0–1 | 11–2 | 31 |
| Stanford | 0–1 | 11–3 | 92 |
| Syracuse | 0–1 | 9–5 | 89 |
| Wake Forest | 0–1 | 9–5 | 71 |
| Florida State | 0–1 | 7–7 | 123 |
| Pittsburgh | 0–1 | 7–7 | 112 |
* — Through Wednesday games
Tuesday’s results
No. 12 North Carolina 79, Florida State 66
Miami 76, Pittsburgh 69
No. 16 Louisville 90, California 70
Notre Dame 47, Stanford 40
Wednesday’s results
N.C. State 70, Wake Forest 57
Clemson 64, Syracuse 61
Virginia Tech 95, No. 21 Virginia 85, 3 OTs
Duke 85, Georgia Tech 79
Friday’s games
No. 16 Louisville at Stanford, 8 p.m., ACC Network
Notre Dame at California, 11 p.m., ESPN2
Saturday’s games
No. 21 Virginia at N.C. State, 11 a.m., ESPN2
Virginia Tech at Wake Forest, noon, ACC Network
Clemson at Pittsburgh, noon, The CW
Boston College at Georgia Tech, 2 p.m., ACC Network
No. 12 North Carolina at SMU, 2:15, The CW
No. 6 Duke at Florida State, 3:45, CBS
Tuesday, Jan. 6, games
No. 6 Duke at No. 16 Louisville, 7 p.m., ESPN
Syracuse at Georgia Tech, 7 p.m., ACC Network
N.C. State at Boston College, 9 p.m., ACC Network
| Date | Month/day | Time | Opponent/event (current ranks) | TV/ record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | ||||
| 24 | Friday | L, 78–76 | vs. No. 10 BYU in SLC | Exhib. |
| 29 | Wednesday | W, 95–53 | vs. Winston-Salem St. | Exhib. |
| November | ||||
| 3 | Monday | W, 94–54 | vs. Central Arkansas | 1–0 |
| 7 | Friday | W, 87–74 | vs. No. 17 Kansas | 2–0 |
| 11 | Tuesday | W, 89–74 | vs. Radford | 3–0 |
| 14 | Friday | W, 97–53 | vs. N.C. Central | 4–0 |
| 18 | Tuesday | W, 73–61 | vs. Navy | 5–0 |
| Fort Myers Tip-Off | ||||
| 25 | Tuesday | W, 85–70 | vs. St. Bonaventure | 6–0 |
| 27 | Thursday | L, 74–58 | vs. No. 9 Michigan State | 6–1 |
| December | ACC/SEC Men’s Challenge | |||
| 2 | Tuesday | W, 67–64 | at Kentucky | 7–1 |
| ————————— | ||||
| 7 | Sunday | W, 81–61 | vs. Georgetown | 8–1 |
| 13 | Saturday | W, 80–62 | vs. USC Upstate | 9–1 |
| 16 | Tuesday | W, 77–58 | vs. ETSU | 10–1 |
| CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta | ||||
| 20 | Saturday | W, 71–70 | vs. Ohio State | 11–1 |
| ————————— | ||||
| 22 | Monday | W, 99–51 | vs. East Carolina | 12–1 |
| 30 | Tuesday | W, 79–66 | vs. Florida State | 13–1, 1–0 ACC |
| January | ||||
| 3 | Saturday | 2:15 | at SMU | The CW |
| 10 | Saturday | 6 p.m. | vs. Wake Forest | ACCN |
| 14 | Wednesday | 9 p.m. | at Stanford | ACCN |
| 17 | Saturday | 4 p.m. | at California | ACCN |
| 21 | Wednesday | 7 p.m. | vs. Notre Dame | ESPN2 |
| 24 | Saturday | 2 or 2:30 | at No. 21 Virginia | ESPN or ESPNU |
| 31 | Saturday | 2 p.m. | at Georgia Tech | ACCN |
| February | ||||
| 2 | Monday | 7 p.m. | vs. Syracuse | ESPN |
| 7 | Saturday | 6:30 | vs. No. 6 Duke | ESPN |
| 10 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | at Miami | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 14 | Saturday | 2 p.m. | vs. Pittsburgh | ESPN |
| 17 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | at N.C. State | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 21 | Saturday | 1 p.m. | at Syracuse | ABC |
| 23 | Monday | 7 p.m. | vs. No. 16 Louisville | ESPN |
| 28 | Saturday | 6:30 or 8:30 | vs. Virginia Tech | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| March | ||||
| 3 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | vs. Clemson | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 7 | Saturday | 6:30 | at No. 6 Duke | ESPN |
| 10–14 | Tues.-Sat. | ACC tournament | Spectrum Center, Charlotte |
Photo via smumustangs.com
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