The Tar Heels are 19-2 overall, 5-2 in the ACC
MD is 14-7 overall, 3-4 in the ACC
The Terps will play North Carolina twice this year, after playing UNC only once each of the last two seasons.
Last year, MD won at #1 UNC 82-80.
In that game, Milbourne had 14pts… Vasquez has 12pts, 11assists, and 6 rebounds… Hayes and Tucker both had 8pts..
Terps lost on the boards (with Gist and Osby) 46-38… MD was 16-20 at the foul-line.
Hansbrough had 17pts, and 11 boards… Ellington 14pts, and Lawson had 11.
Carolina was only 7 for 23 from 3pt land.
In the 2006-07 season, MD also beat UNC, winning at home 89-87, after being down 12 pts with just under 7mts left.
Those games only carry so much significance going into tomorrow’s game, but you can glean some information.
MD does not fear North Carolina, and that does matter. More importantly, the style of play that Carolina executes (continued full-court, push the ball..) plays to the strengths of the Terps.
When MD plays teams that like transition basketball, I expect the Terps to score… because their guards and wings are able to get into the paint.
Tucker has been chained to the bench lately, but this is a game where he can contribute… along with Milbourne, and Mosley…
Vasquez is 3-0 head to head vs Lawson, with the two wins above in College… and with Montrose in HS vs Lawson’s Oak Hill Academy.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/04/AR2006030401331.html
(By the way, that game featured Kevin Durant, Vasquez, Bowie for Montrose… and Lawson and Milbourn for Oak Hill among others)
You also notice in the MD wins the previous two years, that the Terps scored 82+ points… this year, the Terps have scored 80+ points only 6 times.
MD will have to hit some outside shots to compete in Chapel Hill tomorrow night.
Defensively, I think you allow Hansbrough to score his… defend him 1×1… because even with a consistent double-team, you will not really slow him down. Stop him from going to the line. Throw a lot of bodies at him… Neal, Gregory, Dupree, Burney, and Goins should all get mts defending him…
If you defend him 1×1, you can get out on the other Carolina players, and avoid giving them easy looks.
UNC has:
Wins against – Penn, Kentucky, UCSB, Chaminade, Oregon, Notre Dame, NC Asheville, @Michigan St, Oral Roberts, Evansville, @Valpo, Rutgers, @Nevada, Charleston, @UVA, Miami, Clemson, @FSU, @NCST
Losses against – Boston College, @Wake Forest
After losing 2 of 3 games, the Tar Heels have responded with 5 consecutive ACC wins.
In their loss to Boston College at home, BC was 9 for 24 from 3, and UNC was an abysmal 15 for 27 from the FT line.
Miami was an emotional win – but you can only build off of that game, if you play well at UNC.
MD does not have to win tomorrow, but they need to compete.
After getting crushed by Duke, the Terps need to prove to theirselves they can compete on the road against a Conference (and National) power.
If they achieve that, they will be positioned well to win the game they must win this week… which is Sunday at Georgia Tech.
Owner
Chris Stoner founded Baltimore Sports and Life in 2009. He has appeared as a radio guest with 1090 WBAL, 105.7 The Fan, CBS 1300, Q1370, WOYK 1350, WKAV 1400, and WNST 1570. He has also been interviewed by The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Business Journal, and PressBox (TV). As Owner, his responsibilities include serving as the Managing Editor, Publicist, & Sales Director.