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The Daily Tar Heel
From the Press Box

What (and where) to Watch: UNC-Kansas

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No. 1 Kansas (30-5, 14-4 Big 12) vs. No. 8 North Carolina (25-10, 12-6 ACC)

TV: CBS with Marv Albert, Steve Kerr and Craig Sager on the call.

Radio: In addition to the Tar Heels Sports Network with Jones Angell, Eric Montross and Dave Nathan, the game will be broadcast on Dial Global Radio with Kevin Calabro and Will Perdue making the calls.

Scheduled tip: 5:25 in the Sprint Center (4:25 Kansas City time)

Last time out
Exactly 364 days ago Kansas ended North Carolina’s season by beating the Tar Heels 80-67. James Michael McAdoo was the Tar Heels leading scorer that day with 15 points. Stilman White was playing the point for Kendall Marshall who was out with a broken wrist. He kept the Tar Heels in the game by not turning the ball over but Kansas took over down the stretch. The Jayhawks ended the game on a 12-0 run.

Key to the game: Kansas has one of the best defenses in the country. In fact, they allow the lowest field goal percentage in the country – 35.9 percent. But the Jayhawks haven’t played a lot of teams that spread the floor and shoot the three like North Carolina. Bill Self compared the Tar Heels to the Iowa State team that likes to shoot the three from all five positions. Kansas needed overtime, both in Lawrence and in Ames, to beat the Cyclones.

Like most scouting reports on the Tar Heels, if they shots are falling they will be competitive. If not, Kansas will likely have their way.

But expect the Tar Heels to be fired up, seeing as Kansas ended their season a year ago. UNC will be doing everything it can to avoid the same fate.

Projected Starters and Stats

Kansas

G Ben McLemore (6-5/195) 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds
G Travis Releford (6-6/210) 11.5 points, 3.7 rebounds
G Elijah Johnson (6-4/195) 9.9 points, 3.0 rebounds
F Kevin Young (6-8/190) 7.6 points, 6.7 rebounds
C Jeff Withey (7-0/235) 13.7 points, 8.3 rebounds

Kansas starts four seniors (3 of them are 5th year seniors) and one freshman — Ben McLemore , who was a freshman all American.

North Carolina

G Marcus Paige (6-0.5/157) 8.1 points, 2.7 rebounds
G Dexter Strickland (6-3/185) 7.8 points, 2.4 rebounds
G Reggie Bullock (6-7/205) 14.2 points, 6.5 rebounds.
G/F P.J. Hairston (6-5.5/ 220) 14.5 points, 4.2 rebounds
F James Michael McAdoo (6-9/230) 14.5 points, 7.3 rebounds

Of Note:

Kansas has played 17 games against 11 NCAA tournament teams, they are 14-3 in those games. UNC played 11 games against seven NCAA tournament teams and went 3-8 including the Villanova game Friday night.

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