TV, starters and storylines | UNC at UK
NO. 21 NORTH CAROLINA (6-2)AT NO. 1 KENTUCKY (10-0)
Game time: Noon
Site: Rupp Arena (23,000), Lexington, Ky.
Favorite: Kentucky by 13
Series: UNC leads 23-13.
Last meeting: UNC won 82-77 on Dec. 14, 2013 in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Television: CBS (Marv Albert, Greg Anthony)
Radio: WHAS-AM 840 (Tom Leach, Mike Pratt, Matt Jones)
NORTH CAROLINA
Pos. Player Ht. Cl. Rb. Pts.
G-Marcus Paige 6-1 Jr. 3.4* 14.0
F-J.P. Tokoto 6-6 Jr. 4.8* 10.0
F-Justin Jackson 6-8 Fr. 3.3 10.4
F-Brice Johnson 6-9 Jr. 7.4 11.3
C-Kennedy Meeks 6-9 So. 10.1 13.8
* assists per game
Key reserves – Isaiah Hicks, F, 6-8, So., 7.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg; Nate Britt, G, 6-1, So., 5.8 ppg; Theo Pinson, G, 6-6, Fr., 2.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.5 apg; Joel Berry II, G, 6-0, Fr., 2.6 ppg, 1.3 apg.
KENTUCKY
Pos.Player Ht. Cl. Rb. Pts.
G-Andrew Harrison 6-6 So. 3.8* 7.7
G-Aaron Harrison 6-6 So. 2.1* 9.3
F-Trey Lyles 6-10 Fr. 5.4 7.8
F-Karl-Anthony Towns 6-11 Fr. 6.7 9.4
C-Willie Cauley-Stein 7-0 Jr. 6.6 10.3
* assists per game
Key reserves –Dakari Johnson, C, 7-0, So., 10.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg; Tyler Ulis, G, 5-9, Fr., 5.0 ppg, 3.1 apg; Devin Booker, G, 6-5, Fr., 8.4 ppg, 1.7 apg; Marcus Lee, F, 6-9, So., 2.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg; Derek Willis, F, 6-9, So., 3.2 ppg, 1.2 rpg.
STORY LINES
1) Tar Heels a formidable test. Because Kentucky is down one after Alex Poythress' ACL injury and North Carolina has plenty of its own, the Wildcats don't have nearly as big an advantage in McDonald's All-Americans as with most opponents. UK has eight burger boys available and the Heels have six: guards Marcus Paige, Theo Pinson and Joel Berry II and big men Justin Jackson, Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks — all contributors this season. And with Poythress out, the two teams have the same number of players 6-8 or taller with six apiece, although the Cats have three 6-11 or taller and UNC has none.
The visitors, though, have a history of knocking off top-ranked teams. The Heels have more wins over Associated Press No. 1 teams than any program in history with 13. They just won at top-ranked Michigan State last season. Coach Roy Williams has beaten No. 1 seven times and former coach Dean Smith did it six times. This No. 21 UNC squad has an odd resume, having lost to Butler and Iowa but also beaten then-ranked teams UCLA (by 22) and Florida (by 11). The Heels won their last game, against East Carolina, by 42.
2. This one could get ugly. Asked how he thought this game might be played, Calipari said "about like Columbia," which means a grind. UK-UNC could be a low-scoring affair similar to that one considering both sides' defensive prowess and offensive ineptitude to this point. The Cats lead the nation in effective field-goal percentage defense (33.5) and the Heels rank seventh (38.1). Both rank top-20 nationally in three-point defense, two-point defense and block percentage. And on offense, it isn't pretty: Carolina ranks 300th in 3-point percentage (28.0) and Kentucky ranks 305th (27.7).