Bobcats hoping to keep Carolina blue

by Joe Arnold
Staff Writer

A year ago, this game might have been dubbed, “David versus Goliath.”

But 12 months and 16 North Carolina losses later, the Ohio men’s basketball team finds itself facing a completely different Tar Heels team than the one that finished No. 6 in the polls in 2001.

Ohio (15-8 overall, 10-5 Mid-American Conference) is ready to take on the Tar Heels. After finishing 26-7 last season, North Carolina (7-16, 3-10) is in the midst of its worst season in school history.

“This is a situation where we hit it right in the sense that we play Carolina in a year where we feel we’ve got a shot,” Ohio coach Tim O’Shea said. “You have to be even-keeled because it’s just one game, (but it is) an opportunity for us.”

The only other time Ohio and North Carolina have squared off, then No. 1 North Carolina topped the Bobcats 99-57 in a Dec. 14, 1985 game in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Guard Jason Capel leads the Tar Heels in both scoring and rebounding with 15.1 points per game and 8.9 boards per game. Forward Kris Lang anchors North Carolina’s frontcourt. The 6-foot 11-inch senior averages 14.5 ppg and 6.3 rpg and will be a focus of Ohio’s defense, O’Shea said.

“Obviously with bigger teams that have a real good post player like Lang, you have to double-team him down in the post,” he said. “You can’t expect to guard him one on one.”

Forward Brandon Hunter continues to lead Ohio (15-8 overall, 10-5 Mid-American Conference). The MAC East Division Player of the Week averages 18.3 ppg and 9.4 rpg and is coming off a 27-point, 22-rebound performance against Marshall Saturday.

With the excitement and attention heaped on the Bobcats this week, the team’s focus remains on winning a conference championship, Hunter said.

“We’re in conference play now,” he said. “It would be great to beat them there, and it will be great playing there, but I just want to win the MAC Championship.”

Making sure the Bobcats maintain their focus is O’Shea’s task. He said his team is up against tradition and a tough Atlantic Coast Conference team.

“There’s probably a little more excitement than your average non-conference game because of the prestige of a school like North Carolina,” O’Shea said. “What you worry about is guys being too excited about playing in a game like this.”

Records aside the opportunity of playing North Carolina is on the minds of Ohio players, especially guard Jason Crawford.

           

“Growing up watching North Carolina basketball, we always dreamed of wearing a North Carolina jersey some day,” Crawford said. “When you come to the realization that not everyone can play for North Carolina, I figured at least we get a chance to play against them.”

Despite this season’s debacle in Chapel Hill, Ohio expects the Tar Heels to come out and play hard, Crawford said.

“It’s still going to be a challenge for us,” he said. “It’s shocking the season they’re having, but at the same time, they’re still North Carolina. They’re not going to back down.”

Ohio looks to trip up the Tar Heels 7:30 tonight at the Dean E. Smith Center.