Men's Hoops Travels South to Face #1 North Carolina

Sunday, November 20

Chapel Hill, N.C.

12 p.m.

James Madison University

North Carolina

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11/19/2022 4:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Game Notes

James Madison Dukes (4-0, 0-0 Sun Belt) at #1 North Carolina (3-0, 0-0 ACC)

November 20, 2022 -- 12 p.m.

Chapel Hill, N.C. -- Dean E. Smith Center

Game Links
Live Stats · TV/Video: ACC Network · Audio Broadcast

JMU Game Notes

JMUSports.com · @JMUMBasketball · #GoDukes

GoHeels.com · @UNC_Basketball

QUICK HITS

Following four straight lopsided victories, James Madison men's basketball will face the AP No. 1 ranked team in the nation for the first time in over 30 years, heading to North Carolina for a Sunday noon matchup at the Dean E. Smith Center.
This is JMU's first game against an AP No. 1 since taking on UNLV on Jan. 2, 1991, an 89-65 road defeat. This also marks JMU's first AP top-5 matchup since playing at No. 3 Kansas State on Nov. 12, 2010.
The Dukes began the week with a 95-69 thumping of Howard in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday behind Noah Friedel's 23 points and a .594 team field goal percentage. JMU notched back-to-back 4-0 starts for the first time in program history and also reached four consecutive games of 95 points or more for the first time ever in the Howard win. The Dukes have also shot .500 or better from the field in four straight for the first time since January 2011.
JMU also forced 20 turnovers against Howard after forcing 30 against Buffalo. JMU ranks 7th in Division I with 22.50 turnovers forced per game through its first four contests.
With 105.2 points per game, JMU is second in all of Division I in scoring offense, just 0.1 points behind Arizona for first.
The Dukes feature a balanced scoring attack led by redshirt senior Vado Morse, who averages 15.8 points per game including 19.5 on this road trip. He sits tied for 11th in the nation in three-pointers made (13), currently shooting at a .520 clip from deep.
Morse, Terrence Edwards (13.5), Takal Molson (13.5) and Noah Freidel (12.5) each average over a dozen points thus far.
The Dukes also hold a 176-103 margin on the glass this season. The 18.25 average margin ranks sixth in the country. JMU has grabbed at least 12 rebounds on the offensive glass in each of its first four games.

SCOUTING THE TAR HEELS

The Tar Heels have started out 3-0 with wins over UNCW, College of Charleston and Gardner-Webb.
With both sitting in the top 100 nationally, the Tar Heels are paced by the scoring of Caleb Love (20.7) and Armando Bacot (18.0).
The Heels are known to contest shots, out-blocking their opponents 22-6 through three games.

SERIES HISTORY

With all matchups taking place in the 1980's, the Tar Heels have won all three, though two meetings were decided by one and two points.
All three games prior to Sunday have taken place on neutral courts. Michael Jordan-led UNC teams eliminated JMU from both the 1982 and 1983 NCAA Tournaments, with the Dukes giving the Tar Heels one of their sternest tests on their way to the 1982 national title.
The most recent meeting was at the 1989 Maui Invitational, an 80-79 nail-biter in favor of the Tar Heels that saw UNC erase a 79-70 JMU lead in the final 55 seconds with the help of a three-pointer from sophomore Hubert Davis and a buzzer-beating bank shot from King Rice.