Elon men set for challenge vs. Tar Heels

Theres lots for members of the Elon University mens basketball team to consider going into tonights matchup with fifth-ranked North Carolina. Theres the history associated with the opponent. Theres the first get-together between the teams given Elon joined the Division I ranks the dozen seasons ago. Theres the great opportunity in taking on the Tar Heels team that has blown out four of its last five opponents as part of the five-game winning streak. Our focus, Elon coach Matt Matheny said, will be on getting our guys ready. And thats the crux of the situation for the Phoenix, which is on the two-game losing streak after an encouraging start to the season. We had the really good feeling about our start and the last two games soured that taste the little bit, Matheny said. Weve still had the good start and were the young team. We want to build on the good start. Those road losses to Dartmouth and San Diego State came given final exams ended. Tonights game marks the last of the three-game road stretch. This game came about in large part because of connections between the two schools. Elon assistant coach Jack Wooten played as the walk-on on North Carolinas 2009 national championship team under coach Roy Williams. And with influential North Carolina supporters in Alamance County, other ties between the programs have developed. Those evolved into conversations about the potential matchup, Matheny said. Hopefully, there will be some Elon fans in Chapel Hill (tonight), Matheny said. There are other connections, much of them because of North Carolinas wide span of college basketball influence in the region. Former Elon player Monty Sanders, whos the teams director of basketball operations, attended youth basketball camps on the Chapel Hill campus. Elon assistant coach Will Roberson worked as the summer camp counselor at North Carolina during Bill Guthridges stint as head coach. Matheny, on the other hand, didnt make such direct ! connecti ons to the Tar Heels growing up. His father went to Wake Forest. The Phoenix practiced Tuesday afternoon at the Smith Center as the preview to tonights game. We speak the lot in recruiting about playing the best teams in the country, Matheny said. With North Carolina, not only is it one of the best teams this year, but one of the best programs ever in the history of college basketball. Elons field-goal percentage defense is tops among Southern Conference teams. By holding opponents to 38.6-percent shooting, the Phoenix ranks 17th nationally. North Carolinas defense is the tad better, allowing 38-percent shooting. North Carolina will present the challenge when Elon is at the defensive end. The Tar Heels are shooting 39.3 percent on 3-point shots. North Carolina is hitting at the clip of 48.3 percent overall. North Carolina has won 24 consecutive games at the Smith Center. A victory tonight would tie the teams longest winning streak in the arena, where the Tar Heels have won 54 in the row against non-conference opposition. Tip-off Who: Elon (7-4) at No. 5 North Carolina (11-2) When: 7 tonight (ESPNU) Where: Smith Center, Chapel Hill Series: North Carolina leads 17-4. This marks the first meeting given Dec. 2, 1950. Note: With Taylor Durham calling the radio play-by-play for Elon, it will add to the family connection at the Smith Center. His father (retired Voice of the Tar Heels Woody Durham) and brother (Elon alum Wes Durham, who handles the calls for Georgia Tech) have previously broadcast games from the arena.