University of Texas vs. University of North Carolina Men's Basketball December 18, 2010

The Greensboro Coliseum will host University of Texas vs. University of North Carolina men’s basketball on Saturday, December 18th at 4:00pm.

Tickets will go on sale Friday, October 15th at 10:00 am.

Texas returns 10 lettermen from last year’s team which posted a 24-10 mark and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The Longhorns are one of just six programs to have advanced to each of the last 12 NCAA Tournaments. Texas has reached the NCAA “Sweet 16” five times in the last nine years and is one of just six schools to accomplish this feat.

Senior forward Gary Johnson is the most experienced returning player (88 career games) and top returning rebounder (5.6 rpg) for the Longhorns, while sophomore swingman Jordan Hamilton is the top returning scorer (10.0 ppg). The UT freshman recruiting class of guard Cory Joseph and forward Tristan Thompson is ranked as the No. 8 recruiting class in the nation by ESPN. Head coach Rick Barnes carries a streak of 15 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances into the 2010-11 season, tied with Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski for the longest current streak by an active NCAA Division I coach.

North Carolina returns six players with ACC experience, led by juniors Tyler Zeller, a 7-0 forward who averaged 9.3 points and 4.6 rebounds, and Larry Drew II, who handed out 222 assists as Carolina’s starting point guard a year ago. Sophomores John Henson, Leslie McDonald and Dexter Strickland gained invaluable experience and should play a major role, as will Justin Knox, a 6-9 forward who played three seasons at the University of Alabama and is attending UNC as a graduate student.

Head coach Roy Williams brought in one of the top freshman classes in the country, featuring forward Harrison Barnes, wing Reggie Bullock and guard Kendall Marshall. Barnes was the National High School Player of the Year and all three players led their teams to state championships.