North Carolina To Open Play in NIT on Tuesday

By: University Of North Carolina Media Relations | WNCT
Published: March 15, 2010

The University of North Carolina men’s basketball team will play host to William and Mary on Tuesday, March 16, at 9:30 p.m. in Carmichael Arena in the opening round of the 2010 National Invitation Tournament.

The Tar Heels (16-16) are the #4 seed in their eight-team bracket. The Tribe is 22-10 and the fifth seed.

The winner of UNC-William and Mary will face the winner of #1 seed Mississippi State and #8 seed Jackson State.

Ram's Club members may request tickets on Monday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. either through an online application on their Ram's Club account or over the phone at 800-722-4335. Rams Club members will be notified what tickets they receive by 8 p.m. Monday. Any leftover tickets will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, March 16th, at 10 a.m. Tickets are $40.

Public parking for the game in Carmichael Arena will primarily be either at the Smith Center (free shuttles beginning at 8 p.m. to Carmichael) or at the Ramshead Parking Deck on Ridge Road. More information on parking will be available at TarHeelBlue.com and http://www.dps.unc.edu/SpecEvent/speceventnav.cfm

Student tickets priced at $5 will be available on a first-come, first-served basis by logging into their student account.

This is Carolina’s sixth NIT appearance and first since 2003. UNC also played in the event in 1970, 1971, 1973 and 1974, winning the NIT title in 1971.

William and Mary’s head coach is Tony Shaver, who played for Coach Dean Smith’s Tar Heels from 1972-75. Jonathan Holmes, a UNC guard from 1999-2003, also is an assistant coach for the Tribe.

This will be Carolina’s first official game in Carmichael since January 4, 1986, a 90-79 win over NC State. William and Mary was UNC’s opponent in the first-ever game played in Carmichael on December 4, 1965.

Carolina is 17-3 all-time against the Tribe. This is the first meeting between the two schools since January 2, 2005, a 105-66 win for the Tar Heels.

“I am pleased that the committee has invited us to play in the NIT,” says Roy Williams. “Of course we would have liked to have played better this year and be in the NCAA field, but we did not. But we are happy to still be playing basketball and I hope we will play well in the NIT.”