UNC Men’s Hoops Schedule Breakdown: ECU

It has been over 10 years since UNC and ECU squared off.

Dec 14, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis with La Salle Explorers head coach Fran Dunphy before the game at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Sunday, December 7, 2014, is the last time the North Carolina Tar Heels played against the East Carolina Pirates. Then-head coach Roy Williams led the Tar Heels past ECU by a score of 108-64. Brice Johnson and J.P. Tokoto scored 19 points each, Kennedy Meeks and Nate Britt added to the double-digit column as well, with 12 and 10 points, respectively. Marcus Paige added eight points and Justin Jackson contributed six. There were a total of 12 players to score in en route to the victory.

For the Pirates, Terry Whisnant scored 15 points and B.J. Tyson had 13 points of his own. Caleb White had 11 and Lance Tejada had eight to his name. As a team, East Carolina shot 33.3% from the field, 16% from the three-point line and 73.7% at the charity stripe.

This matchup was the second game between the two programs, as the first one happened on Wednesday, December 12, 2012, with the two schools ending in a closer battle, but the Tar Heels still managed to exit the Dean Dome with a win.

Mar 18, 2025; Dayton, OH, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis talks with against the North Carolina Tar Heels official in the first half against the San Diego State Aztecs at UD Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

How Did ECU Perform Last Season?

East Carolina, led by Head Coach Michael Schwartz, completed the 2024-2025 campaign with a win-loss record of 19-14, going 10-8 in the conference. It finished 12-6 at home, 4-6 on the road and 3-2 on neutral sites. A few of the Pirates' notable victories came against N.C. A&T, Temple, Wichita State, Charlotte, UAB and UTSA.

Besides Coach Schwartz, he is joined by the following assistant coaches: Riley Davis, Reggie Williams, Josh Giardina, I.J. Poole, as well as Michael Perry.

There were players for East Carolina last season that scored averaged above 13 points per game. RJ Felton (18.8), C.J. Walker (16.7) and Jordan Riley (14.5) took over and handled the majority of the scoring for the team.

As a whole, the Pirates scored 75.8 points per game, along with pulling down 37.2 rebounds and passing the ball around for 13.3 assists. They also had 7.5 steals and 4.5 blocks per game, too.

The Tar Heels roster this coming fall is arguably the best one yet under Coach Davis, as it has a wide variety of skill sets that fit the kind of NBA-like playstyle their head coach wants to see on the parquet. Kyan Evans, Luka Bogavac, Seth Trimble, Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar could become one of the best starting fives in college basketball.

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