North Carolina will meet up with an old foe today when it plays in the semifinals of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational.
The opponent will be South Carolina, a charter member of the ACC in 1953 and a regular opponent of UNC until leaving the conference in 1971. Tipoff is set for 10 p.m. at Orleans Arena (ESPN Ch. 32).
The winner of today's game will play Southern California or UNLV in the title game at 10:30 p.m. on Saturday. UNC is 4-0; South Carolina is 2-2.
Coach Roy Williams of UNC is looking for his team to improve its defense, which he thought was lacking in the first half of a 102-69 victory against Tennessee State on Tuesday in a second-round game in Chapel Hill.
"It's pretty simple," Williams said. "If you're not going to deny the pass, that means that you're off the guy. So if you're off the guy, he shouldn't drive you straight to the dadgum basket. So I got after them a little bit."
Both teams have played Tennessee State and Mississippi Valley State in the tournament. UNC defeated Mississippi Valley State 101-75 in Chapel Hill. South Carolina lost to Tennessee State 64-63 in Columbia, and defeated Mississippi Valley State 61-57 at home.
UNC last played South Carolina on Dec. 7, 1996, and won 86-75 in Charlotte in the Harris Teeter Tournament of Champions in Dean Smith's last season as coach.
The 15 years since the last game mark the second-longest break in the rivalry. After South Carolina left the ACC, the programs did not meet from 1972 through 1990.
"This team has got to do a better job of guarding the basketball," Williams said. "If we do, we've got shot-blockers back there. It'll be hard for other teams to shoot an effective percentage against us."
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