On February 24, 1976, with a win over the No. 18 Wolfpack, the third ranked Tar Heels clinched the ACC regular season title and a first round bye for the ACC tournament after 3 years of second place finishes...and Phil Ford running the Four Corners helped secure the victory.
Tar Heels Corner ACC Title
From Wire Reports
The patented North Carolina "four corners offense" is becoming as symbolic of basketball success as Red Auerbach's victory cigars.
The third-ranked Tar Heels went to the corners again Tuesday night and, like Auerbach's famous cigar-lighting routine with the championship Boston Celtics teams of the 1960s, that spelled impending defeat for 18th ranked North Carolina State. Behind Phil Ford's 26 points, North Carolina put away State 91-79 and in doing so, clinched the regular season Atlantic Coast Conference crown and a first round bye for the ACC tournament.
However, it was the ease in which the Tar Heels won on the Wolfpack's home court plus the surprising speed (12:42 left to go leading 63-56) with which they went into the four courners that led observers to feel Coach Dean Smith's club is indeed a notch above everyone else in the unusually balanced ACC.
"It's the earliest I can remember we went to the four corners this year," said Smith, "but I can't remember (Mitch) Kupchak and (Tommy) LaGarde with four fouls that early either." (Kupchak got his fourth foul with 15:37 left, LaGarde 13:29). That put the onus on Ford to dribble the time away as his teammates spread out in a box formation. State was forced to foul the 6-foot-2 sophomore and Ford was unerring in his foul shots despite the hoots and jeers of 12,400 fans.He hit on all 16 free throw attempts.
Walter Davis added 20 points while LaGarde and Kupchak contributed 17 each for the Tar Heels, now 23-2 and 10-1 in the ACC, while State's Kenny Carr was the game's high scorer, hitting 33 points for the 18th ranked Wolfpack, now 7-4 in the ACC and 19-6 overall. North Carolina State coach Norman Sloan told sportswriters that Carr should be named the ACC's player of the year.
"He is the best basketball player in the league," said Sloan. "He has done more for his team than any other player."
Characteristically, Smith praised N.C. State but left no question he felt his own team has greatly developed since early season too.
The Wolfpack beat North Carolina 68-67 in the teams' first meeting this season at Chapel Hill. "N.C. State has improved since we played them in Chapel Hill," he said, "but I think we've improved too. We're in better shape defensively." The regular season title, Smith said, was an "honor," but "the tournament is still our real goal, though. We want to win the tournament."
Sloan was called for two technicals early in the game, the first after leaping to his feet and shouting at a Wolfpack foul and the second when he argued about the call with the referee.
He said he didn't understand why the reason for the calls. "I just jumped up and reacted....The guy has to be looking to call one on you."
NORTH CAROLINA (91)
Ford 5 16-16 26, Kuester 3 4-5 10, Kupchak 6 5-6 17, Davis 7 6-9 20, LaGarde 6 5-8 17, Buckley 0 1-2 1, Zaliagiris 0 0-0 0, Chambers 0 0-0 0, Hanners 0 0-0 0, Coley 0 0-0 0. Totals 27 37-46 91.
NORTH CAROLINA STATE (79)
Green 6 2-3 14, Davis 1 0-0 2, Sudhop 2 3-6 7, Spence 3 3-3 9, Carr 15 3-5 33, Walker 1 0-0 2, Ewing 1 0-0 2, Adell 4 0-0 8, Jackson 1 0-0 2. Totals 34 11-17 79
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