Where: RBC Center, Raleigh, NC
When: Tuesday, February 21st, 8:00 PM
TV: ACC Network
Records: UNC 23-4, 10-2 ACC; NCSU 18-9, 7-5 ACC
The last throes of a great rivalry?
I really would like to see UNC come in and spend the first half beating NC State like a rented drum. I don’t think that is going to happen but I can dream right? UNC’s penchant for slow starts(especially on the road) and my expectation that after two losses the Wolfpack will show some spirit in the first half probably precludes to possibility. However, it would be a nice way to start the game and not for the reasons you might think.
You see, ever since referee Karl Hess ejected former Pack players Chris Corchiani and Tom Gugliotta from the game vs FSU on Saturday, Wolfpack fans have been up in arms. NCSU AD Debbie Yow has been up in arms looking for an explanation which didn’t really come until Monday. In the meantime, a plan was hatched to honor the 1989 NC State team on the always important 23rd anniversary of their last first place finish in the ACC regular season(because they don’t believe in regular seasons titles or at least ones UNC claims.) Why that team? Because Corchiani and and Gugliotta were members and it was the last NCSU basketball team to do anything of significance. I suppose they could have just honored Corchiani and Gugliotta with some sort of profile in courage award or medal for exceptional heroism in the face of persecution from a basketball official. Then again that would be really stupid. So instead NCSU scrambled to bring the 1989 team in for Tuesday night so they could trot Corchiani and Gugliotta onto the court for a big round of applause from the Wolfpack faithful. I guess this is NCSU’s way of sticking it to Karl Hess or the ACC. The whole things strikes me as rather comical.
My point is this: UNC needs to make whatever goes prior to the game the highlight of the evening. In fact UNC should come out and blow the Pack’s doors off in the first half to destroy all the hype built up in the hockey rink from the pregame ceremony . Granted, UNC is not known for big starts but NCSU might be an exception. Roy Williams hates those guys, John Henson is still looking for a renter to occupy the space he owns in C.J. Leslie’s head and Harrison Barnes is approaching full activation mode. Not to mention, Tyler Zeller has been quiet for the past week. Too quiet. This game could be a sign the team is really starting to gel and playing at a high level vs NCSU would carry all sorts of fringe benefits for the fans.
There are a lot of basketball reasons why UNC can and should dominate the game because above all others this was and is a bad match-up for NC State. UNC’s interior scoring and rebounding edge is very difficult for the Wolfpack to overcome. If Harrison Barnes played like he did last week and Reggie Bullock joins him in hitting some threes, UNC should cruise. Of course there are a few reasons why NCSU can make it a competitive game overall including three point shooting and Lorenzo Brown playing better than he did in Chapel Hill. NCSU used Alex Johnson and Brown together versus Duke and doing so versus UNC would be a more difficult backcourt to guard. I also think some concern is warranted as far as the officiating goes. Not that I think the officials in this game will be under special instructions from the league office, however it would not surprise me to see a tightly called game which is to say UNC needs to be smart on defense.
In the end, I expect a quasi-interesting game in the first half and UNC to assert control in the second for a 8-10 win which means it will go much like the rest of UNC’s recent road games have gone. However, a blowout would be nice. Kendall Marshall breaking Chris Corchiani’s ACC single game assist mark of 20 would be hilarious and anything along the lines of questionable officiating in favor of UNC would be comedy gold on Pack Pride after the game.
UNC 78 NCSU 68
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It must be noted the N&0 went to great lengths to talk about Scott Wood’s shooting slump. We know how that will go. Still, Barnes needs to be the best player on the court. Heels win.
Just saw an item from caulton tudor that says the Heels have lost 6 out of 7 times this game has been played on the 21st. I hope the Heels rip them up but I think the refs will collude to atone for the hess incident.
The refs won’t have anything to do with it if we lose.
UNX by 15. GO HEELS!!!
This would be a good time for UNC to finally learn how to not get off to slow starts in ACC road games. Don’t give State any reason for hope in the first half – jump all over them.
GO HEELS!
This game worries me. Of course, every game here on out worries me. I think the Pack will set up more screens for Wood knowing the Heels will go under them.
Where did the “UNX” appellation come from? It makes me think of Unix, as in the operating system.
@20CL, State fans started it in some sort of misguided attempt to get under our skins. I adopted it to show them that they are childish and that their smack is weaksauce.
Let me know who wins, since in the DC area, we will be watching Miami against Maryland….
Thankfully, it’s on ESPN3 because we get the Miami game here also.
Unfortunately I’ll be at a concert with my wife during the game (unfortunate about the concert, not the wife part). Thank god for the iPhone, though I have AT&T and probably won’t have service!!
Any black helicopter reports from the RBC center yet?
No but the NCSU students have shown up in force.
http://yfrog.com/h2r3hxnj
In tangentially-related news: Nerlens Noel says he won’t go to Duke (http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/boys-basketball/post/_/id/3196/nerlens-notebook-kentucky-cuse-visits) …probably because they suck
UNC is still on his list. It’d be nice to have him & that big ol’ JRReid haircut next year.
I would actually prefer a tightly-called game because I think UNC can deal with it better than State, particularly as far as Howell is concerned. And hopefully the Heels can continue their improved balance with some more outside shots, including maybe Hairston rejoining the ranks with 1 or 2. Man, I’m psyched for this one.
GO HEELS!
^^^ Good (funny) link… looks like a heavy turnout.
Leave to State to start a new tradition of honoring 23rd anniverseries, impromtu no less! Maybe it should start with a pregame parade around the RBC with the team on a hay wagon being pulled by a huge red M-F tractor. By the way, what symbol of precious metal represents a 23rd? Perhaps, “fool’s gold”!
Scrambling to get the 89 team together specifically because of Saturday’s circus is so typical of something this moronic fan-base would come up with. Sometimes when I try to describe what these people are really like, during basketball season mostly, I fail so miserably that I just give up. A more paranoid, schizoid, uninformed and idiotic bunch of goobers I have never come across. But entertaining none the less.
Heels by 17…Gugliotta and Corchiani are presented, as a last-second gift from the Wolfpack Club, those same seats for life…Henson blocks 6 of Leslie’s shots and makes him carry his Jordan’s to the bus…Wood goes 2-16…Barnes plays 32 minutes, one for each point that he scores…PJ gets off the schnide…
And I have a very good day at work tomorrow.
atl…God, I miss you.
You guys are being too hard on NCSU. It’s important to commemorate a 23rd anniversay when you’re having trouble learning to count to 24.
MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
a friend called this pm and said he had an extra ticket. I was inclined to dvr the game, and play pickup tonight instead, but with the Hess meltdown still fresh for this game, and the ensuing implications, I could not resist a trip to the RBC. no doubt Pack fans will be on their best behavior.
Enjoy BigGameJames!!!
Anyone know if the game is being broadcast on WSPC tonight? I have a TuneIn radio app and that’s the only station I could find that carried a game once.
Must go to the gum tonight, even if it means us possibly thrashing Cowpie U……
http://www.theacc.com/live/2012-acc-basketball-match-center-north-carolina-at-nc-state.html
oops, thats tv….
WSPC is part of the radio network, thats all i know.
BoyWilliams
The Noel angle could be huge.
If he decides to come to UNC, he is going to be a huge part of another amazing team next season.
It is interesting that he has formed an opinion about the Rat Palace as well. Fascinating.
Hope you will compose some appropriate verse for the big occasion.
The 89 State team will be appearing in their UNITARDS and displaying their transcripts tonight as part of the Jimmy V era celebration.
All of you are too lucky. I am in Pennsylvania with nothing but the computer broadcast feed!
(
Pregame still. I do not have a good feeling about this game.
The officials were the key factor in NC State losing at Cameron.
Then the officials mucked up the FSU game with Hess performing the crazy lady ejection, resulting in the suspension of a ref with seniority.
I think NCSU are likely to get undue consideration throughout the course of the game.
Add to this the fact that UNC has been notoriously slow starting of late.
The Carolina players have had significant stretches in the the last two games where they looked tired (at best) to downright unmotivated (at worst).
Let’s go, Roy does hate State and that is enough to ensure no slacking off in Raleigh. They like to get in your face and we seem to do well with that type of environment. Channel your inner Danny Green, feel the hatred, let it flow through you.
Comical is right. Go Heels, get the victory and move on to the next game.
The YES network [owned by Yankees, also covers NJ Nets] picked up tonight’s game. This is a first. They or MSG [Knicks and Rangers hockey] always pick up ACC Net Duke games.
I’m also concerned about officials over reacting infavor of State. Anybody have more info on ACC reprimand of Hess? Letter to file? Suspension?
Love it.