So Ty Lawson has officially been scrubbed for the Clemson game, leading to the immediate question, is the 0-for-Chapel Hill streak in jeopardy?
Well, it was in jeopardy before Lawson got injured, as this is the best Tigers team in recent memory, and the Heels needed a last second Ellington shot to escape Littlejohn in January. But this isn't Duke redux. While there are some similarites - Clemson is second only to the Blue Devils in turnover generation, and third in effective field goal percentage - the Tigers aren't playing the fast-paced, three-point heavy game Duke favors. They like to get more of their points from the paint, a tendency tha makes them much better on the offensive boards than the defensive ones. This, of course, plays to UNC's strengths. If they don't allow themselves to be outrebounded like they were in the last meeting, it will go a long wa to mitigating Lawson's absence.
The Heels' shooting, of course, remains a big problem. Tar Heel Fan wonders exactly what has happened to Ellington - I don't have the answers any more than he does, but hopefully seeing the defense he hung 36 on will spark a resurgence. UNC has all but abandoned the three-pointer:
and for good reason, as they're 10th in the ACC in three-point percentage. I'm not sure Carolina can afford a second straight performance from Ellington and Green.
Clemson has three losses, but is playing UNC-level ball in the conference at the moment. I don't know on who the weight of history weighs more heavily on, the team that has lost 52 or the one trying to make it 53, but hopefully UNC can right the ship and pull it off, or it's going to be a long week.