Where: Dean Smith Center, Chapel Hill, NC
When: Tuesday, February 15th, 8:00 PM
TV: ACC Network
Records: UNC 18-6, 8-2 ACC; Wake Forest 8-17, 1-9 ACC
First order of business: Blow the doors off Wake Forest in the first half, extend it to about 30 or so with about eight minutes left in the game.
Second order of business: Sit Kendall Marshall with the game well in hand and give Dexter Strickland some extended run at the point. Strickland can use the experience and Marshall can use the rest.
Third order of business: Do all of this with Leslie McDonald, Reggie Bullock and even Strickland finding some semblance of a perimeter shot.
It should be noted that Wake Forest may very well be the worst ACC team to play in the league in I don't know when. Wake is currently ranked 257th by Ken Pomeroy. Since Pomeroy began ranking teams in 2003, the ACC has had only one team ranked worse than 100 and that was 117th ranked Clemson in 2003. This season there are two: Virginia at 113th and Wake. How bad are the Demon Deacons? They lost to NCSU by 25 at home on Sunday. Their transition defense was awful and if Kendall Marshall was watching, he was probably salivating at the prospect. Should UNC play at a level they are capable of playing they will crush Wake Forest in quick fashion.
Of course that is an assumption. On one hand there is the issue of UNC coming out and playing with the kind of intensity that marked games versus Duke, FSU, Boston College and NCSU. That is what one would expect but there is a danger in taking Wake Forest lightly. On the flip side we have become far too accustomed to even bad teams playing UNC with their hair on fire, hitting shots from 25 feet out and playing miles above their head. It is up to UNC to ensure none of that happens by taking that brand new #4 ranking in defensive efficiency for a ride. It is on the Heels to put their foot on the throat from the opening tip and win this game almost before it gets started. With Pomeroy giving UNC a 99% chance to win the game, anything less is going to be a tad disappointing.
Let there be biscuits!
UNC 108 Wake Forest 66