NC State Wolfpack vs. North Carolina Tar Heels (-9.5, N/A)
THE STORY: Top-seeded North Carolina might not have ACC Defensive player of the Year John Henson for the ACC semifinals. Henson hurt his left wrist in Friday’s 85-69 victory over Maryland when he was fouled hard on a power move. While initial X-rays appeared negative, coach Roy Williams said Henson could not grip the ball after the injury. The 6-foot-11 Henson would come in handy against the Wolfpack, whose strong inside game powered them to a 67-64 victory over Virginia on Friday. North Carolina won the only regular season meeting, 86-74 at home on Feb. 21.
ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA (28-4): Due to Henson’s injury, the Tar Heels got a glimpse of what James Michael McAdoo can do. The 6-9 freshman hit 5 of 8 shots for 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 29 minutes versus Maryland. He is only one of many offensive weapons, including Harrison Barnes (17.4 points, 5.1 rebounds) and ACC Player of the Year Tyler Zeller (16.3, 9.3). But Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said afterward that North Carolina is getting progressively better on defense, too.
ABOUT N.C. STATE (22-11): Sophomore forward C.J. Leslie hit 9 of 11 shots for 19 points and collected 14 rebounds to lead the Wolfpack past the Cavaliers, likely securing N.C. State’s NCAA tournament bid. The Wolfpack are nearly as gifted offensively as the Tar Heels. Point guard Lorenzo Brown ranks second in the ACC in assists (6.4). Forward Scott Wood has buried 15 of his 32 last 3-pointers and leads the conference in 3-point percentage (41.9).
TRENDS:
- The Tar Heels are 7-1 against the spread in their last eight.
- The Wolfpack are 4-0-1 against the number in their last five.
- The over is 7-1 in NC State's last eight.
TIP-INS:
1. Tar Heels point guard Kendall Marshall set the ACC record for assists in a season by dishing out 12 on Friday. He has 310, breaking the record of 303 set by Georgia Tech’s Craig Neal in 1987-88.
2. N.C. State is enjoying its first 20-win season since 2005-06.
3. North Carolina is seeking its third ACC tournament crown in the Roy Williams era.
THE STORY: Top-seeded North Carolina might not have ACC Defensive player of the Year John Henson for the ACC semifinals. Henson hurt his left wrist in Friday’s 85-69 victory over Maryland when he was fouled hard on a power move. While initial X-rays appeared negative, coach Roy Williams said Henson could not grip the ball after the injury. The 6-foot-11 Henson would come in handy against the Wolfpack, whose strong inside game powered them to a 67-64 victory over Virginia on Friday. North Carolina won the only regular season meeting, 86-74 at home on Feb. 21.
ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA (28-4): Due to Henson’s injury, the Tar Heels got a glimpse of what James Michael McAdoo can do. The 6-9 freshman hit 5 of 8 shots for 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 29 minutes versus Maryland. He is only one of many offensive weapons, including Harrison Barnes (17.4 points, 5.1 rebounds) and ACC Player of the Year Tyler Zeller (16.3, 9.3). But Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said afterward that North Carolina is getting progressively better on defense, too.
ABOUT N.C. STATE (22-11): Sophomore forward C.J. Leslie hit 9 of 11 shots for 19 points and collected 14 rebounds to lead the Wolfpack past the Cavaliers, likely securing N.C. State’s NCAA tournament bid. The Wolfpack are nearly as gifted offensively as the Tar Heels. Point guard Lorenzo Brown ranks second in the ACC in assists (6.4). Forward Scott Wood has buried 15 of his 32 last 3-pointers and leads the conference in 3-point percentage (41.9).
TRENDS:
- The Tar Heels are 7-1 against the spread in their last eight.
- The Wolfpack are 4-0-1 against the number in their last five.
- The over is 7-1 in NC State's last eight.
TIP-INS:
1. Tar Heels point guard Kendall Marshall set the ACC record for assists in a season by dishing out 12 on Friday. He has 310, breaking the record of 303 set by Georgia Tech’s Craig Neal in 1987-88.
2. N.C. State is enjoying its first 20-win season since 2005-06.
3. North Carolina is seeking its third ACC tournament crown in the Roy Williams era.
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий