Natalie Folsom
Senior Markell Johnson dribbles the ball to get away from the Tar Heels defense on Monday, Jan. 27, 2020. Johnson had 6 rebounds and scored 12 points in the game against UNC. NCSU lost to UNC 75-65.
Most Wolfpack faithful are okay with going 1-1 against two consecutive top-10 teams in the country. After utterly dominating Duke and then losing a hard fought game against Florida State, NC State (17-10, 8-8 ACC) finds itself squarely on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament.
If the Pack wants to keep its hopes alive, this four game stretch to conclude the season is going to be essential. Aside from the Duke game that will be played in Durham, every game from here on out is a must-win situation.
The stakes are high and the Wolfpack will have to rise to the occasion on Tuesday when it faces a Roy Williams led North Carolina team that in the last two decades has dominated the Tobacco Road Rivalry.
North Carolina (10-17, 3-13 ACC) has notably had one of its worst seasons in program history, and is currently on the longest losing streak ever under head coach Roy Williams, with seven consecutive losses.
In fact, UNC’s last win came against the Wolfpack in a 75-65 contest in PNC Arena. That loss came in the midst of a three-game losing streak for the Pack, by far its lowest point of the season.
However, since that losing streak was ended with a win at Miami, NC State has stepped up its play tremendously. Over the last five games, junior guard Devon Daniels has led the Pack out of its slump, averaging an impressive 19 points per game. Accompany that with senior guard Markell Johnson starting to play at an elite level again, and you have a Wolfpack team that is starting to look like a completely different squad.
The 88-66 win against Duke and the first half of the game against Florida State highlighted the potential of the team and the elite level the Pack can play at.
That version of the Wolfpack is going to need to come to play in Chapel Hill.
Notably, Tar Heel star point guard Cole Anthony missed the January matchup against NC State
due to injury. He will be available Tuesday night and will certainly be hungry for his first win since returning from his prolonged ankle injury. Anthony has averaged 19 points a game this season, while shooting at a sub-par 36% field-goal rate.
While Anthony might have the most name recognition on this UNC team, forward Garrison Brooks has easily been the best player for the Tar Heels this year. So far, Brooks has averaged 15 points per game, as well as eight rebounds. His rebounding and especially his leadership have been one of the few bright spots for the Heels.
His presence was especially missed in the Heels 72-55 loss against Louisville. Brooks missed that game due to illness and is also questionable for the game against the Wolfpack.
If Brooks is out for the Tuesday night game as well, then that is certainly good news for NC State, as Brooks torched the Wolfpack back in January for 25 points and 11 rebounds.
This is a very telling game for the Pack, a game in which they must prove if they are serious about their NCAA tournament aspirations. If redshirt freshman and junior redshirt big men Manny Bates and D.J. Funderburk can crash the boards along with the rest of the guards, State will only be doing itself favors.
North Carolina outrebounded the Pack 42-31 in the last game in Raleigh, easily the biggest deciding factor in the game. Rebounding also hurt NC State in its close game with FSU, so it is certainly going to be on the minds of the team and the coaching staff.
“Elite Markell” is also going to have to show up in the Dean Dome. Johnson had his best game of the season against star guard Tre Jones and the No. 6 ranked Blue Devils. Johnson went 10 for 19 from the field and 5 for 6 from beyond the arc in the blowout win, earning the highly sought praise of legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Johnson’s defense was even more impressive, as he was able to force the Blue Devils out of their offensive rhythm all night long. He generally shows up to play against great teams with elite guards, and Johnson limiting Cole Anthony’s efficiency is going to be another essential key to winning this rivalry game.
NC State is simply the more talented team, but anyone who is familiar with the history of this series knows that the Heels will play their best basketball against the Pack. With a loss, North Carolina sweeps the season series and deals another demoralizing blow to the team, and especially the Wolfpack fanbase. With a win, the Pack gets one step closer to a NCAA Tournament berth.
Tipoff will be at 9 p.m. and will be nationally broadcasted on ESPN. Follow @TechSports on Twitter for live updates and recaps.