In part two of one of the fiercest rivalries in the ACC, N.C . State (18-9, 7-5 ACC) will take on No. 7 North Carolina (23-4, 10-2 ACC) at the RBC Center.
It will be the 221st meeting between the two teams with the visitors having won the corresponding fixture in Chapel Hill, 74-55, earlier this season; It was also the 11th consecutive game the Heels have won in the series.
The Pack will be looking to rebound from back-to-back losses against No. 4 Duke and No. 16 Florida State. Victory against UNC might prove to be the resume boosting win head coach Mark Gottfried and his team are desperately seeking, having gone 0-6 against ranked opponents this season.
Senior guard C.J. Williams, who is one of the most improved players in the ACC this season, averaging 11.7 points per game in comparison to the 4.7 last season, felt that the team was trying to enter the game with a positive approach.
“Not much [watching game film], we watched our good plays from it,” Williams said. “Coach used a very positive approach showing what we can do against them. How early in the game we were able to execute, and we just got to do that for the entire 40 minutes.”
Williams, who has never won against Carolina during his time with the Pack and will probably be playing them for the last time, felt he was fully focused on the game ahead.
“It’s a big game,” Williams said. “For one, because it’s our next game. You don’t think about the past when you play, you think about what you’re going to do and what you can control ahead of you, instead of focusing on how we haven’t beaten them in a while.”
Graduate student Alex Johnson, is a transfer from CSU-Bakersfield who has been averaging 19.7 minutes a game. Johnson chipped in with a career-high (at N.C. State) 13 points against the Blue Devils after spending 33 minutes on the floor, and felt he was satisfied with the role he was playing.
“I mean its all just depends on the flow of the game. Against Duke, C.J. was in foul trouble so we needed some intensity and I am usually the spark guy, just taking open shots and making the best of what I had,” Johnson said. “I really wasn’t worried about the minutes, but I am sure if a player gets the majority of the minutes, they are going to do something substantial with it.”
According to Johnson, keeping UNC point guard Kendall Marshall in check is key to winning the game. Marshall is second in the nation in assists, averaging 9.7 per game.
“Definitely, we’ve got to keep them off the boards and slow down the transition. That’s where they are really good at,” Johnson said. “Kendall Marshall is a great point guard. He pushes the tempo and gets easy baskets for Tyler Zeller and John Henson, so we’ve just got to keep them out of the paint, keep them off the board and slow down the transition.”
One of the main reasons the Pack has faltered in the last couple of games has been the cold streak of junior guard Scott Wood. Wood, who is one of the best shooters in the ACC and averages 13 points per game, has shot just 2-17 in the last two games. Gottfried felt physical tiredness had taken its toll on Wood.
“I think maybe I’ve played [Wood] a few minutes too many, but I don’t think it’s that much,” Gottfried said. “I think my observation is 38-39 minutes is probably too many, but that it doesn’t need to be 28 or 29. But I do think he has looked fatigued shooting the ball, and he’s such a good shooter. We have to make some adjustments there.”
Gottfried believed keeping UNC from getting as many rebounds as they normally do would be important if the Pack were to cause an upset. The Tar Heels lead the nation with 46 rebounds per game.
“You’ve got to find a way to keep [UNC] off the backboard,” Gottfried said. “Sometimes their best offense is a missed shot. Just miss it and go get it. They are very talented.”
The game is set for tip off at 8 p.m. at the RBC center and will be telecasted live on watchespn.com.
