North Carolina Preview

By Kartik Krishnaiyer
Canes Rising Staff

The Hurricanes will face it second ESPN spotlight game of the season in Chapel Hill tonight against North Carolina. Miami did well in its first hyped national game against Kentucky at Rupp Arena, but that was a young gelling UK squad while this is a hungry underachieving UNC squad who is currently near the bottom of ACC standings badly in need of a win.

North Carolina was hyped as a team that could become college basketball's first unbeaten national champions since 1976, when Indiana achieved the feat. However the Tar Heels have been inconsistent struggling with the likes Penn and Santa Clara outside the league and then dropping an inexplicable game at home to Boston College and then a close loss at Wake Forest in the ACC.

For all the ESPN driven hype North Carolina is not the best team in the country nor the best team in the ACC. Miami was projected among the best in ACC in preseason and after a rocky December, the Canes seem to be solidifying as a team in January. Last week's win at Boston College got a huge monkey off of the team's back and a fifth straight win against Maryland in the state of Florida Wednesday night continued Miami's march towards a second consecutive NCAA bid.

The presure is squarely on Carolina tonight. The Tar Heels play Miami and Clemson at home in the next week. Clemson is undefeated but the Tigers sport a 56 game losing streak in Chapel Hill. The Canes for their part have had more success in the Dean Dome having won at North Carolina in 2006. Any more slipups for Carolina at home and the problems could snowball for Roy Williams team.

The ESPN noise machine has proclaimed Tyler Hansbrough as the greatest college basketball player of a generation. But the truth is he may not even be the best big man in the ACC. When playing Carolina the opposition must expect Hansbrough to be protected by the officials and to get his points whether from the line or the field.

But defensively Hansbrough is suspect and his backcourt mates are down right poor on defense. Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson are both supremely talented but also play an undisciplined brand of basketball and often lose their mark defensively. Roy Williams does not like playing a zone so quick guards can expose Carolina. Danny Green is athletic and streaky but does pose a formidable threat.

Miami does not need to win this game tonight. North Carolina does need to win. But the Canes have played with a chip on their shoulder since falling out of the AP Top 25 almost a month ago. Nonetheless the Tar Heels probably have too much athleticism for the Hurricanes and Carolina being desperate doesn't help the Canes cause.