It all goes down in Raleigh tomorrow night.
UNC and N.C. State, both tied atop the ACC basketball standings with Wake Forest at 11-3 (3-0 in conference play), will clash at 8 p.m.
Carolina is ranked seventh and has played a daunting non-conference schedule, winning games against strong programs like Tennessee, Oklahoma and Clemson. The Wolfpack are definitely turning heads, sitting ahead of teams like Duke and Miami, but their greatest win might be UVA.
Given the fact N.C. State is actually playing well this year, don’t be surprised to see PNC Arena packed in red.
If UNC has anything to say about about the Wolfpack faithful, it’ll look to utilize its up-tempo style and take the crowd out of it. It’s not just R.J. Davis or Armando Bacot scoring this year, but the Tar Heels also carry Harrison Ingram, Cormac Ryan, plus a mix of talented transfers and freshmen. They’re playing their best basketball to start a season in several years, leading many to believe they’re a Final Four-caliber team.
Something has to give Wednesday night. Will Carolina steal a win in front of a raucous Wolfpack crowd, or will N.C. State show it’s a legitimate ACC contender?
Let’s look at a couple things to be watching for in Wednesday’s matchup: