North Carolina could be moving back into a good spot in terms of positioning for the postseason.
Much of that might depend on taking care of business Saturday afternoon when the Tar Heels visit North Carolina State in Raleigh, N.C.
North Carolina (20-8, 12-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) has won back-to-back games since a home slip-up against Pittsburgh.
“It’s late February. This isn’t the time to take a deep breath, to relax, to take your foot off the gas pedal,” North Carolina coach Hubert Davis said. “Actually, it’s the complete opposite: It’s (time) to floor it.”
NC State (11-17, 4-13) could disrupt postseason paths for a pair of in-state rivals in its next two games: Following the matchup with the Tar Heels, the Wolfpack play at Wake Forest on Wednesday.
“Our message is going to be the same as if we were winning,” NC State coach Kevin Keatts said. “We’re just going to keep fighting, keep playing hard.”
With three games left, North Carolina can clinch byes into the ACC Tournament quarterfinals with two more wins or one victory and a loss by Wake Forest, which has just two games remaining. The Tar Heels also remain theoretically in contention for the regular-season title, trailing Duke by two games and Notre Dame by one.
“One of the things we talk about is stepping up and making plays when plays need to be had,” Davis said.
Armando Bacot of the Tar Heels has 21 double-doubles this season, just two shy of the school record. He leads UNC in scoring, with 15.9 per game, with three others in double figures: Caleb Love (15.3), Brady Manek (13.8) and RJ Davis (13.5).
The annual arrival of the Tar Heels, who have won their last three road games, usually attracts a hostile gathering in Raleigh, but Wolfpack fans haven’t had much to be excited about in recent months. UNC won the Jan. 29 meeting in Chapel Hill, when Love led the Tar Heels with 21 points and Wolfpack freshman Terquavion Smith poured in 34 in his first outing against North Carolina.
NC State is 1-8 in ACC home games. Saturday is Senior Day, with Jericole Hellems and Thomas Allen among the honorees.
“I hope that everybody comes out to send our seniors off the right way,” Keatts said.
NC State, which shares last place in the league, will be without Allen due to a plantar fascia injury suffered Wednesday night in a loss to Boston College. The ailment might put him out for the rest of the season.
“I feel bad for him. I feel bad for our team,” Keatts said. “That will put us at eight scholarship guys. That’s tough to swallow.”
–Field Level Media
