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Photo by D.L. Anderson
N.C. State's Rodney Purvis, airborne versus Duke earlier this month
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Photo by D.L. Anderson
N.C. State's Rodney Purvis, during a game against Duke earlier this month
State might respond in two (not mutually exclusive) ways. They may come out fired up and determined to put a hurt on Carolina for all 40 minutes. Or, if the game gets close, they might freeze up, remember that they are playing the Tar Heels, and succumb to the sheer pressure to win by making panicky plays.
As unlikely as that latter scenario seems, the perception that Carolina presents a psychological barrier to this Wolfpack team will persist until they go ahead and break it. Last year the Tar Heels won both regular season meetings by double digits, then won the ACC Tournament semifinal by a bucket with John Henson sidelined when officials chose not to call a block or charge on Kendall Marshall's late gamewinning shot. Perceptions of the justice of that non-call fall on partisan lines, but at the end of the day it was another win in the Tar Heel column.
All that seems a long time ago at this point. What is clear is that this is a must-win game for State, and a bonus game for the Tar Heels. Some basketball observers go by the theory that playing looser and with less pressure leads to playing better, and others go by the theory that emotion can be channeled into greater intensity and hence performance on the court.
Of course, in some instances both theories could be applicable at the same time. The path to a Carolina victory on Saturday probably must follow the same route Wake Forest took—get State's relatively short rotation into serious foul trouble early and force the Wolfpack to rein in their trademark aggressive defense in order to keep their best players on the floor. State's zeal to force blocks and steals could backfire if Carolina can pick up fouls on key players such as Leslie.
On paper, State is still the better team, and also in my view the team more likely to execute solid halfcourt offense in the final minutes, if it comes to that. Nonetheless, Carolina will enter the game feeling it has a very realistic chance of winning. Fans from both sides have reason to be excited and nervous, and so-called “neutrals” have reason to expect not only a passionate but a well-played game, in what could well be one of the most memorable evenings of the ACC winter.