HAYNES: Pack and Heels, Round Two

BY TONY HAYNES

RALEIGH, N.C. Doesn’t it seem like it was just a few days ago that North Carolina and NC State were playing at the RBC Center? In actuality, it will have been 18 days between games when the Wolfpack (14-9, 4-6) and 3^rd ranked Tar Heels (23-2, 9-2) face off for the second time Wednesday night in Chapel Hill. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m.

In the wake of ACC expansion, long gone are the days when teams wouldn’t see each other again for at least a month. Of course, NC State and North Carolina once bucked that trend when they played on back-to-back nights in 1991 when the start of the gulf war postponed the originally scheduled game in January.

Back on January 31, North Carolina stormed into the RBC Center, got 31 points from star big man Tyler Hansbrough and outscored the Pack in the paint, 46-16. When the dust had settled, the Tar Heels exited the building with a 93-76 triumph.

And though a relatively short period of time has passed since that game, both teams have been at their best through the month of February. Once 0-2, North Carolina has taken control of the ACC’s regular season race, building a two-game lead over its next closest pursuer.

NC State’s recent transformation has been even more stunning. A plodding, halfcourt team that was averaging just 66 points per game against ACC competition when it squared off against UNC the first time, the Wolfpack has suddenly picked up the pace, averaging nearly 84 points over its last six games.

A big starting line-up with Tracy Smith joining Ben McCauley and Brandon Costner on the frontline has served the Pack well. The sudden and perhaps unexpected re-emergence of sophomore point guard Javier Gonzalez has also provided a spark. Gonzalez has ignited a transition attack that has produced more easy baskets in recent games.

The result has been more points and a higher shooting percentage.

NC State has scored 80 or more points in three successive ACC games for the first time since the 1990-91 season. And in the four games since the loss to North Carolina, the Wolfpack is shooting 52 percent from the floor.

Quick starts have been an NC State trademark of late. A week ago Sunday, the Wolfpack led Virginia Tech by 14 at the half. Last Wednesday, the Pack owned an eight-point halftime advantage over Wake Forest at the break. And over the weekend at Georgia Tech, the Pack enjoyed an 11-point lead at intermission.

“I just think we’re coming out ready to play,” said NC State head coach Sidney Lowe. “I think they’re focused in and they know how important it is to get off to a good start. Our guys are growing and understanding how important it is to go into that lockerroom with a lead.”

Lowe has also streamlined his bench rotation in recent games, committing himself primarily to an eight-man rotation with forward Dennis Horner, point guard Farnold Degand and shooting guard C.J. Williams providing bench support. State’s bench has outscored that of the opposition in eight of the last nine games. With Horner and Williams each putting up 11 points at Tech on Sunday, the Wolfpack owned a 26-18 advantage in bench scoring.

And even with the shorter rotation, Costner (35 minutes) was the only player who was on the floor for more than 30 minutes.

“Barring any injuries or things like that, we’re going to stick with eight,” Lowe said. “I think that we’re set. Now having said that, those guys must continue to perform because in practice every day there are guys right behind them trying to get those minutes. Sometimes it’s easier to win a position than it is to keep it.”

For the time being, forward Johnny Thomas and freshman point guard Julius Mays appear to be on the outside looking in.

A lack of depth may be North Carolina’s only glaring question mark at this point. In the first game between the two Big Four Rivals, NC State dominated the battle of the benches, 24-10. Otherwise, Lowe and his staff will likely find it difficult to discover any exploitable shortcomings when piecing together a game plan for the Tar Heels.

“Obviously, they’re a very good ballclub,” said Lowe. “They execute, they play hard and they don’t turn it over a lot. But if we go out there and do some of those things that we’ve shown lately, then we can win the ballgame. We need to go in there and take care of the basketball and not allow them to get those easy baskets because Lawson is as good as anyone in the country at pushing the ball up the floor.”

While Hansbrough is the reigning ACC Player of the Year, Lawson has certainly thrown himself into the discussion for that award this season. The senior point guard averages 15.9 points per game and leads the ACC an assists (6.4 per game).

In two games last week, Lawson put on a point guard clinic in road victories over Duke and Miami. At Duke, Lawson drove the Blue Devils into submission, scoring most of his game-high 25 points on slahes to the basket. On Sunday night at Miami, he called on his rapidly improving jump shot to drain 5-of-8 3-pointers in a 69-65 win over the Hurricanes.

Always known more for his speed in the open court and driving ability, Lawson is hitting 49 percent of his 3-point attempts this season.

“If he’s shooting the ball it’s really a tough match-up,” Lowe said. “Not only is he quick, but he’s strong.”

Six Tar Heels are averaging in double-figures, led by Hansbrough’s 21.1 points per contest. UNC has won nine straight since dropping its first two games at the beginning of the conference season.

Wednesday’s meeting will be the 215^th game in a series that dates back to the 1912-13 season. NC State’s last win in Chapel Hill came in 2003.

North Carolina State University Athletics

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