ESPN Men's Basketball

Editor's note: It's the offseason edition of The Watercooler. Eamonn Brennan and Myron Medcalf talk NBA draft decisions, the preseason's No. 1 team, UCLA's upside and more.

Myron Medcalf: What's up, Eamonn? Feels like we left New Orleans months ago. Not sure how I'm going to handle the upcoming months without games. Withdrawal is setting in. But, it's already time to look forward to next season. How about Indiana? Three Big Ten wins two seasons ago. The Hoosiers will enter next season as a top-three team for sure. Cody Zeller is coming back. Wow, huh?

Eamonn Brennan: My buddy's little brother attends Indiana, and his mom brought back a shirt they're selling on campus that simply says "We're Back." Needless to say, IU fans would be loving this renaissance if they merely had a top-20 team. To go from where they were two and three years ago -- I mean, they were 12-20 in 2010-11; that literally just happened! -- to No. 1 in our very early preseason poll … well, it's remarkable, when you think about it. Such a dramatic turnaround.

MM: Very remarkable. And Zeller is back. I know I mentioned that earlier. But he's a lottery pick if he leaves. I know the NBA draft entry deadline was Sunday, and many storylines were connected to it. But Zeller's decision to stay away from the draft is bigger than any of them in my opinion.

EB: My reaction to Zeller coming back trends far more toward the "meh" side of things. It's not because he's not a great player, an immediate POY candidate and hugely important to the Hoosiers' chances, because obviously he is all those things. But I never thought there was any real threat Zeller would leave for the draft. Even as he jumped up to potential top-10 pick status, the way he's openly enjoyed his first season on campus, the patience his brother displayed at UNC, and the fact that Tyler will be a pro -- there's no rush, in other words -- made it clear that Zeller would be back as a sophomore. Some IU fans are hoping he'll stay all four years. That might be asking too much, but he's back for his sophomore season, and he has an awfully talented team around him.

Let's talk draft. Any decisions that really surprised you?

MM: A few. Maalik Wayns … OK. He's a junior who carried the load for a bad Villanova squad. But he's a projected late second-rounder, and will possibly be undrafted. His teammate, Dominic Cheek, drank the Kool-Aid, too. The whole 'If I jumped off a bridge, would you do it?' is sometimes true. But the biggest surprise is Quincy Miller. He made the right decision to return a few weeks ago. Then he changed his mind. He should be a first-rounder. But with another year, he could be top 10. He's a great example of a young player who would gain a lot by coming back for his sophomore season.

Who surprised you?

EB: Yeah, I thought Miller made the right call initially, because (a) without Perry Jones III there, he would have been the featured scorer on a good Baylor team, (b) he could take on college competition (and not fully grown men) while beefing up that lanky frame in the weight room, and (c) this draft already has how many talented tweener forwards set to go in the first round? Twenty? Thirty?

But when you're projected as a first-round pick, particularly when you're closer to the lottery end of things than the fringe, it never feels like a particularly bad decision to go.

That's kind of the deal with Moe Harkless. I thought Harkless could probably use another year in school for a St. John's team that really had time to congeal, but he looks like he could go in the first round. So you can't fault him for leaving now.

I thought Khris Middleton was one of the real surprises. He could have been a first-rounder last year but stayed. Then he got hurt all season and A&M struggled in its first year under Billy Kennedy. Now Middleton is in the draft, but isn't a likely first-round choice anymore. It will be interesting to see how he tests out and what scouts think if he can get healthy in pre-draft camps, because he's an awfully polished and athletic forward when he's at full speed. He could be a steal. (Which probably means the Spurs will draft him in the second round. Figures.)

MM: True. The Spurs would nurse Middleton back to 100 percent, then use him to fuel some epic playoff run next season. You have to look at the powerhouses, too. Kentucky lost everyone. And yet, Calipari inks a top-two class again. And Anthony Bennett is still available. North Carolina is in a different boat. Still a very talented team, but a major shift from the veteran core the Tar Heels employed last season. On Kentucky … and I know this is a tough thing to assess right now … but should the Wildcats be preseason No. 1 with the talented freshmen who are headed to Lexington next season?

Also, what's the over/under on me adopting the Nerlens Noel box cut?

EB: Oh, you should totally do it. I would put the odds at just slightly more favorable than a UK national title.

I am torn on the Indiana-Kentucky preseason No. 1 thing, because it's easy to forget the talent Indiana has arriving in Yogi Ferrell (a true athletic point guard who is exactly what they need) and even Hanner Perea, who comes with ready-made NBA athleticism (another thing the Hoosiers really need) at the 4 spot.

But Kentucky is reloading, no question, and if there's one thing we know about John Calipari, it's that he's the best in the country at getting new, young teams to come together as actual teams very early in the process. But this is not the 2012 Wildcats. Nerlens Noel is going to be a beast, but he's not Anthony Davis. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, the heart and soul of that national title team, is nowhere to be found next season. I will be fascinated to see what this team looks like in November and December.

I have Louisville at No. 3 -- I think Chane Behanan is going to have a star-making breakout sophomore season.

My biggest preseason-ranking question revolves around the UCLA Bruins. Assuming Kyle Anderson's hand ligament injury is long since healed by the time the season starts, is that a top-five team?

MM: Oh man … I mean, I'm trying to erase memories of last season. That "talent." That preseason ranking … That collapse. But if we're going to give Kentucky No. 1 status (potential) based solely on the status of its recruiting class, I think you have to give UCLA the same consideration. Tony Parker helped the Bruins grab a No. 1 class ranking on ESPN.com. We know talented freshmen can win national titles.

So I say they're top 10. Can't go top five yet because the returning guys were so inconsistent. Since we're talking about teams that are hard to assess … Thoughts on Ohio State? Is that a top-five squad with Deshaun Thomas leading the way now?

EB: It's hard to know what to do with UCLA, because unlike Kentucky, we've yet to see Ben Howland take a star-studded recruiting class and turn it into a contender. In fact, last time he had a great class, things pretty much fell apart.

And yeah, I like Thomas as the star scorer. I think that's his perfect role. The question is whether he can be a leader on both ends of the floor, whether he'll devote himself to a total game, rather than being happy scoring a ton of points every night. Because he will shoot -- and score -- a lot.

The biggest question re: OSU is Amir Williams. I thought he was going to get a lot more run as a freshman, so Jared Sullinger could do his whole "hey, I'm a versatile, skinny power forward now, check out this 15-foot jumper!" routine in 2012. Instead, Sullinger gained all that weight back by the end of the season; he was basically playing the exact same position he played as a freshman, and Williams spent most of his time on the bench.

He has to take over in the middle right away, and Shannon Scott needs to have a big sophomore season as a combo 2-guard alongside Aaron Craft. If Craft and Scott can figure it out, I think that's OSU's most talented and dynamic lineup, and an awfully good one.

MM: The bottom line is that we have a lot to look forward to next season. Many question marks remain, but I like the intrigue. Plus, some talented players are back. C.J. Leslie could make NC State a top-10 team. Jeff Withey was the most dominant interior defender in the NCAA tourney. He's back. The Big Ten is stacked. The Pac-12 might matter again.

I know it's early, but I'm pumped about the 2012-13 campaign. Not sure how I'll last until November without it. Maybe I'll watch this LeBron guy in the NBA playoffs.

EB: My two-point is as follows:

1. Watch as much of the NBA playoffs as humanly possible (I love the NBA playoffs).
2. Watch the new Rihanna video as much as possible. No, RiRi, where have you been all my life?

MM: Rihanna and the NBA playoffs … the perfect elixir. Good times as always, Eamonn. Until next time … or the next big development.

EB: We'll talk that talk. Until then, Myron.

It's been a long time coming, but NC State is a force in the ACC again.

Today, NC State sophomore forward C.J. Leslie -- the most talented holdover from former coach Sidney Lowe's last-ditch recruiting class -- announced his intentions to return to Raleigh for his junior season in 2012, according to a statement from the school. Leslie will discuss his decision at a news conference Wednesday afternoon.

Leslie struggled as a freshman, but lived up to his recruiting hype as a sophomore, averaging 14.6 points and 7.5 rebounds a game. NC State morphed from an apparently middling ACC squad, to an NCAA tournament bubble hopeful, to being the team that upset Georgetown in the second round. Their run ended when they pushed eventual national runner-up Kansas to a three-point loss. Mark Gottfried's first year at NC State couldn't have finished any better. And things are looking even more promising in Year 2.

Having Leslie back in the fold is hugely important, obviously, but pairing him with Gottfried's other returners, and a stocked first recruiting class, is the real source of optimism here. Gottfried will welcome three top-100 backcourt players in 2012: No. 5-ranked shooting guard Rodney Purvis, No. 8-ranked small forward T.J. Warren, and No. 5-ranked point guard Tyler Lewis, all of whom could compete for starting spots right away. Meanwhile, returning junior guard Lorenzo Brown will provide solidity and experience for that backcourt, forward Richard Howell will pair alongside Leslie, while one of the country's top shooters, Scott Wood, roams near the 3-point line. (Update: The first version of this post included forward DeShawn Painter on NC State; Painter transferred to Old Dominion this offseason. Apologies for the error.)

That is a very good, athletic team, one with talent in the backcourt, bodies in the frontcourt and an offensive centerpiece in Leslie, who in 2011-12 proved one of the nation's most adept mid-post and elbow scorers. His development should continue in 2012, and even for unbiased observers, it should be thrilling to watch.

Though not as thrilling as it will be to NC State fans, of course. The Wolfpack are a top-10 team to start the season, not to mention a worthy favorite to win the ACC. North Carolina lost Kendall Marshall, Harrison Barnes, Tyler Zeller and John Henson; Duke lost its most talented player in Austin Rivers and looks likely to struggle on the defensive end again this season. Both teams have the talent to compete again for the top spot in the ACC, to be sure, but would you take either of their lineups over NC State's? I wouldn't.

Which is why this is such a thrilling time to be a Wolfpack fan. NC State fans are among the nation's most dedicated and hungry for success. They've never accepted the role of third fiddle willingly, but for much of the past decade, as Herb Sendek decamped for Arizona State and Lowe fell astoundingly flat as his replacement, they've had to swallow an utter lack of success on a year-in, year-out basis. Now, with Gottfried reloading and Leslie returning, they may just be the favorite to win the ACC.

It's been a long time since we could say that. Relish it, Wolfpack fans. It appears, after so much misery, your time has finally come.

ST. LOUIS - Quick thoughts from Kansas' 60-57 victory over North Carolina State in the Sweet 16.

Overview: The Kansas team that everyone tagged as Bill Self's worst is turning out to be one of his best. Or at least one of his toughest.

For the second consecutive game, the Jayhawks found a way to grind out a win against double-digit seed despite struggling mightily on the offensive end. Kansas shot just 37.5 percent from the field against NC State, the No. 11 seed in the Midwest Region. The Wolfpack, though, made just 28.6 percent of its shots against Kansas, which advances to play No. 1 seed North Carolina on Sunday at 5:05 p.m. ET at the Edward Jones Dome.

North Carolina needed overtime to defeat No. 13 seed Ohio 73-65 in Friday's other Sweet 16 matchup in St. Louis. The Tar Heels are coached by Roy Williams, who spent 15 years as Kansas' head coach before leaving after the 2002-03 season for Chapel Hill.

Even though North Carolina could be without injured point guard Kendall Marshall, the Jayhawks will need to play much better than they did against NC State if they hope to defeat the Tar Heels. Kansas - which shot just 33.9 percent in last week's 63-60 victory over Purdue - got off to a horrendous start and trailed 13-3 early in the first half.

The Jayhawks were down 33-32 at intermission. All but two of their opening-half points came in the paint. Kansas, though, opened the second half on a 12-2 scoring run that led to a 44-35 cushion. From there, Self's squad managed to stave off the Wolfpack until the game's closing minutes, when NC State made it interesting.

With Kansas leading 58-52, Jayhawks guard Elijah Johnson fouled Scott Wood as the Wolfpack guard was attempting a 3-pointer. Wood made all three free throws to pull his team within 3, 58-55. Tyshawn Taylor turned it over on Kansas' next possession, and NC State capitalized with a fast-break layup with that made it 58-57.

Wood then missed a 3-pointer for NC State. The Wolfpack got the rebound, but C.J. Leslie's put-back attempt was blocked by Jeff Withey. Taylor came away with the ball and was fouled, but he missed the front end of the one-and-one. NC State, though, knocked the ball out of bounds on the battle for the rebound with 13.5 seconds left. Kansas took advantage when Taylor found a cutting Johnson for an easy layup on the inbounds pass that provided the final score.

Turning point: Kansas didn't feel good about the win until Wood stepped out of bounds with 4.3 seconds remaining, just before he attempted a 3-pointer that would've forced a 63-63 tie and, most likely, overtime.

Key player: Withey had 8 points and 10 blocks for No. 2-seeded Kansas. Thomas Robinson had a game-high 18 points and 15 rebounds. Leslie led NC State with 18 points.

Up next: The Jayhawks have played UNC just once - in the 2008 Final Four - since Williams' departure. Kansas stormed out to a 40-12 lead in that game and eventually prevailed 84-66. Two nights later, Kansas won the NCAA title with an overtime victory against Memphis.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Taking a look at Sunday's games in Columbus.

No. 11 NC State (23-12) vs. No. 3 Georgetown (24-8), 12:15 p.m. ET

NC State is an 11-seed and Georgetown is a 3-seed. But Sunday’s matchup at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, doesn’t feel like a 3/11 game.

The Wolfpack have the length and athleticism to challenge a Georgetown team that enjoys the same tools and uses them to its advantage, too.

C.J. Leslie and Richard Howell just attacked and attacked against undersized San Diego State as NC State scored the “upset” against the Aztecs on Friday. Lorenzo Brown shot well from outside with SDSU’s bigs trying to close up the lane.

The Wolfpack were dominant. But they also had a clear size advantage in that matchup.

That won’t be the case against Georgetown, a team that utilizes 6-foot-10 Henry Sims and 6-8 Otto Porter in the frontcourt. The Hoyas have the top 3-point defense in America. Jason Clark is a versatile guard who carved up Belmont.

Georgetown showcased its versatility in its win over Belmont. The Hoyas went to a zone that frustrated one of the top 3-point shooting teams in America.

They can throw multiple defensive looks at the Wolfpack. They can go man-to-man because they have the size, or they can revert to that tough zone.

Georgetown beat NC State 82-67 last season, when the Hoyas separated from a young Wolfpack team with a 15-0 run in the second half. The Wolfpack made just 23.5 percent of their 3-point attempts in that game.

This season, the Wolfpack are ranked 82^nd in Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted tempo ratings. Georgetown is 299^th. NC State’s players said Georgetown’s ability to control the speed of the game affected the outcome last year.

“I know the one thing I can remember, it was very frustrating playing them, because they’re the type of team who doesn’t want to score 80 or 90 points,” Howell said. “They don’t want to get up and down the floor. They just want to play a very slow, a very slow-paced game. That’s something we don’t want to do. We want to get up and down.”

The Hoyas resent the notion that they can’t run, but they also recognize the role that tempo could play in Sunday’s game.

“They have pretty much the same players on the team. They’re a very athletic team,” Clark said. “They like to get out and score in transition. They’re a very good team.”

No. 9 Saint Louis (26-7) vs. No. 1 Michigan State (28-7), 30 minutes after Game 1

You don’t need the actual scouting reports to know Saint Louis’ game plan against Michigan State. The Billikens, ranked 304^th in Pomeroy’s tempo ratings, want to make the Spartans play slower than their norm.

But it’s more complicated than that, which is why the matchup between the two guys on the sidelines takes precedence.

This is Saint Louis vs. Michigan State, but it’s also Rick Majerus vs. Tom Izzo.

Majerus has amassed a 517-215 record and made 12 NCAA tourney appearances. He led Utah to the NCAA title game in 1998, the highlight of a head-coaching career that started at Marquette during the 1983-84 season.

Izzo was a longtime assistant under Jud Heathcote before taking over the program during the 1995-96 campaign. He has a 384-161 record. He won the national title in 2000 and he’s reached the Final Four six times.

This is a matchup of two of the top coaches in the game. Both Izzo and Majerus showcased their acumen during round of 64 victories in Columbus.

The Spartans didn’t impose their will in the first half against LIU-Brooklyn the way they could have and led by just five points at the break.

Izzo said he was disappointed the Spartans didn’t take great shots early in that game. He scolded his squad for not sticking to the game plan and attacking inside. The Spartans responded with an impressive effort after halftime.

Izzo has molded this program into one of the most focused and connected teams in the country, one that’s capable of reaching New Orleans.

But Majerus is a master game-planner, too.

By Saturday afternoon, less than 24 hours after his team’s win over Memphis in the second round, Majerus seemed capable of writing a thesis about Green and his teammates.

“I can beat Rick. I can get him up and down the court for sure,” Izzo joked. “The job he does with his team, his teams are always tough, well-disciplined. They don’t make a lot of mistakes. They don’t beat themselves. They’re very solid and fundamental. And the post players are as fundamental as anybody in the country.”

Memphis, the Billikens' first-round opponent on Friday, was supposed to have the same advantages in size and athleticism that Michigan State appears to have entering Sunday’s game. That didn’t matter when Saint Louis and Memphis took the floor, though. Saint Louis slowed the game down and didn’t panic when the Tigers took an eight-point lead midway through the second half.

Kwamain Mitchell hit big shots. Brian Conklin proved that a 6-6, 235-pound forward can hold his own in the paint against a more athletic, longer opponent.

But Michigan State has beef in the post that Memphis lacked. Derrick Nix and Adreian Payne have stepped up in the postseason.

Majerus, however, faced similar circumstances Friday and came out on top.

The former Utah coach’s experience will play a role in Sunday’s matchup. He’s one of the best in the business at breaking down opponents and finding their weaknesses.

He’ll try to do it again against a coach that he respects.

“I respect Izzo because he’s a self-made coach. He was with Heathcote all those years. He’s demanding. He’s fair,” Majerus said. “His players really like him. And he loves the game. He’s a guy that you could get together with and talk ball.”

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The afternoon slate of NCAA tournament games at Nationwide Arena on Friday will feature a pair of intriguing matchups. San Diego State will try to stop NC State from running away with the upset -- literally. And Belmont versus Georgetown pits one of the nation’s top 3-point shooting teams against the squad that’s most equipped to defend it.

No. 11 NC State (22-12) vs. No. 6 San Diego State (26-7), 12:40 p.m. ET

Last year, San Diego State charmed the country with its surge to the Sweet 16 as former Aztecs star Kawhi Leonard led the way. But Steve Fisher lost four starters from that team. Preseason projections suggested that the Aztecs would not come close to duplicating last season’s achievements.

But this program has proved its doubters wrong this year.

The Aztecs shared the Mountain West crown with New Mexico during the regular season. They’re undersized and they’re not very deep, but they’ve held their opponents to a 40 percent shooting clip, second in the conference.

Jamaal Franklin (17.2 points per game) and Chase Tapley (15.7 ppg) are a potent duo for a program that’s overcome adversity in close games. They’re 4-0 in overtime this season.

“It helped a lot. The NCAA tournament, you get those kind of games like every night, close barn-burning games, and those games at the beginning of the year, early in the year, like UC Santa Barbara, the Creighton game, games like that really prepared us for this moment we have right now,” Tapley said.

The Aztecs have been here before. The bright lights of March are not new for the program.

When Mark Gottfried took the Wolfpack job last summer, however, he understood that he’d have to rebuild a winning tradition at NC State.

Leading the Wolfpack to its first NCAA tournament bid since 2006 is a start.

“Our banners, national championship banners are hanging in our gym,” he said. “Our guys see them every day. And they understand the tradition and the history of NC State. Been in three Final Fours, won two national championships. So our players are very well aware of that.”

There were a multitude of reasons to doubt both teams’ chances of reaching March Madness.

To stay here, however, San Diego State will have to overcome its size disadvantage and try to control the tempo against a NC State team that likes to run. The Wolfpack will have to take advantage of their athleticism and transition offense to beat the Aztecs.

NC State’s scoring offense (73.6 ppg and 81^st in Ken Pomeroy’s tempo ratings) was third behind North Carolina’s and Duke’s in the ACC. C.J. Leslie (14.6 ppg) leads five Wolfpack players in double figures.

San Diego State hopes to limit NC State’s ability to fully utilize its talent by slowing the game down in a matchup against a squad that’s shooting 46.3 percent from the field.

But the Aztecs said they feel comfortable picking up the pace, too.

“[We’re] not going to get in a transition game, really pick our spots here and there and run,” SDSU’s Xavier Thames said. “And whatever they want to play, we can play. We could play a slow-down game, we could play a transition game.”

NC State has to worry about matching up with an Aztecs team that employs a four-guard set.

“I feel that we have four guys on the perimeter, including C.J. Leslie, that can guard any position, 1 through 4,” C.J. Williams said.

No. 14 Belmont (27-7) vs. No. 3 Georgetown (23-8), 3:10 p.m. ET

It seems simple.

Belmont loves the 3-ball (8.8 per game, 10^th in the nation). Georgetown plays the best perimeter defense in America (27 percent 3-point field goal percentage allowed).

Something has to give when the Bruins face the Hoyas in this second-round matchup in the NCAA tournament, right?

“We gotta penetrate when we can and be strong when we penetrate and find shooters on the perimeter and hopefully get inside the defense,” Belmont’s Kerron Johnson said.

Jason Clark said Georgetown’s preparations have focused on neutralizing Belmont’s 3-point barrages.

“That’s one thing Coach [John Thompson III] has been stressing all this week at practice is defending the 3-point line, not letting them get 3-point shots,” he said.

Thompson, however, says it’s not that simple.

The Bruins like to run (13^th in Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted offensive efficiency ratings) and they’re a great passing team (17.4 assists per game, fifth in the nation). Belmont’s 81.5 ppg makes the Bruins the fourth best scoring offense in America.

All-Atlantic Sun guards Ian Clark, the conference’s defensive player of the year, Drew Hanlen and Johnson anchor Belmont. But Mick Hedgepeth (double-double in conference tourney title game) and Scott Saunders (10.2 ppg, 5.0 rebounds per game) can hurt opponents inside.

“Obviously, they have a terrific shooting team, but at the same time, if you get spaced out, if you start just chasing those shooters, their post players are very good and they’re … a very good passing team," Thompson said. "… Protecting the 3-point line and stopping shooters is important, but they’re much more complex than that.”

But Belmont will need one of its best efforts of the year to upset the Hoyas. The Bruins lost to Duke by a point in their season opener. So they won’t be intimidated.

The Hoyas have shot 46.3 percent from the field, the No. 2 mark in the Big East. Otto Porter and Henry Sims could bully the Bruins inside. Hollis Thompson is dangerous from outside (44.4 percent from beyond the arc) and Jason Clark (13.9 ppg) is a gamer.

This has been a trendy upset pick since the matchup was announced on Selection Sunday. But Georgetown is a team that’s built to control the Bruins.

But the two teams expect a battle.

Both know March Madness heartbreak.

Wisconsin sent Belmont -- a team looking for its first NCAA tournament victory in its fifth appearance -- home early last year.

Georgetown has lost back-to-back opening-round games to lower seeds. The early losses damaged the Hoyas’ postseason reputation and fueled some of this season’s upset predictions.

Sims, however, said the only way to change that is to advance.

“It’s hard for people to forget what happened until you make something different happen,” he said.

ATLANTA -- On Friday, the talk concerning North Carolina point guard Kendall Marshall was all about his ability to pass the ball. On Saturday, it was all about his clutch, calm demeanor, as he sank a bank shot in the final seconds to give UNC the 69-67 win over NC State.

The win moves UNC into Sunday's ACC championship game.

UNC struggled for most of the day to stop NC State in the paint without John Henson, who was out with a sprained left wrist. The Heels moved to a zone defense midway through the second half, which helped contain NC State's offense, especially inside.

NC State eventually adjusted to UNC's zone, but lost top post presence C.J. Leslie with eight minutes remaining after he fouled out. That allowed UNC to work the paint more and helped the Tar Heels execute their zone more efficiently.

Before fouling out, UNC forward Tyler Zeller scored a game-high 23 points.

NC State never backed down and had chances to reclaim the lead with under a minute left, but turned the ball over twice before Marshall's game-winning jumper.

Turning point: UNC rarely plays zone, but the Tar Heels moved to it with a little more than 13 minutes remaining in Saturday's semifinal. It helped UNC slow down NC State's offense without Henson down low. It also helped that Leslie fouled out with 8:03 left after collecting three fouls in the span of a minute and a half.

Key player: UNC guard Reggie Bullock only scored five points, but he was all over the court. He grabbed seven rebounds and dished six assists, but really helped the Tar Heels on defense. He shut down NC State sharpshooter Scott Wood, who was held to two points on 1-of-6 shooting, and smothered him on a potential game-winning 3-point shot that Wood failed to even take. He also kept things under control for UNC late in the first half when he hit two straight buckets and grabbed a couple of rebounds.

Key stat: Neither team could get much going at all from the outside as they combined to shoot 8-of-31 from beyond the 3-point line. UNC hit five 3-pointers, while NC State hit just three.

Miscellaneous: UNC has now won 13 straight over the Wolfpack. ... The loss dropped NC State to 5-6 in the ACC tournament as the No. 5 seed. ... Despite fouling out, Leslie continued his tournament tear with 22 points, seven rebounds and two steals. ... With James Michael McAdoo dealing with foul trouble, UNC's Justin Watts played both point guard and power forward.

What’s next: The Tar Heels await the winner of the Duke-Florida State game. A win over Duke would lock up a No. 1 seed for UNC in the NCAA tournament. If the Blue Devils don't make it, the Heels will likely clinch a top seed before the day is over. As for the Wolfpack, Friday's win over Virginia was huge as far as the NCAA tournament is concerned. While NC State is probably still on the bubble, its ACC tournament showing has it in much better shape than a couple of days ago.

ATLANTA -- North Carolina and Duke are still vying for a top seed in the NCAA tournament.

NC State is trying to solidify a spot in the field of 68.

And Florida State – which has already secured a spot in the NCAAs – would like to become only the second team not named UNC or Duke to win the ACC tournament in 16 years.

A quick preview of today’s NCAA semifinals at Philips Arena:

No. 1 seed North Carolina vs. No. 5 seed N.C. State, 1 p.m. EST

Will he play or won’t he play? The status of UNC forward John Henson’s left wrist -- which he sprained in the first half of his team’s quarterfinal win over Maryland on Friday -- hasn’t reached the scrutiny level of “Ty Lawson Toe-Gate,” circa 2009 (when the starting point guard sat out the entire ACC tournament, and part of the NCAAs, en route to a national title).

But give it time.

Official word Friday was that the 6-foot-11 junior would test his pain threshold Saturday morning to see if he would be able to play against the Wolfpack. But frankly, it would make sense to be cautious with the ACC’s leading rebounder, blocker and defender. UNC, after all, has wrapped up an NCAA tournament berth, and it’s just a matter of whether it ends up with a No. 1 or No. 2 seed.

If Henson doesn’t play, it opens up more room in the lane for NC State forward C.J. Leslie, who has come on particularly strong of late. He’s averaging 18.9 points and 11 rebounds over his past seven games -- including 19 points and 14 rebounds in Friday’s quarterfinal victory over Virginia.

“He [Henson] is a great player -- first-team All-ACC, defensive player of the year; we want him to play,’’ Wolfpack guard C.J. Williams said. “We don’t want to give a team an excuse, 'Oh, we didn’t have one of our best players.' He’s definitely a matchup problem for us, with his length and his size … but we want him to play.”

The Tar Heels beat their in-state rivals in both matchups this season.

No. 2 seed Duke vs. No. 3 seed Florida State, approximately 3:30 p.m. EST

Duke, which lost to Florida State on its home court in January, offered up a little bit of payback last month, when it beat the Seminoles in Tallahassee, Fla.

Guard Andre Dawkins was 6-for-12 for 22 points that game, with all six of those made shots being 3-pointers.

Since then, however, he’s made only 1 of his 12 shot attempts over his past four games. Not a good stat for the Blue Devils, especially since they are also missing forward Ryan Kelly for the ACC tournament because of a foot injury.

The key for FSU will be to limit Duke’s outside scoring while taking advantage of the Devils’ thin depth inside.

And if it’s close at the end, they have a couple of clutch options in Michael Snaer and Ian Miller, who have both buried game winners this season.

“We know we have a tremendous opportunity to do something great,’’ Snaer said. “My team is really confident in our abilities, and we’re playing like it. We’re playing together. … We know how important this game is to us, and to our program and to the history of our program. And I can’t wait for it to get started.”

RALEIGH, N.C. -- A quick look at North Carolina’s 86-74 win at NC State.

Why it happened: NC State plays in spurts, but it didn’t play in enough of them against a hot-shooting Tar Heels team. North Carolina scorched the Wolfpack from beyond the arc, connecting on 10-of-19 3-pointers. UNC shot 53 percent from 3 and 51 percent overall.

What it means: NC State’s uncomfortable bubble seat just got a little more uncomfortable. The Wolfpack had three chances (at Duke, vs. FSU, vs. UNC) to make their case and failed in all three. Now NCSU has to win out against Clemson, Miami and Virginia Tech and hope for a little help from other bubble dwellers. North Carolina, meantime, is trying to build a case for a No. 1 seed, an argument that got a little stronger with Missouri’s loss to Kansas State. A lot still has to happen for the Heels to secure a top spot, but winning out will make it an interesting debate for the Selection Committee.

Star of the game: Kendall Marshall isn’t known for being a scorer. That doesn’t mean he can’t score. The North Carolina point guard had a career-high 22 points, 13 assists and most impressive, no turnovers. He was 4-of-5 from long range. Not much more you can ask a point guard to do.

For starters: North Carolina rode hot shooting from the 3-point line to stake a 46-41 lead at the half. The Tar Heels hit 7 of 14 from the behind the arc. But credit to the Wolfpack, which rallied from an early 10-2 hole to make this a game. C.J. Leslie, who needed to be big against UNC’s bigs, was in fact that. He had 14 and 7 in the first 20 minutes, helping the Pack stay tight with the Heels on the boards, 22-21.

Simply not good enough: NC State turned it over just four times, but was 3-of-13 (23 percent) from long range and just 13-of-23 (57 percent) from the free throw line. That's simply not going to get it done against a team as talented as the Heels.

What’s next: NC State’s NCAA tournament hopes are dangling by a thread, especially since some of its fellow bubble brethren (Seton Hall, Kansas State, etc.) took care of business on Tuesday night. That means every game is huge and the next one is awfully dangerous. Clemson has won three of its past four. The Tar Heels, trying to win the league crown, travel to Virginia, host Maryland and then finish the season off with the remach against Duke.

A few quick thoughts as No. 8 North Carolina leads N.C. State 37-23 at halftime at the Smith Center:

• It would have been hard enough for the Wolfpack to handle UNC 7-footer Tyler Zeller -- and on top of that, the senior showed up to play. He has a double-double (13 points, 12 rebounds) already, has made 6 of his 7 shots, and helped push State big man Richard Howell into picking up three fouls early.
• With first-time UNC starter Reggie Bullock guarding him, Wolfpack leading scorer Scott Wood is 0-for-3. State has made only 25 percent of its tries for the game, and its best shot may have been the 70-footer that guard Lorenzo Brown lucked in at the halftime buzzer.
• A few other numbers: UNC is outrebounding State 29-15 … The Tar Heels have an uncharacteristic assist-to-turnover ratio so far (9-to-10) … C.J. Leslie leads State with seven points. … UNC freshman point guard Stilman White, UNC’s new back-up ballhandler after Dexter Strickland’s knee injury, has picked up an assist and a foul in one minute of play.

STANFORD, Calif. -- Stanford coach Johnny Dawkins hasn’t thought much about the Cardinal sitting atop the Pac-12 standings, but even in December, the view from above has to look awfully nice.

Preseason favorite UCLA is reeling, while conference title contenders Arizona, Cal, Oregon and Washington have all taken their lumps.

For 8-1 Stanford, things are falling into place. That much was made clear after the Cardinal erased a 12-point second-half deficit to pull off a 76-72 win against NC State at Maples Pavilion on Sunday.

One fan raised a large cutout of former football coach Jim Harbaugh’s face as the Cardinal completed their comeback, and now it is Dawkins who is showing signs of turning around a program that has struggled to make an impact on the conference race since his arrival in 2008.

“Looking at long-term goals, this is one of those games that you need to punch your ticket,” said Stanford forward Josh Owens, who had 19 points and 7 rebounds. “That’s how Coach puts it.”

Yes, Stanford is thinking about its postseason résumé. That counts as progress, as does a win in which the Cardinal defeated an ACC team when it didn’t take its first lead until 3:06 remained in the game. Owens was dominant during a late 16-1 run while freshman Chasson Randle (16 points) and sophomore Aaron Bright (15 points) also came through with big moments. Other young players such as Anthony Brown (12 points) and Josh Huestis (6 points, 9 rebounds) made significant contributions off the bench.

The Cardinal beat Oklahoma State convincingly in New York, but couldn’t finish off an upset bid against Syracuse in the championship game of the NIT Season Tip-Off. Beating an improved NC State team was an important result.

“It says a lot about this group,” Dawkins said. “You never know how guys respond. The kids responded. It makes you feel proud.

“For us, it’s a terrific win. We executed down the stretch.”

But could Stanford compete for a Pac-12 title in a league that hasn’t had any other teams distinguish themselves? Cal could fall out of the rankings after losing to San Diego State, leaving the Pac-12 without a Top 25 team. Before Sunday, the Cardinal had won each of its games by double-digits and had been receiving votes in the polls. Stanford could very well go into the conference season with one loss if it can beat Butler at home later this month.

Meanwhile, the Wolfpack under first-year coach Mark Gottfried was left bemoaning a second straight loss after leading late against Indiana last week as well. NC State was missing top scorer C.J. Leslie for much of the second half while he battled cramps and dehydration. Leslie had scored 14 points before halftime.

“We have to be able to play 40 minutes,” said guard C.J. Williams, who scored 18 points. “Right now, we’re playing 35 minutes. We’re going to get that right.”

Said Leslie: “We have to learn how to finish.”

Stanford apparently has learned that lesson and is now showing it should be taken seriously despite being picked by the media to finish sixth.

“We don’t necessarily pay attention to preseason rankings,” Owens said. “We’ve been building since the end of the last season and the summer.”

Does he consider the Cardinal a Pac-12 title contender?

“Of course. Always.”

1. The decision by freshman guard Jabari Brown to transfer from Oregon stunned the Ducks coaching staff. Head coach Dana Altman said after Sunday’s game that he tried to talk Brown out of the decision and he wasn’t closing the door. Altman said Brown was frustrated. Another member of the staff said Brown didn’t give a reason for his departure. He was playing significant minutes and it was only after two games. Brown was a leader for the Ducks during the trip to Italy in the preseason. The Ducks are flustered, wondering what else they could have done to prevent this departure. If Brown follows through and doesn’t come back, this will be a season-changing decision for the Ducks.

2. Drexel looked like the Colonial Athletic Association favorite in a short-handed victory at Rider last Tuesday. But then the Dragons went to the Virgin Islands and collapsed, losing to Norfolk State and Virginia in the first two games, shooting a combined 6-of-34 from 3-point rane. The Dragons were still without two of their three best guards in Chris Fouch and Tavon Allen, both injured. “We can’t make shots and we’re having to play guys in spots they’re not comfortable in,’’ Drexel coach Bruiser Flint said. The Dragons pulled a no-show against Norfolk and couldn’t make a bucket against UVa. But Flint isn’t worried. The core of the team is still talented enough – especially with Samme Givens and Frantz Massenat healthy inside and out – to compete for the CAA title. But an at-large berth is taking a serious hit.

3. NC State coach Mark Gottfried has the Wolfpack playing at a high level here early in the season. The Wolfpack are an entertaining team to watch and can score with C.J. Leslie, DeShawn Painter, Richard Howell, Lorenzo Brown and, once he's back from an ankle injury, Scott Wood. But Gottfried is selling that Belgian big man Thomas de Thaey will be the surprise if he can get cleared by the NCAA. The Wolfpack are still awaiting a ruling on the 6-foot-8 forward.

1. The season began with a trickling of news of extra benefits benching key players. We can quibble on the merits of each extra benefit from C.J. Leslie (NC State), Ryan Boatright (Connecticut) and Festus Ezeli (Vanderbilt). But the reality is that these violations have and will affect these teams from starting the season the way each should. Leslie needed to get off on solid footing for new coach Mark Gottfried at NC State. He’s out for three games and will first play against Vandy. Leslie was a bit of a disappointment last season. He has a chance to start fresh with Gottfried, and now he has to play catch-up. Each of these incidents, and Baylor’s Perry Jones III (out for the first five games, too), weren’t involving the coaching staffs. That doesn’t matter. These forced sit-downs affect each team. No one will miss the NCAAs because of these violations, but it’s just another cautionary tale of how extra benefits prior to college or in the offseason for college players will have consequences.

2. It was just the first weekend of games, but how a conference does out of conference matters in November and December. The Missouri Valley has a chance for multiple bids, much like the Colonial Athletic Association did last season. And any non-conference wins against projected conference favorites help. Missouri State won handily at Nevada in Paul Lusk’s debut as head coach. The Wolf Pack were the preseason favorite in the WAC over Utah State by the coaches (not the media, who had the reverse). Evansville beat Horizon League favorite Butler in overtime at home as Colt Ryan was the star with 0.9 seconds remaining in regulation by hitting a free throw and then six of the 11 points in OT. Northern Iowa dismantled Old Dominion on the road behind Jake Koch’s 18. Creighton and Wichita State are the favorites in the Valley. But the better the rest of the league does, the more likely there will be at-large bids, too.

3. Mississippi State’s Renardo Sidney didn’t play against South Alabama on Saturday because of a groin injury. He is being evaluated each day. Sidney did play in a 10-point loss to Akron last week. It would be a shame if he’s not healthy enough to go against Texas A&M on Thursday night in the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer. The Bulldogs did play better without Sidney against South Alabama, but the competition wasn’t the same against Akron. Still, the Bulldogs need to have some consistency with Sidney and Arnett Moultrie together in the post. The two games in New York against Texas A&M and then either St. John’s or Arizona will help this team get ready for the long haul, as well as possibly provide critical power-rating points.

While Kentucky coach John Calipari was anticipating for the past month that he might lose his fence-sitters in the draft, he also knew he could still withstand the blow by recruiting at an elite level.

North Carolina State and Richmond are two programs that couldn't afford a setback.

On the surface, there is no reason to believe NC State's Tracy Smith or Richmond's Kevin Anderson would stay in the draft. Neither had much buzz about them, but this is an era where just having someone mention you might be a first-round pick, or even a second-rounder, can entice a player to say goodbye to school.

NC State is a program that should be on the rise. With the return of Smith, the team's leading scorer (16.5) and rebounder (7.3) last season, the Wolfpack may finally turn the corner under Sidney Lowe after four subpar years. The Pack haven't won more than six ACC games under Lowe and won five last season. But NC State won six of its last nine games overall and the recruiting has finally reached a national level.

"We've definitely got momentum," Lowe said. "We finished strong and with quality players coming back and the young talent coming in we're going in the right direction.''

The Wolfpack signed up one of the top perimeters in the fall with guards Ryan Harrow and Lorenzo Brown. Then in late April, they snagged the highly coveted hometown forward C.J. Leslie of Raleigh. If Smith had departed early, the momentum would have been stunted.

"That would have been a tremendous blow to our team,'' Lowe said. "I wasn't worried, but someone got in his ear and told him that it won't hurt to throw your name in. It was all of a sudden. He did tell me that he would come back."

Lowe signed Leslie amid rumors that he was going to be fired (not true) and the athletic director who hired him was going to be out (which turned out to be correct when Lee Fowler resigned last week, effective June 30).

"We got C.J. during a tough time of change," Lowe said. "Lee was good to me. A good man. It was a tough deal."

Now the Wolfpack have the veteran presence in Smith and the high-level talent coming in with Harrow, Brown and Leslie.

"That's what we've been waiting for," Lowe said. "When you look at the top programs that's what they do, year in and year out. This is the group that we've been able to recruit when they were young. We've got guys coming back with some five-star, high-quality players to mix it in."

Programs trying to move upward can't afford to lose talent early to the draft if there isn't a backfill immediately behind them.

Richmond made the NCAAs for the first time under Chris Mooney this past season. The Spiders won nine games in the A-10 in each of the previous two seasons and then last season won 13 and 26 overall before losing to Saint Mary's in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The backcourt of A-10 player of the year Anderson and David Gonzalvez wasn't going to be reunited with Gonzalvez a senior. But had the Spiders also lost Anderson, keeping up with Temple, Xavier and Dayton would have been a chore.

Like Smith, Anderson just wanted to see if he could get a bite. With the short window of opportunity, he did not and returned.

Gonzalvez ate up a lot of minutes last season and Darien Brothers, who played sparingly, Kevin Smith and Greg Robbins -- the latter two more wings than traditional guards -- will share minutes in place of Gonzalvez. Take Anderson out of the equation and there goes Richmond's marquee player, its go-to guy and a veteran presence to ease in these players.

"That would have been difficult to overcome," Mooney said. "We've finished in the top five three straight years in the A-10 and we're on line to finish high again. That would have been a setback. We're building the program to where we want it to be.''

For a minute there, Sidney Lowe's job was hanging in the balance. NC State athletic director Lee Fowler was faced with an unfortunate decision. Folwer could either fire Sidney Lowe based on Lowe's first four years, in which the Wolfpack experienced almost no success, or Fowler could keep Lowe around long enough for the coach to welcome his first impressive recruiting class and the sudden promise of immediate success.

In the end, hardly wavering, Fowler stuck with Lowe. It paid off.

Yesterday, Lowe got an all-important commitment from the second-best remaining unsigned recruit in the class of 2010, C.J. Leslie. Leslie is an uber-athletic 6-foot-9 power forward who plays "way above the rim," according to his ESPNU and Scouts Inc. evaluation notes. The recruit is the No. 11-ranked player in the class of 2010; his recruiting decision had been narrowed to Kentucky, Connecticut and NC State. In the end, Leslie, who hails from Word of God Academy in Raleigh, N.C. (the same school as former Kentucky star John Wall), chose his home state Wolfpack and delivered a major boost to Lowe's program in the process.

Leslie is the athlète de resistance in Lowe's out-of-nowhere 2010 class. The coach will also welcome Ryan Harrow, the No. 8-ranked point guard in this class, as well as Lorenzo Brown, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Hargrave Military Academy. The class is small but balanced and talent-rich.

What's more, despite Lowe's lack of success in 2009-10, that talent won't join a completely hapless squad. Led by one of the ACC's best big men in junior Tracy Smith, NC State made sincere strides at the beginning of the ACC season. Smith will return for his senior year, providing both scoring and senior leadership to what should be an atypically freshman-heavy squad. With Smith back and this class on the way, the Wolfpack have a chance to not only finish in the top half of the ACC but compete with Virginia Tech for the conference's second tier. (Unless something goes horribly wrong, Duke isn't losing the ACC next year. Sorry.)

But the larger story here is that with his time running short and Wolfpack patience running thin, Sidney Lowe needed to pull a rabbit out of his hat. He did, and it couldn't have come at a better time.

After the commitments of Brandon Knight to Kentucky and Josh Selby to Kansas, the 2010 class was nearly settled. There are but three impact players whose decisions still lingered: Cory Joseph, C.J. Leslie, and Doron Lamb.

As it stands, two out of three ain't bad. Joseph made his final recruiting decision this weekend, choosing Texas. Lamb, who announced at the Jordan Brand Classic two weeks ago*, will join Knight and international forward Enes Kanter to John Calipari's Kentucky program. (Leslie, the highest-ranked player of the three, has yet to make his decision; he is also considering Kentucky as well as Connecticut and NC State.)

Joseph is a nice get for Texas coach Rick Barnes, who saw a previously undefeated No. 1-ranked Texas team fall prey to inconsistent point guard play in 2009-10. For much of the Longhorns' disastrous slide, Barnes vacillated between defensive stalwart Dogus Balbay and freshman scorer J'Covan Brown. Balbay gave the Longhorns leadership and defense, but without a jump shot, became far too easy to guard on offense. Brown showed flashes of brilliance but couldn't discover a balance between his own scoring and facilitating Texas' other stars. Point guard play wasn't the only reason, but it was a main contributor to the Longhorns' disappointing season.

Joseph is the No. 4-ranked point guard in this year's class, one with a reliable outside shot and an ability to get to the rim. If Joseph can provide some balance to Texas' guard play, he could be just the remedy Rick Barnes needed.

Meanwhile, Doron Lamb, the No. 29-ranked player in 2010, is billed as the best mid-range scorer in the class. Lamb will need to develop an outside shot, but he should complement Knight's penetration quite nicely -- the Eric Bledsoe to Knight's John Wall, even if neither 2010 recruit is quite as good as his predecessor.

In the end, both players landed at very young, talented schools, and it shouldn't take long for them to make their presences felt. And after C.J. Leslie finally makes his decision, the class of 2010 will finally, mercifully be in the books. Hooray.

*Update: I originally wrote that Lamb decided his college last Saturday, when it was in fact at the Jordan Brand Classic two weeks ago. My mistake, guys.