ESPN Men's Basketball

Seventh-ranked North Carolina has won 11 in a row over NC State, but there’s more than the rivalry at stake at the RBC Center on Tuesday night.

The Wolfpack has lost two straight, and needs a win over a top-tier team to stay in the NCAA tournament at-large discussion.

The Tar Heels, meanwhile, are trying to stay atop the ACC standings and push themselves in the NCAA positioning.

A few things to watch in the 8 p.m. EST tip-off (ESPN3):

CROWD CONTROL

Expect emotions to be running high.

Saturday night, former NC State stars Chris Corchiani and Tom Gugliotta — whose jersey numbers hang from the rafters — were ejected from the Wolfpack’s game at the RBC Center by official Karl Hess for “excessive demonstration.” (Hess was subsequently reprimanded by the ACC).

Tuesday night, the duo will be back on the court, as the school will honor the 1989 ACC regular-season title team — which featured both players — before the game.

“Our goal is that we want to come out with a strong start and take the crowd out of it early,” UNC point guard Kendall Marshall said. “If we can do that, it’ll be a lot easier than if we let the crowd get behind them. I think they’re also honoring one of their teams, so the juices are going to be flowing for them. We just want to take the air out of the building as quick as possible.”

UNC’S DEFENSE

“Everybody thinks that defense is just sweat and slobbering and yelling at guys and stuff like that,’’ UNC coach Roy Williams said. “You’ve got to know what the dickens you’re doing.”

The Tar Heels appear to be getting there. They’ve held their last three opponents to less than 40 percent shooting, and pose a tall matchup problem for the Wolfpack, which shot only 36.8 percent against the Tar Heels last month.

One key again will be slowing junior Scott Wood, who made only 4 of 12 shots in the last match-up. According to The (Raleigh) News & Observer, the Pack actually locked away the balls and didn't practice on Sunday to keep the players – including Wood – from wearing themselves out by shooting too much.

THE POINT GUARD MATCH-UP

Marshall, before the last showdown, complimented Wolfpack ballhandler Lorenzo Brown, saying Brown had quietly posted “one of the best point guard seasons of the year.” Marshall, though, easily won the battle last time, recording seven points and 11 assists. Brown finished with nine and six, respectively, and his team lost 74-55.

If Brown was aggressive, he could test Marshall. If not, expect the Tar Heels sophomore to add to the 11 double-digit assist games he’s already posted this season.

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

This week's attempt at ranking the surprisingly tight-at-the-top ACC:

1. North Carolina: No Dexter Strickland? No problem. Not only did the Tar Heels give their best defensive effort of the season in a 74-55 win against NC State on Jan. 26 that wasn’t as close as its final 19-point margin, they finally started connecting from 3-point land against Georgia Tech -- something they had struggled with during ACC play -- for a 93-81 victory Saturday. That 33-point loss at Florida State on Jan. 14 still stings, but it’s looking more and more like a much-needed slap in the face to a team that is the best in the conference when it competes with focus and passion.

2. Florida State: The Seminoles remain the hottest team in the conference, beating Wake Forest 75-52 in their only game last week to extend their winning streak to five. FSU has now scored at least 75 points in four straight games -- a good sign for a team that struggled to reach 50 a couple of times earlier in the season.

3. Duke: When is a win not a win? When coach Mike Krzyzewski says it feels more like a loss. That was his sentiment after the Blue Devils’ seven-point victory over St. John’s on Saturday, during which Duke allowed a 22-point second half lead to dwindle because of a lackadaisical defensive effort. In a surprisingly-tight ACC race, that’s enough to drop Duke from the top of these power rankings this week.

4. Virginia: The Cavs continue to get it done with defense. After holding Boston College to 49 points (the ninth time this season they’ve held a foe to fewer than 50), Jontel Evans and Sammy Zeglinski cut off NC State guard Lorenzo Brown's penetration to the basket in the final seconds of that game, forcing a 3-pointer that missed -- and securing a 61-60 victory.

5. NC State: Although State did a solid job of rallying after its blowout loss at UNC, Brown's potential game-winning 3-pointer fell short against Virginia. The Tar Heels and Cavaliers did a good job of slowing down Scott Wood, as State’s leading scorer was held to 7-for-23 shooting in the two losses.

6. Maryland: The Terps broke a three-game losing streak -- including a 74-61 loss to Duke on Jan. 25 -- by beating Virginia Tech 73-69 at home. Terrell Stoglin scored 21 of his 28 points in the second half to lead the effort, and he continues to lead the ACC in scoring with 21.3 points per game.

7. Miami: The Canes followed a 64-49 win at Georgia Tech with a 76-54 victory at Boston College, pulling away from the Eagles with a 27-5 game-ending run. Junior forward Kenny Kadji continues to impress, averaging 17.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks during those two games.

8. Clemson: When Andre Young shoots 40 percent or better, Clemson is 3-0 in ACC play. When Young shoots below 40 percent, Clemson is 0-3 in ACC play. He did the former against Wake Forest, scoring 19 points on 7-for-12 shooting during his team’s win over Wake Forest.

9. Virginia Tech: The Hokies lost by two points to BYU, before falling by four points in Maryland last week. The only Tech game this month that hasn’t been decided by four or fewer points was its double-digit loss to UNC. The Hokies are now 1-6 during that stretch, and it’s going to get more difficult to dig out of the ACC basement.

10. Wake Forest: C.J. Harris has now scored in double figures for 20 straight games -- the first Deacon to do so since Jeff Teague -- but it wasn’t enough to contend with Florida State at home, or Clemson on the road, last week. Wake has now lost five of its last six games.

11. Georgia Tech: The Jackets managed to score a few more points in the first half against UNC on Sunday (32) than they had in their previous four losses (19.3, on average). But leading scorer Glen Rice Jr.'s sore big toe, injured in practice last week, isn’t helping matters.

12. Boston College: The young Eagles have now lost four straight since beating Clemson and Virginia Tech earlier this month.

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- It looks like Dexter Strickland isn’t the only Tar Heel who can play defense.

With questions about North Carolina’s fortitude still lingering after a 33-point loss at Florida State earlier this month, and new concerns emerging after it lost its starting shooting guard/backup point guard to a torn ACL last week, No. 8 UNC showed it should be just fine -- thank you very much -- by blowing out NC State 74-55 on Thursday night.

And the Tar Heels did it in a way that paid homage to Strickland, widely considered their best shut-down defender.

They blocked eight shots. They held NC State to a season lows in points and shooting (36.8 percent).

They outrebounded the Wolfpack by 22, and sophomore Reggie Bullock -- making his first career start, in place of Strickland -- held State sharpshooter Scott Wood to a forgettable 4-for-12 outing.

“Up until this point, we weren’t really known as a defensive team,’’ said sophomore forward Harrison Barnes (15 points). “But I think that’s what we need to make our staple, now, going into the back end of ACC play.”

All year long, UNC coach Roy Williams has insisted this team had the ability to be “very good” defensively. But it wasn’t until the absence of Strickland in drills this week, his teammates said, that they really realized how much he did -- and how much more they could do.

“As a team, we knew we needed to step up collectively on defense,’’ point guard Kendall Marshall said.

With Strickland watching from the bench in a natty striped sweater, they did.

The Tar Heels led 17-14 about midway though the first half, but then they outscored the Wolfpack 20-9 to take a 37-23 lead into halftime. They flooded passing lanes; they swatted shots from the lane.

The Wolfpack seemed confounded by the overwhelming size of 6-foot-11 John Henson (nine points, 10 rebounds, five blocks) and 7-0 Tyler Zeller (21 points, career-high 17 rebounds) -- especially when State starting forward Richard Howell picked up three quick fouls early.

And the only reason they didn’t trail by more at the break was point guard Lorenzo Brown's 80-foot buzzer beater.

“They got after it defensively, we got a little flustered, we didn't play with poise like we had been the first 20 games of the season and they took us out of what we wanted to do,’’ Wolfpack forward C.J. Williams said.

New coach Mark Gottfried said that for the first time in his 21 games at NC State, a foe’s defensive pressure affected his team’s offensive composure.

“They took away one option and we didn’t have the wherewithal to stay with our offense and really grind out good shots,’’ he said.

Granted, the in-state rivalry had to add something to UNC’s intensity. State, under Gottfried, was off to its best start in six years. Tied for the ACC lead at the beginning of the week, the Wolfpack -- a balanced team featuring five starters that averaged double figures -- finally looked ready to make a run at their down-the-road foes.

Instead, the game marked UNC’s 11^th straight win in the series, tying its longest streak of dominance over the Wolfpack (the Tar Heels also won 11 in a row from 1934 to '38).

“We definitely wanted to go out and show them that this was our home court, and that’s what we did,’’ Barnes said.

The Tar Heels shot 48.4 percent for the game; Bullock recorded 11 points, five rebounds and three assists as a starter; and freshman Stilman White, the new backup ballhandler now that Strickland is sidelined, had a 3-pointer, an assist and a foul in five minutes.

Coach Roy Williams wasn’t thrilled when UNC’s defensive intensity let up a bit in the second half, after the Tar Heels led by as many as 31 points. State shot 52 percent after halftime, when Wood also scored all of his team-high 11 points.

Marshall said the Tar Heels need to keep their defensive focus for 40 minutes, “but we’re getting there.”

He added: “I think we could have been a better team while he [Dexter] was here. We just didn’t take advantage of that opportunity. Moving forward now, I think we’re 4-1 [in the ACC], so we’ve got 11 more games where we can better ourselves.”

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- A quick look at No. 8 North Carolina’s 74-55 victory over NC State at the Smith Center on Thursday:

What it means: Continued bragging rights for UNC. A bounce-back test for NC State – and fast. The Tar Heels won their 11^th straight in the rivalry series, and in easier fashion than expected considering the Wolfpack, under new coach Mark Gottfried, was off to their best start in six years. It couldn’t handle the Tar Heels’ size, and intensity or defense. State has only until Saturday to regroup and prepare for its next test, against Virginia.

How it happened: UNC put it into another defensive gear early, what with first-time starter Reggie Bullock holding Wolfpack leading scorer Scott Wood to 0-for-3 at halftime, 7-footer Tyler Zeller almost out-rebounding State all by himself in the first 20 minutes and the team recording six first-half blocks. UNC led 37-23 at the break, and the only reason it wasn’t by more was State point guard Lorenzo Brown’s 85-footer at the buzzer.

Wood finally made a field goal to open the first half, but UNC just poured it on. Three-pointers by Kendall Marshall and his new backup, Stilman White, helped the Tar Heels to a 61-32 lead with 11:30 left. And when White bricked another 3-point attempt a couple of minutes later and coach Roy Williams only smiled in response – that pretty much said it all.

Zeller set a new career high in rebounds (17) to go along with 21 points. Harrison Barnes added 15 for the Tar Heels.

Wood ended up leading the Pack, who shot only 36.8 percent for the game, with 11 points on 4-for-12 shooting.

Number to know: Zeller has now grabbed 116 rebounds in his past 10 games.

What’s next: UNC will play Georgia Tech on Sunday at the Smith Center. NC State will host Virginia on Saturday.

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

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.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- At 15-5, NC State is off to its best start in six years. At 4-1 in the ACC, it entered this week tied atop the conference standings with Duke and Florida State, with North Carolina (16-3, 3-1) just behind.

It boasts a new coach. And five starters averaging double figures.

So, does that add new relevance to tonight’s rivalry game, when the Wolfpack play No. 8 UNC at the Smith Center?

“They've been relevant to me all the time,’’ said UNC coach Roy Williams, whose Tar Heels have won 10 in a row against the Wolfpack.

But, he conceded: “I think [their record] does add more to it than if they were 1-4 and we were 19-0. I think it's a very legitimate thing. They've played well.”

So well, Tar Heels point guard Kendall Marshall said, that "right now it seems like we're the underdogs. They're tied for first in the ACC and we're not."

A few things (among many) to watch tonight:

REGGIE BULLOCK

The Kinston, N.C., native will make his first start for UNC, in place of shooting guard Dexter Strickland, who is out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL in his right knee.

The sophomore said he’s excited about his new spot in the opening five, but "I didn't want it to happen like this, and I know it's a big loss for our team, but I’ve just got to go out there and perform for me and Strick. He was my partner at the 2-guard position, so I just have to go out there and play my game and do the things I knew he would do when he was out there."

Bullock is not the same defender as Strickland, but at 6-foot-7, he adds more size and outside shooting ability.

“Everybody’s got to raise their level of play, and everybody’s got to raise their level of consistency of play and be able to make some changes to make up for some of the things we lose from Dexter,” Williams said.

WOOD AT THE LINE

NC State junior Scott Wood is a perfect 48-for-48 from the free throw line this season, leading the nation in free throw percentage. He’s made 58 in a row dating to last season, and last weekend he broke Duke All-American J.J. Redick’s ACC mark for consecutive free throws made.

He is 25 away from tying Villanova’s Gary Buchanan, who holds the D-I record for most consecutive free throws made in a season (73 in 2000-01). But it could be difficult for him to add to his streak tonight.

UNC’s opponents are attempting 11.6 free throws per game, the fewest in the nation.

MARSHALL VS. LORENZO BROWN

Marshall, UNC’s starting point guard, leads the ACC in assists with 9.5 per game.

Brown, NC State’s starting ball handler, leads the league in steals with 2.0 per game.

Marshall, who might need to start playing more minutes because of the loss of Strickland, said he’s excited about the matchup.

“Up to this point, I think Lorenzo Brown has had quietly one of the best point guard seasons this year,’’ Marshall said. “Definitely best in the ACC. He does a lot of things very well. ... I’ve watched him a lot, and [the] thing that I’m most impressed with is how he’s transformed his game in the past eight months. He went from being more of a scoring 2 to learning how to play the point guard position. And at his size [6-foot-6], I think he does a great job of it.”

ESPN Stats and Information contributed.

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- North Carolina guards P.J. Hairston and Reggie Bullock spent extra time in the gym Monday night, putting up jumpers, scrimmaging one-on-one, working to create their own shots.

With starting shooting guard Dexter Strickland out for the rest of the season because of a knee injury, Hairston says the duo knows it will need to contribute more, especially in one key aspect.

“Without a doubt, [Strickland] is our best on-the-ball defender, and that’s what our big role has to be: defense first,’’ Hairston said Tuesday. “And that’s the main thing that I’m working on is focusing on defense more and trying to stay with my man, because I’m going to have to guard 2-guards more, and I have to focus better on defense.”

Coach Roy Williams has said that Bullock, a sophomore, will move into the opening five when the eighth-ranked Tar Heels play NC State on Thursday. He’s improved on defense, and will give UNC’s backcourt more of an outside scoring presence than Strickland, who got most of his 7.5 ppg in transition.

“I think it will give them a new dimension,’’ said NC State guard Scott Wood, the Wolfpack's leading scorer. “It will open things up for [John] Henson and [Tyler] Zeller if they can knock down some open shots. It could definitely make them a better offensive team.”

By the way, the winner of that one-on-one game Monday night?

“It was even,” Hairston said. “I won about three and Reggie won about three. Each time one of us lost, we got mad and won the next one. It’s always competitive with me and Reggie.”

STEALING THE SPOTLIGHT: Wolfpack point guard Lorenzo Brown leads the ACC, and ranks 50^th in the nation, in steals at 2.0 per game. Why?

“My arms are long, and my hands are active most of the time,’’ the 6-foot-5 sophomore said. “I look at the ball most of the time, I’m not trying to follow my defender.”

Brown said he’s tried to improve his defense this year, after the Wolfpack’s new coaching staff told him at the beginning of the season that he didn’t play it very well, or up to his capabilities. “So I’ve been trying to prove it to them,” he said.

Thursday will be another test, as he matches up with UNC starter Kendall Marshall, one of the best passers in the nation.

“I think you just have to keep a hand up in front of his face, so he can’t see where his teammates are --because that’s who he goes to,’’ Brown said. “His teammates are great scorers, so you’ve got to try ... to make it hard for him to get the ball to them.”

Swiping it in the process? That would be an added benefit.

“Last year, I wasn’t as active as I am this year, and I’m more vocal with my teammates,’’ said Brown, who is also averaging 12.4 points, 6.9 assists and 4.3 rebounds. “And that helps.”

STRICKLAND IN GOOD SPIRITS: Hairston said Strickland -- who tore his ACL at Virginia Tech last Thursday -- has been joking around the locker room, even teasing Bullock that he might have to play point guard.

“He acts like it never even happened, that his knee’s not bothering him,’’ Hairston said. “But I know deep down inside he’s hurting, that he really wants to play. But he’s still being a good team player, still motivating us to do good things on the court.”

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

Would the fourth-best team in the league please raise your collective hand? Or at least, your level of play? One more attempt to rank the ACC squads before conference competition (finally) begins this week. As always, feel free to debate or weigh in:

1. North Carolina: Blowout wins against Elon and Monmouth certainly don't help UNC’s RPI. But then again, its ACC opener against Boston College next weekend probably won’t, either. Forward John Henson continues to average a double-double, plus a league-leading 3.2 blocks per game.

2. Duke: After a 40-point win over Western Michigan followed by a 30-point win over Penn, the Devils have one more road game, at Temple on Wednesday, to gear up for league play. Rookie Austin Rivers continues to lead the team -- and the ACC Rookie of the Year race -- with 15.4 ppg.

3. Virginia: The Cavs, who have won 10 straight, should get a good pre-conference test Monday night in Baton Rouge, where they will face an LSU team that has won seven straight by holding its competition to fewer than 60 points per game.

4. Virginia Tech: The Hokies have now beaten Oklahoma State twice this season, the second time snapping the Cowboys’ 37-game home winning streak against nonconference foes. Tech has won six in a row entering its ACC opener at Wake Forest on Saturday.

5. N.C. State: Scoring depth could be an issue come conference play, but the Wolfpack’s starting five sure knows how to keep things interesting. Lorenzo Brown leads the league in steals at 2.1 per game.

6. Florida State: For the second time this season, the Seminoles lost to an Ivy League school -- this time to Princeton in triple overtime. With six scholarship seniors on the team, FSU should be showing more motivation.

7. Miami: The Hurricanes haven’t lost since forward Reggie Johnson returned, and trail only Duke in the league in 3-pointers made per game (8.3). Malcolm Grant is the team’s leader (and the ACC co-leader) in that category with 2.8 made per game.

8. Maryland: Center Alex Len made an alley-oop dunk in the opening minute of his college debut against Albany -- a sign of good things to come for the Terps? He’s averaging 13.5 points and 7.5 rebounds after two games, and Maryland has won six straight.

9. Wake Forest: Led by C.J. Harris (18.7 ppg), the Deacs have already won nine games this season, one more than 2010-11. They’ve won three straight, but are still tied for last in the league in rebounding margin, at minus-5 per game.

10. Georgia Tech: The Jackets’ latest loss was at Fordham, which only managed one victory in the Atlantic 10 last season. One problem: Tech can’t seem to hold on to the ball, as its turnover margin is minus-3 per game.

11. Clemson: Forwards Milton Jennings and Devin Booker are combining to average only about three more points per game than last season. More was expected.

12. Boston College: The Eagles managed only three points (all on free throws) in the final 8:32 of their loss to Harvard, and the point-less stretches are becoming a theme for young BC. Boston College is averaging a league-worst 61 ppg.

Robbi Pickeral can be reached at bylinerp@gmail.com. Twitter: @bylinerp.