ESPN Men's Basketball

ATLANTA -- To those who still think North Carolina point guard Kendall Marshall is a one-dimensional player: Take that.

With the score knotted at 67 in Saturday's ACC tournament semifinal, and teammate Harrison Barnes unable to find much breathing room against NC State, Marshall played the role of game-winner. After Barnes passed the ball back to him, Marshall drove, shouldered into Wolfpack guard Alex Johnson (which had State fans and coach Mark Gottfried screaming “charge!”), and banked in a roughly-8-foot shot with 10.2 seconds left.

Marshall (who set the ACC record for assists in a season on Friday) finished with 12 points and 10 assists, the first time a Tar Heel has ever recorded three consecutive point-assist double-double games.

“The way most people tell it, I’m one-dimensional; all I can do is pass, I can’t defend, I can’t score,’’ Marshall said. “But my job is to go out there and play basketball, and find a way to help my team win. And I felt like I did a pretty good job for the most part today.”

STATE SHOULD BE IN: If UNC coach Roy Williams had a vote, NC State would make the NCAA tournament.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that they’re one of the top 68 teams in the country,’’ said Williams.

The Wolfpack fell to 22-12 with the loss, and entered the tournament on the bubble. But ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi had them projected as one of the teams earning an at-large bid as of Saturday afternoon.

WE’VE SEEN THIS BEFORE: Once again, UNC wing Reggie Bullock stymied Scott Wood into a frustrating day. NC State’s second-leading scorer finished with 2 points on 1-for-6 shooting.

In this season's previous meetings between the teams, Bullock helped hold Wood to 4-for-12 and 1-for-5 shooting, respectively.

“Reggie’s done a great job three times this year of really making it tough on him,’’ Marshall said.

ONE MORE POSITION? Senior Justin Watts has played four positions in the past, and played all four in one game Saturday. But he’s never played the "5" spot.

Has the 6-foot-5 wing earned the right to play it for maybe 30 seconds at some point, starting "5" Tyler Zeller was asked?

Zeller laughed. “He could probably do it for 30 seconds; he’s a little undersized for that position, though.”

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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.

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.

Remember earlier this season, when it looked as if the ACC might not get more than three NCAA tournament bids? As many as six are making cases now. My attempt at this week’s power rankings:

1. Duke: The Blue Devils beat Maryland over the weekend, but it will be their come-from-behind victory at UNC last Wednesday -- rallying from 10 points down in the final 2:38 -- that will linger in the annals of the rivalry. Freshman Austin Rivers, who scored 29 points (including the game-winning 3-pointer) in the victory, averaged 20 points, three rebounds and three assists for the week -- and shot his team back to the top of these ratings.

2. North Carolina: The Tar Heels -- led by forward Tyler Zeller -- bounced back from the Duke loss with a double-digit win over Virginia. But they’ve hit only 2 of their last 16 3-pointers, and will be thin on the bench until freshman P.J. Hairston (who missed Saturday’s win with a sore foot) returns.

3. Florida State: Forward Bernard James scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half to help beat Miami, but the loss at Boston College still has to burn. Guard Michael Snaer, who had been shooting better than 57 percent from 3-point range during his team’s seven-game winning streak, managed only one 3 against the Eagles, proving again how key he is to this team’s success.

4. Virginia: Coach Tony Bennett was able to rest star forward Mike Scott for a long second half stretch in a blowout victory versus Wake Forest. But Bennett would have liked to have been able to use him more at UNC, where the senior was in foul trouble early and his team lost by double figures. The Cavs have now lost two of their last three games, both to top-25 foes.

5. N.C. State: Junior Scott Wood finally missed a free throw, ending his ACC-record streak at 66. But the Wolfpack won their only game last week, at Georgia Tech, avenging their loss to the Yellow Jackets last month. They have now won three in a row.

6. Miami: Reggie Johnson was held to four points as FSU halted the Hurricanes’ winning streak at five. Next up: a home rematch with UNC.

7. Maryland: With players moving in and out of the lineup early on, first-year coach Mark Turgeon said it felt like he had coached several different seasons in one. Add another. Starting point guard Pe’Shon Howard, who missed the first nine games with a stress fracture in his foot, is now out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL in his knee. The Terps lost their first game without him (again), at Duke.

8. Clemson: After losing three straight games by four points or fewer, the Tigers got a 20-point blowout win at Wake Forest. Forward Milton Jennings, back from his second suspension of the season, scored 15 points.

9. Virginia Tech: The Hokies followed a sloppy 16-point loss at Miami with a one-point win over Boston College on Sunday when Dorian Finney-Smith hit a tip-in with 1.8 seconds left.

10. Boston College: Eagles coach Steve Donahue said he doesn’t put great emphasis on wins and losses, considering the youth of his team. But he had to be thrilled with the Eagles’ upset win over Florida State, its third ACC victory of the season. They followed that with a one-point loss to Virginia Tech.

11. Georgia Tech: Tech made only 1 of 17 3-point attempts against N.C. State, and has now lost seven of its past eight games.

12. Wake Forest: The Deacons’ 20-point loss to Clemson marked their sixth straight defeat. "Obviously we are embarrassed," coach Jeff Bzdelik said, according to the Winston-Salem Journal. "Obviously we have some limitations on this team… . What we have to do is be stronger and tougher to stay the course with great energy in those areas we can control -- like defending and rebounding and running the court."

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

North Carolina rallied, Miami upset and Virginia and Florida State battled. It was quite a weekend for the ACC, and here’s an attempt at this week’s power rankings:

1. North Carolina: Harrison Barnes can star when hurting. Kendall Marshall can play an extended stretch with four fouls. And the Tar Heels can still rally, as they showed by coming back from a nine-point deficit at Maryland. But they’re going to have to get more production from their bench, as their reserves managed only nine points in two games last week.

2. Florida State: Michael Snaer managed only three field goals against Virginia’s defense, but they all came at timely points in the second half. The Seminoles have now won seven in a row -- including beating the three other ranked teams in the ACC -- and remain in the driver’s seat for the league’s regular-season race.

3. Duke: The Blue Devils’ loss to Miami marked their second ACC loss at home. Coach Mike Krzyzewski summed up the problem like this: “A Duke team should play with energy for 40 minutes – or 45,” he said, according to The (Raleigh) News & Observer. “Go outside and look at the banners. There are quite a few of them up there. They were not won without energy, without hunger, with ... complacency, with[out] people really wanting it.”

4. Virginia: The Cavs recorded a season-high 20 turnovers in their loss to Florida State, which they blamed more on their execution than the Seminoles’ defense. Senior Mike Scott continues to impress, as Virginia’s four losses this season have come by a combined 10 points.

5. Miami: It took three overtime periods -- two versus Maryland, one at Duke -- to extend the Hurricanes’ winning streak to four, and in so doing, they’re pushing their way back into the NCAA conversation. Sunday’s win marked Miami’s first at Cameron Indoor Stadium, and only its second win over the Blue Devils since joining the ACC.

6. NC State: Scott Wood made six 3-pointers in the Pack’s victory against Wake Forest. Most notably, he did it in his home arena, the RBC Center -- although he told The News & Observer he prefers playing on the road. "Anytime you have fans talking trash, it raises your game."

7. Maryland: The Terps gave the Tar Heels all they could handle on Saturday, even leading by as many as nine points in the second half before UNC rallied. Guard Terrell Stoglin continues to lead the ACC in scoring, but Maryland has now lost five of its past six games.

8. Clemson: The Tigers lost both their games last week and also lost forward Milton Jennings, who was suspended for the second time this season, this time for academic reasons. He’s out indefinitely, meaning the Tigers lose an average of 8.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

9. Virginia Tech: The Hokies -- who had had six of their previous eight ACC games decided by four or fewer points -- finally won a close one when it beat Clemson 67-65. But they squandered a 17-point and lead and needed the Tigers to miss a shot at the end to survive.

10. Wake Forest: It was a tough week for the Deacons, who lost to two in-state foes -- UNC and NC State. That extended their losing streak to four.

11. Georgia Tech: Glen Rice Jr. scored three points in the final minute to help his team beat Boston College and snap a six-game losing streak. “Everybody in the locker room right now is going crazy,” Tech guard Mfon Udofia told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution after the game.

12. Boston College: The Eagles have now lost six in a row -- the last two by a combined nine points -- and things don’t get any easier with Florida State coming to town on Wednesday.

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.

The Morning After: Thoughts, notes and anything else that didn’t quite make this space after North Carolina’s latest game (in this case, No. 8 UNC's 74-55 win over rival NC State on Thursday night at the Smith Center).

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- It’s hard to judge who got the bigger roar during eighth-ranked North Carolina’s 19-point win over NC State on Thursday night: sophomore Reggie Bullock after he was introduced as a starter for the first time in his career or freshman Stilman White after he checked into the game as the new backup point guard.

Either way, both filled in admirably for former starting shooting guard/reserve ballhandler Dexter Strickland, out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL in his right knee.

“Basically, like I played off the bench, I needed to start off that way, and play like that all game,’’ Bullock said. “And that’s what I tried to do.”

He succeeded. Not only did the 6-foot-7 athlete help hold NC State’s leading scorer, Scott Wood, to a 4-for-12 outing, he chipped in with 11 points (with three 3-pointers), plus five rebounds and three assists.

White, meanwhile, came off the bench for the first time with 12:34 to go in the first half. In five total minutes, he finished 1-for-2 (with a 3-pointer), plus an assist (to help Tyler Zeller on a 3-point play) and a foul.

“It was really great to get out there for the first time in that type of situation,’’ said White, who had previously played only nine minutes in ACC action. “In the beginning, I was [nervous], but for me, it was just a matter of getting comfortable out there. And now that I’m comfortable out there, it’s a matter of gaining confidence.”

Coach Roy Williams said that he was pleased, for the most part, with both of the guards’ play. And he liked how he managed starting point guard Kendall Marshall’s minutes (34), using White around timeouts to help give the sophomore a longer breather.

He said the rotation, without Strickland, remains a work in progress but that his team can still shoot better, run more, and play even better defense than it did Thursday night.

A FRUSTRATING STREAK: UNC has now beaten the Wolfpack 11 straight times, meaning Wood, a junior, has yet to top the Tar Heels. How frustrating is that, he was asked after his team’s latest loss.

"I don't know. Has your wife ever cheated on you?" he responded.

The he paused roughly four seconds.

"That's probably about how frustrating it is, probably."

BRIEFLY: Marshall finished with 11 assists, the eighth time this season he has posted 10 or more, and the 14th time in his career. He now has 422 assists as a Tar Heel, passing Walter Davis (409) for 13th place at UNC. … Sophomore forward John Henson blocked five shots, the 17th time in his career he has blocked at least that many in game. Henson now has 243 swats and needs only three more to pass Sam Perkins for second place at UNC. … The Tar Heels pushed their home winning streak to 30 games, extending the school record.

Correction: Scott Wood is a junior, and the text of this post has been updated to correct that fact.

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.”

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UNC Foe to Know: At 4-1 in the ACC, the Wolfpack is off to its best league start since 2003-04, and sharpshooter Scott Wood is a big reason for it. North Carolina faces its in-state rival Thursday night at the Smith Center.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- NC State junior Scott Wood made only 70.6 percent of his free throws as a freshman.

So, to what does he credit his perfect season thus far (he's made all 48 attempts, part of an ACC record 58 in a row dating to his sophomore season)?

Luck. Concentration.

And footwear.

“To be honest, I hated taping my ankles, and I think that was an adjustment,’’ said the 6-foot-6 guard, whose Wolfpack plays No. 8 North Carolina on Thursday night. “I’m being serious -- if you’ve ever taped your ankles, you’ve got no flexibility in your ankles. But now that I’ve done it for so long, I’m kind of used to it. Now it feels better.

“And lowtops. I went to lowtops my sophomore year. I told Coach [Sidney] Lowe, and I told Coach [Mark] Gottfried, ‘I promise you my shooting percentages will increase if you let me wear lowtops.’ And I think it has.’”

Wood -- who leads NC State’s balanced attack with 13.3 points per game -- is also leading the ACC by making 45.3 percent of his 3-point shots. The Marion, Ind., product will be a good defensive test for UNC sophomore Reggie Bullock, who will make his first start, in place of injured shooting guard Dexter Strickland, on Thursday at the Smith Center.

But there’s no defense once Wood makes it to the free throw line, where he broke former Duke All-America J.J. Redick’s old ACC mark for consecutive swishes (54) at Miami last weekend, by going 7-for-7. He also leads the NCAA in free throw percentage this season.

Opposing fans might try to distract him, but he’s pretty good at zoning all of that out.

“The only thing I really hear [when at the line] is when the players are saying something,’’ Wood said. “Miami mentioned it a couple times, ‘You can miss one any day now.’”

But he didn’t.

“I don’t think anyone can rattle Scott,’’ teammate Lorenzo Brown said. “He hardly misses from the 3-point line; I don’t think he’s going to miss a free throw.”

Indeed, Wood -- who said he was more worried about missing the one after he set the league mark than the one that secured it, “because I thought it would be a shame for me to break the record and then miss a free throw” -- is now closing on the NCAA record for consecutive free throws. That’s held by another Indiana native, Darnell Archey, who made 85 straight for Butler from 2001-03.

Wood said he once made 214 foul shots in a row, in a gym with his uncle when he was 12. So 86 does seem doable, with a little luck and concentration.

And of course, the right footwear.

“Lowtops make me feel a little more free,’’ he insisted.

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There’s a reason North Carolina coach Roy Williams prefers to have teams with four or five guys who can score in double figures.

It’s the same reason NC State -- which boasts five starters averaging between 11.9 and 13.3 points per game -- will pose a defensive challenge on Thursday night.

“You can’t cheat and leave somebody to double somebody else; you’ve got to stay home when the ball’s on that side,’’ Williams said on his radio show Monday night. “When Scott Wood’s on that wing and throws it inside to [C.J.] Leslie or [Richard] Howell, you can’t clamp down on the post because you’ve got to stay out with him. And if you do decide to jam down, you’ve got to rotate over and then somebody’s got to rotate over to cover that spot.

“It’s a lot more involved defensively … it’s just so much more difficult to defend.”

Especially now.

Because junior Dexter Strickland, UNC’s best perimeter defender, tore the ACL in his right knee last Thursday and is out for the rest of the season, the eighth-ranked Tar Heels will begin the game with a new starting line-up and rotation. Sophomore Reggie Bullock, who will now start at shooting guard, adds a whole lot more length (he’s 6-foot-7 compared to Strickland’s 6-3), rebounding (4.4 per game), and outside shooting prowess (38.6 percent 3-point shooting) to the mix.

But although Bullock and freshman wing P.J. Hairston have improved on defense, they aren’t quite at Strickland’s man-to-man level. At least, not yet.

“They realize the thing ahead of them, with Dexter’s abilities, was how Dexter could play on the defensive end of the floor,’’ Williams said. “So they’ve both been trying very hard to see if they could match his defensive capabilities, because they do shoot the ball better, they are bigger -- but they haven’t been able to do that enough to get him out of the starting lineup.”

Bullock can’t match Strickland’s quickness, but there are positives to his defensive style. His reach -- combined with those of 6-4 point guard Kendall Marshall, 6-8 small forward Harrison Barnes, 6-11 power forward John Henson and 7-footer Tyler Zeller -- creates a lot of long limbs for offenses to try to see (and pass) through.

And whereas Strickland preferred to focus on his man and didn’t really care what was going on across the court, Williams said, Bullock sees the bigger picture of what’s going on -- although he doesn’t put as much pressure on the ball.

What will that mean for UNC’s overall defense? Time will tell.

“We’re getting ready to play North Carolina State, and Scott Wood’s just been lighting it up, and there’s a good chance Reggie will asked to find out real quick how he’ll do defensively,'' Williams said.

Indeed, the 6-6 junior has been the best scorer of the balanced Pack in ACC play, averaging 15.6 points during NC State’s 4-1 league start.

He’s making 48.1 percent of his shots for the season, including 45.3 percent of his 3-pointers. He’s also made a conference record 58 straight free throws, so “you foul him, it’s like giving him a layup. That’s the bottom line,’’ Williams said.

Although the bigger problem could be that he's not the Wolfpack’s only weapon in an offense that emphasizes movement and sharing the ball.

"The way we play, it creates opportunities for everybody," first-year N.C. State coach Mark Gottfried said earlier this month. "It doesn't rely on one guy to be our leading scorer."

Which means UNC’s defense, and new starting lineup, must be on guard for everyone on the court.

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Each week, a 12-member panel votes for the ACC Player of the Week and ACC Rookie of the Week.

This week’s selections:

POW: Michael Snaer, Florida State guard: The junior averaged 16.5 points, three rebounds and 1.5 steals in wins against Maryland and at Duke. Snaer beat the buzzer with a 3-pointer Saturday to break the Blue Devils’ 45-game homecourt winning streak. He made 50 percent of his shots for the week, including 42.9 percent from behind the 3-point arc. FSU is the hottest team in the ACC right now.

ROW: Austin Rivers, Duke guard: If not for Snaer’s game-winner, Rivers might have been the hero of Saturday’s game, as he tied it before the FSU guard buried his jaw-dropping shot. Still, Rivers averaged 19.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in the loss to the Seminoles and win over Wake Forest. He made 48.1 percent of his shots last week, and has now earned ROW honors four times this season.

Other POW nominations:

Scott Wood, N.C. State forward: The Wolfpack junior averaged 18.5 points and shot 55 percent during wins against Boston College and at Miami last week. At the Hurricanes on Sunday, Wood eclipsed J.J. Redick’s ACC record for consecutive free throws made by going 7-for-7; he has now made 58 in a row.

Andre Young, Clemson guard: The senior averaged 18.5 points during a loss at Miami and win at Georgia Tech. His 29 points against the Yellow Jackets were a career high.

Dorenzo Hudson, Va. Tech guard: The senior averaged 14 points off the bench in the Hokies’ loss versus UNC, then win over Virginia. His 3-pointer from the corner with 17 seconds left gave Tech a four-point lead against the Cavaliers, and eventually its first ACC win of the season.

Travis McKie, Wake Forest forward: The sophomore averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds in a loss at Duke and win at Boston College. He ranks fourth in the ACC with 17.2 ppg.

Kenny Kadji, Miami forward: Averaged 17 points and six rebounds last weeks, shooting 56.5 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free throw line.

Harrison Barnes, UNC forward: The sophomore led all scorers with 27 points in UNC’s victory at Virginia Tech, scoring 21 of them in the second half. He was 8-of-14 from the floor in the game, including 6-for-6 in the second half. He also recorded six rebounds, a block and three steals.

Other ROW nominations

Robert Brown, Virginia Tech guard: In his first two starts of the season, he averaged eight points and 32.5 minutes.