The 11-10 Wake Forest Demon Deacons will host the in-state rival No. 6 North Carolina Tar Heels on Tuesday night in a seemingly one-sided matchup. When it comes to conference games, however, nothing is ever a sure thing.
North Carolina entered the season as the heavy favorite to win the national championship. The Tar Heels are still among the top contenders, but they haven't run away with things like many expected they would. North Carolina leads the nation in scoring with nearly 85 points per game, but defense has been a challenge at times.
Not much was expected of the Demon Deacons entering the season, so their 11-10 record isn't a huge surprise. They have struggled in ACC play thus far with a 2-5 mark, and North Carolina may be their toughest test to date.
Nothing is impossible in college basketball, but a win by Wake Forest might be considered the upset of the year.
North Carolina desperately needs to win this game in order to keep pace with Duke and Florida State in the conference. Because of that, I expect the Tar Heels to come out with a purpose, but Wake Forest won't go down without a fight.
Where: Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C.
When: Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 9 p.m. EST
Watch: ESPNU
Live Stream: ESPN3
Listen: WRAL 99.9 FM (North Carolina) and WBRF 98.1 FM (Wake Forest)
Betting Line: North Carolina (-16.5)
North Carolina Key Injuries (According to CBS Sports)
Out: G Leslie McDonald (knee)
Wake Forest Key Injuries (According to CBS Sports)
No injuries to report
What's at Stake?
On the surface, this looks like a David vs. Goliath ACC game, and it is, but the result could have a major effect on either side. If the game plays out as expected with North Carolina winning comfortably, then not much will have changed.
In the event of an unforeseen upset, however, there would be a seismic shift in the college hoops pecking order.
The Demon Deacons have nothing to lose in this game as they won't be making the NCAA Tournament, barring an improbable late-season run. With that in mind, they can afford to play loose and go for the upset.
All the pressure rests on North Carolina as a heavy favorite on the road. I think the Tar Heels will pick up a tidy win, but a loss would be absolutely catastrophic.
What They're Saying
Many expected the Tar Heels to destroy the competition en route to a national championship this season. That may ultimately happen, but North Carolina has three losses and people are looking for answers.
Center Tyler Zeller has been criticized for being "soft," but Zeller doesn't let the label bother him, according to Andrew Jones of FOX Sports Carolinas.
"You can think whatever you want, but no matter what, those guys still have to go out and play me every night," Zeller said.
"I don’t even know what awards I’m up for, I don’t read anything," he said. “I just stay away from it."
"Every once in a while I’ll hear something, but being soft is something people have told me all the time, for the most part," he said. "I don’t believe that, myself, but at the same time they can believe what they want."
North Carolina Player to Watch: F Harrison Barnes
The Tar Heels have a host of players who contribute in a big way, but there is no question that their biggest offensive threat is forward Harrison Barnes. He is only fourth on the team in minutes, but he leads North Carolina in scoring with 17.5 points per game while shooting a tidy 49.1 percent from the field and a sparkling 45 percent from beyond the arc.
Barnes truly is the spark that ignites North Carolina's fast-paced offense. He shines brightest in games where the Tar Heels have an obvious talent advantage as the opposition doesn't have an answer to slow him down.
North Carolina will want to run the floor and overwhelm Wake Forest in this game, and Barnes will be a major part of that.
Wake Forest Player to Watch: F Travis McKie
Wake Forest has three players that carry the load for the most part, but the most integral is likely forward Travis McKie. The athletic forward does a little bit of everything for the Demon Deacons. Not only is he second on the team in scoring with 16.3 points per game, but he is the leading rebounder with 7.1 per contest.
The best way to beat the Tar Heels is to challenge their interior players, who tend to favor finesse more than doing the dirty work. McKie has no issue operating in the tough areas, so he will be a big reason for Wake Forest's success or failure in the game.
The Demon Deacons don't stand much of a chance of pulling an upset unless McKie turns in an out-of-this-world performance.
Key Matchup: Tyler Zeller and John Henson vs. Wake Forest Interior Defense
What North Carolina's bigs lack in terms being defensive presences, they more than make up for with their athleticism and ability to run the floor. Both Tyler Zeller and John Henson average over 14 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game, so there is no denying their importance.
If they are both on their game Tuesday night, then they should be able to overwhelm Wake Forest.
The Deacons do the best they can in terms of defending strong post players, but they are clearly overmatched in terms of talent. Center Ty Walker is a good defensive presence as he averages three blocks per game, but the Tar Heels aren't going to run set offenses, so Wake Forest won't be able to have a set defense.
That means that the Demon Deacon bigs will have to find a way to scramble and stop Zeller and Henson, or else they risk a blowout.
Prediction
North Carolina 85, Wake Forest 70
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