UNC 89, NC State 80

NC State played a very solid game last night. Javier Gonzalez lit it up last night, shooting 7-8 from the field, 4-4 from the 3 point land. I've been asked "why was Gonzalez loosely guarded in the first half?". Simple answer: we are not used to Gonzalez shooting as well as he did. Before last night, Javier has made 22 out of 60 shots, so he was an unproven quantity. He did have 5 turnovers, but I thought he was State's MVP of the game.

NC State is for real...they have a legitimate chance of finishing 8-8 in the conference this year. They should be favored to beat UVA and Maryland, and the BC game should be fairly even. I think they can pull it out against Miami, too. WFU will be their hardest test (really depends which WFU team shows up). The Pack beat WFU a week ago, so it may be hard to expect a sweep. Before the UNC game, I've not been impressed with Lowe's handling of the team. Last night I thought that Lowe outcoached Roy, especially with his gameplan to allow Gonzalez to shoot the 3 ball.

The Heels are rolling...I don't expect them to finish 14-2 in the conference, but the Heels have a legitimate chance of pulling it off. I'm worried about how Zeller's presence may upset team chemistry. Zeller played okay last night, especially since this is his first action in 3 months. He's weak on D, and his shooting touch is rusty. I expect Roy to play Zeller about 10-15 minutes a game, spelling Thompson, Hansbrough and Davis from time to time.

UNC plays at Maryland this Saturday. Maryland has some weaknesses that have been exploited by talented teams, including the Heels. The Maryland-Clemson game was a blowout--I felt that Maryland has mental lapses that allow the opposing team to make huge runs. Don't count out Maryland yet: they are still coached by Gary Williams. Gary is not a great coach, but he can motivate a team to play a great game. Don't forget the victory Maryland had against UNC in the DeanDome last year.