State- Carolina A Basketball Rivalry Again

Saturday afternoon at 4pm in the Dean E Smith Center the Tar Heels will host the WolfPack in a game that has meaning for the future of each program.

The Tar Heels seemed to have found their purpose in life since they have gone with the small quick line up.  It has helped the fan base feel better about themselves but at 17-8 the North Carolina Tar Heels are on the proverbial bubble for this years NCAA tournament.  Surely during the Roy Williams era this is uncharted territory.

The Heels have five games left during the regular season and if they win all five they could head to the ACC Tournament 22-8.  Still left on the schedule is State, Florida State and Duke at home and road trips to Clemson and Maryland.  All five games are winnable and yes all five they can be beaten.

As of today the Tar Heels are 27th in the RPI and have played the  16th toughest schedule.  Their resume' only has one victory against a top 50 team while they have six losses.  Saturday a victory over the WolfPack would double their top 50 wins and ease the Tar Heels up the ladder away from the bubble.

N C State is coming off  their best game since they beat Duke in early January.  They stand 19-7 and in the RPI are 20th.  They have played the 18th toughest schedule so far this year.  Their five games left  are @Carolina,@ Georgia Tech and @ Florida State. They have home games against Boston College and Wake Forest.  They too could win all five but I can't see them losing at home to Wake or BC.

They are 3-4 against the top 50 teams.  Since both are top 25 in RPI they both will improve RPI and SOS by playing each other this weekend.  The winner will improve the most.  This season looks like a wide open sprint to the National Championship.  There is not one team that I would be shaking in my boots if they were in my bracket.

I just don't see the small lineup getting very far if Carolina makes it to the NCAA.  There are too many teams that they could see that will have big men to off set their quickness with the new lineup.  If you listen everyone is down on State being 19-7 as if this is a terrible team.  Remember this, in games in which Lorenzo Brown has played the entire game State is 19-4.  Look at the top 10 teams in the country and the #1 team has three losses.  State is right there with the best.

Saturday both teams have more to lose than what they can gain by winning.  This scenario hasn't been part of the State-Carolina game in a long time.  The series has been one sided for the past 20 or so seasons.  Regardless of the edge being slanted the Tar Heel way this game Saturday is a toss up in my eyes and either can win it.  Any time when both teams have a lot to lose you can count on this one Saturday being quite a game.

It is not  the death penalty for either to lose.  But, the one that does has a foot in the NIT grave.  Just maybe Carolina has more to lose than State.  There is the old feeling that a rivalry has to have both teams winning in  order to be a good rivalry.  This series is back then, but you know rivalry's are never about being good over the other but you just can't stand to lose to that bunch.  When you can't stand to lose and the game means your possible playoff life.   The rivalry is back to being important.

ACC seedings.  The loser will probably have to win four games over three to win the ACC Tournament.  The loser just might have to be in one of those NCAA play in  games against a team you never heard of.  That for big time basketball power  is an embarrassment for the ages.  There is plenty on the line Saturday.

The Rivalry is back.