Where: Dean Smith Center, Chapel Hill, NC
When: Sunday, February 27th, 7:45 PM
TV: Fox Sports South
Records: UNC 21-6, 11-2 ACC; MD 18-10, 7-6 ACC
At approximately 10:57 PM last night in Blacksburg, Virginia Tech handed UNC the keys to the car. All the Heels have to do is win the final three games of the regular season and they win the ACC regular season title.
The catch is there are no easy games left and not just because the Tar Heel offense has had issues of late. UNC will face three teams in the next seven days who all need/want wins for one reason or another. In the case of Maryland, the Terps could very well be starting at the NIT if they do not win in Chapel Hill. Sitting at 18-10 and 7-6 in the ACC, they still have a shot at 10 ACC wins with Miami and UVa to close out the season. In addition to the stakes for Maryland, Gary Williams is 6-5 all time versus Roy Williams. Maryland has won a game versus UNC in each of the past four season. Even in 2007-2009 when the Heels were clearly better, Maryland still found a way to win. In 2008 UNC only had three losses, one was versus Duke minus Ty Lawson, Kansas in the Final Four and NIT bound Maryland at home. This game is as dangerous as they come for all the intangible reasons you can come up with.
As for the tangible ones, Maryland brings with them a big man in Jordan Williams who will give Tyler Zeller and John Henson a stiff challenge on the interior. Williams is averaging 17.5 ppg and 11.5 rpg. He takes up space, grabs tons of rebound and has that quick recovery to score again. He is also strong enough to get his share of three point plays. If Zeller guards him, it could get ugly or worse Zeller ends up being an assistant coach for most of the game via foul trouble. Henson’s length will make for an interesting test for Williams and could be the answer though Williams can still outmuscle Henson. That means Justin Knox will see some important minutes also. The other concern for UNC is Maryland sports three players sporting a 3P% of 33% or better. Freshman Terrell Stoglin has been on fire of late breaking UNC’s stranglehold on ACC ROY last Monday. Stoglin dropped 25 versus Virginia Tech and NC State respectively. In a win over FSU this past week Stoglin had 17 points. On paper it appears Maryland has the pieces and if they have the right kind of shooting night, it could give UNC trouble.
On the other ends, Maryland is a solid defensive team sporting the nation’s 11th rated defense. The Heels found some offense versus NC State with the perimeter players hitting some shots but more importantly, Dexter Strickland and Kendall Marshall taking the ball to the basket. The Heels need that kind of play from the guards as well as a few three pointers to keep Maryland honest on defense. Life on the interior is going to be tough enough as it is with William down there. Getting another good night of production from the perimeter players like the Heels got in the 2nd half versus NC State might be enough to give the Heels the edge.
The talk among UNC fans will be about making a run for the ACC regular season title. The mentality of Roy Williams and ostensibly the player themselves will be on the game in front of them. This season has really unfolded with a “take one game at a time” mentality to it. The reason being there have not been any games, save Wake Forest, this team could look past. They are still young and the offense too suspect to have 100% confidence they can win any given game in conference. Which what makes the whole concept of winning the ACC regular season so darn odd. After last season, heck after Georgia Tech it seems like some wild dream. Since that is the case, to quote Gene Hackman in Hoosiers, “let’s keep it right there for now.” The important point is UNC has an opportunity and the first step is beating Maryland.
Time to take care of business.
UNC 77 MD 68
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LMac goes OFF…Heels win big. Next.
I’m feeling a comfortable win tonight, maybe by 8-10 points, with us leading most of the way. The Heels are starting to peak at just the right time. Win this, and we are tied with dook for 1st place in the ACC. If last season was Roy’s worst as a coach, this may be his best.
Our bench doesn’t give us much, but it’s time for Knox to show something tonight. I expect he’ll use up all five fouls. Jordan Williams is a problem — big, a space eater, and pretty darn coordinated. He deserves more ink than he’s been getting, playing in the wasteland called College Park. It’s a spiffy location, if you like Route 1.
We have had the advantage inside in the bulk of our games, but it won’t be that way for this one. This is a prescription for trouble. Can we compensate by getting more from the outside? It’s making me nervous. Plus Gary Williams always has his teams ready for us.
What with Maryland’s inside game, this is yet another instance in which we could seriously use the return of Tyler Hansbrough. Have I mentioned him lately?
I hate playing MD…. Please crowd re watch the Kentucky game and bring that intensity. Huge game tonight, dont waste this opportunity
I hope whomever’s guarding Stoglin tonight takes it real personal, and cools him off.
I don’t know if there’s a lot that can be done with Jordan Williams - he’ll probably get his numbers, scoring and rebounding - but, outside of him, Maryland’s not a great rebounding team. So it’s the same old story….hit the boards hard, especially on the defensive end, and take advantage of their strengths. Oh, and stay out of foul trouble Z.
If this ends up being a pretty fast-paced game, I think I like the Heels even better.
GO HEELS!
GO HEELS… Here in Boston area Bruins on tv at same time as UNC so no hoops game. Bruins channel is equal to fox sports..Come game time any links to watch let me know ??..I do ahve audio with Woody..
GO HEELS…
GO MARSHALl..get those 6 assists to take overall ac lead in assits..
I have a feelin Leslie or Reggie finally going to light it up…
None of this makes any sense at all.
william,
Until you elaborate, your own post makes no sense.
Are you talking about the post preceding your own, from “lviveiros” ?
All preceding posts ?
The article ?
The article and the posts ?
Do tell !
Maybe william referring to my posts.. Basically no UNC hoops in boston area becasue of the bruins game ( hockey) so I was just asking come game time if anyone knows of any links to watch let me know..
Although william gets to speak for himself, I suspect that what he thinks makes no sense is that, with March two days away, we contol our own fate so far as winning the regular season ACC championship. Very few people would have expected that in November, and even fewer after the collapse in Atlanta.
Lviveiros, I live in the boston area and have dish network and there is only two games they haven’t shown, the first clemson game and the last state game. They have a bunch of alternate sports channels and our heels are usually on one them.
On another note, as long has Butta takes the ball to the hoop we will be just fine. He makes things so much easier for everyone else when he penetrates. Go Heels!
wait it’s not on NESN? mannnnnnn who even cares about hockey
TCB
Too funny pilot.. LOL I agree..But in Boston, Bruins hockey wins over UNC at lest tonigth anyway….. just not right LOL.
It would be nice to see a big game out of Harrison….
lviveiros - I discovered during the FSU game at Chapel Hill that when New York area hockey preempts the Fox Sports basketball my ISP (Cablevision in northern NJ) carries it on one of their other HD channels that normally carries PPV sports. I discovered this by doing a program search on my TV at halftime. You may want to check if this is the case in Boston.
Not sure if it will be available tonight but i have been able to stream several past games on: watch-sports.com. Hope that is the case for tonights game as well.
Go Heels!!
I will. Thanks Jerry
nativeheel, Thanks for the information as well. Once game time comes will try and hopefully will get the game.
GO HEELS
Hey !
Blast from the past: remember Larry Drew II ?
You know, LD2 ? not to be confused with his daddy, or all of the other UNC players named “Larry Drew”.
I’m talking about Larry Drew II !
Remember:
The guy who would take most of the ten seconds to get the ball across the mid-court line?
The guy who would take ALL of those ten seconds to get the ball across the mid-court line, if he had nominal pressure?
The guy that would take half the shot clock just to make a 5 ft pass, to a teammate behind the arc?
The guy that would give an ankle-high pass to the post?
The guy that would stand lock-kneed, after doing all of the above?
The guy said to play *great* defense, but would seldom spread his arms to deny passing lanes?
I don’t miss that guy at all !
Although a poster here got some grief, he said it best: “I hate that guy!”
Okay, enough about the past… but don’t forget it, lest you repeat it.
i was on the practice range today and me and the next two guys were talking about how much more happier we are now with certain unnamed player gone……..whew!!
“My goal is to go 12-0 starting NOW. One game at a time…”
K-Butta is ready. I’ll be suprised if we don’t come out with a win tonight.
looks like we arent the only team with the occasional case of the Ginyards. *looks at Pitt*
^^etc. william: You’re having an existential crisis — in a blog?! On game day?! C’mon man! Get it together! …Go Heels!
I gotta say, I planned my whole day around this game being at 3 (woops) and now I’m just sort of drifting.
Sorry, but when I see people still hating on Larry Drew, it makes me wish we still had the thumbs-down button.
Oh, God !
Am I going to be relegated to pseudo-watching the game by way of Gametracker ?
That ridiculous POS that shows really slow animated icons, in some lame attempt to approximate a basketball game?
Why did they have to change the Gametracker?
It worked halfway OK, when it was text-based.
Now it’s garbage.
I mean seriously, who sits around and decides this moronic course of action ?
“Well, uh, if we animate it, the server will really bog down”
—”So?”
“Uh, the effects will keep the game from updating in real time”
—”Who cares? It looks cool.”
“Initial feedback indicates that fans don’t care about whether it looks cool, they just want the scores…on the day the game is played”
—”Fans? We’re not doing this for the fans!”
“but without the fans, our site will have no hits”
—”can these bouncing icons have team colors?”
There is simply no way that the putrid team that we saw against Virginia, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech can possibly finish the season with a better record in the ACC than the dominant 2009 NCAA champions. It just doesn’t make any sense.
WiLliam,
This is a new season. New players and coaches. Heck there may be some new schools in the ACC since 2009. JK!
So past results are Not guarantees of future success!!
This is what makes college BBall exciting!!
I’ve gotta chime in on this one. This game is way too big to slip away unnoticed: GO HEELS!
Every one from here on is MAJOR.
But who would have predicted this situation.
I saw Duke play WFU and I was not impressed.
Singler keeps jacking up 3s and they are not going in. N Smith has had some nice games, but he cannot carry the team. Curry has been in a slump.
If there is no return of the TOE, it is hard to see the Rat Pack going very much farther than ACC tourNament.
Thanks for the ideas for how to watch the game out-of-market. LVIV, I live in the Boston area, too. Been here for almost 3 years, just bought a house near Attleboro/Easton. Do you know of anywhere other alum get together to watch games, esp come tournament time? Thanks and Go Heels!
I thought the Fox Sports Nets had started providing alternate channels when they preempt national or regional programming for something local like the Bruins or Celtics. I know in past years I did have problems with our Sports Net showing Redskins highlights instead of ACC games, so what I did was to pay ten dollars extra for the Directv Sports package, which provides all of the Sports Nets programming in every city except for professional games.
Carolina Blue Balls…. LOL Loving it . Too funny .I only know of a few UNC fans here in boston area. I live north of the city in Wilmington. Always good to know of otehr UNC fans here in Boston.. Usually alot of acc sunday night games on nesn but bruins playing tonight as well..I went to UNC BC game that is only reason why we got bc season hoops tickets is to go see UNC when they come to BC to play.. I swear..LOL plus you get some perks come acc tournament time as well as ncaa tournamnet if regionals in boston which I do believe will be back in boston next year 2012. I do not know of any place locally were fans gather sorry excpet here on THF blog..LOL j/k
Maybe we will have to start a local gathering of UNC fans to watch games !!!…LOL if you do find out anything about place to gather to watch games, let me know. I usually wathc at home , I always say if cannot be at the games next best seast is your couch LOL..
Let me know..