Tobacco Road Awaits

After suffering two ACC losses in a row, the men's basketball team has to convince many skeptics that they are for real. They will get the perfect opportunity to do just that when they play No. 4 North Carolina on Thursday night at 7 p.m. on ESPN.

The Eagles come into the game 12-6 and currently tied for third in the conference with a 3-2 ACC record. North Carolina enters the contest with a 19-1 record, with their only loss coming at home in conference play against Maryland. The Tar Heels had been ranked No. 1 in the country for 10 straight weeks prior to their 82-80 defeat at the hands of the Terrapins.

UNC is an up-tempo team that has the ability to pound it inside with star Tyler Hansbrough, and from the wing with a variety of players.

Hansbrough leads the ACC in scoring and rebounding with 22.0 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, respectively. Senior center Tyrelle Blair will be counted on heavily to slow down the skilled and experienced Hansbrough.

In North Carolina's lone loss, Hansbrough managed to score 17 points, but Maryland's defense was able to disrupt him enough to hold him to a modest six of 15 from the field. Maryland continuously forced the other Tar Heels to step up and make big shots when they double-teamed Hansbrough, and Carolina's inability to do so led to their downfall.

Coach Al Skinner will have to employ a similar strategy if the Eagles expect to compete with what some still consider the best team in the country. Blair and John Oates will be asked to keep Hansbrough in check, but other BC defenders will play an important role in the outcome of the game as well. Hansbrough is the centerpiece of a Tar Heel offense that averages 91.4 points per game, but UNC needs their perimeter players to help carry the load.

The Eagles' success may depend largely on the defense of Corey Raji and Rakim Sanders against sophomore guard Wayne Ellington, who averages 16.8 points per game and is deadly from outside. If Sanders and Raji are able to slow down Ellington, North Carolina's offense will be restricted to the paint. Furthermore, the Tar Heels are fourth in the nation in offensive rebounds with 16.2 per game. If the Eagles give UNC as many second chances as they gave the Hokies, this game will be out of reach by halftime.

Offensively, Rakim Sanders will be able to outmuscle some of the UNC defenders and get easy baskets inside against the likes of Danny Green and Marcus Ginyard. When Sanders is defended by Carolina reserve Deon Thompson, however, he will have to rely on his outside game. Tyrese Rice's ability to mix points in the paint with outside shots will be crucial. Other players such as Raji, Shamari Spears, Tyler Roche, and Biko Paris will be called upon to score when Sanders and Rice are covered.

The Tar Heels have proven that, given the right circumstances, a conference opponent can go down to Tobacco Road and pull off an upset. If Blair is able to hold Hansbrough to a relatively quiet night, and if the Eagles can take advantage of North Carolina's mistakes, the Eagles will have a shot at adding that defining victory to their NCAA tournament resume.