N.C. State is not a very good basketball team. If anyone has a clue over there in Raleigh, Sidney Lowe is soon to be the ex-head coach of the Wolfpack. The same N.C. State fans that called for Herb Sendek's head are now likely saying something like "why did we fired Sendek?" It just puts a smile on my face to hear things like this, because I remember how much they hated old Herb back when they were finishing in the top 3 of the ACC and making the NCAA tournament on a regular basis. Oh how things have changed, and the most delusional fan base in the entire world has no one to blame but themselves. Ever since Sendek was forced out, the Wolfpack has been a bottom dweller in the ACC and a lock to miss The tournament. N.C. State finds themselves in an all too familiar spot in the bottom 3rd of the league once again, and if they ever hope to compete they've got to find a competent coach now. They just don't recruit well enough to overcome bad coaching. The fans will be okay come August though, as they'll probably be the favorite to win the NCAA BCS Championship game again next year.
Enough about State, lets talk about the Tar Heels for a minute. A few weeks ago everyone thought UNC was on their way to another rough season, and all the "Tar Hole" this, and "Tar Hole" that started coming out of the woodwork. After escaping relatively in tact after a half season worth of coaching mistakes, Roy Williams is slowly starting to figure it all out. This is great news for UNC, as they have all the talent to make a pretty good NCAA tournament run if they can just get the right players on the court. It will definitely help if Harrison Barnes starts playing like he did against State. Barnes was brilliant on Saturday, and finally showed us the game we were all told would we see on a weekly basis before the season started. Harrison scored 25 points on 10-16 shooting, grabbing 6 rebounds and committing only one turnover. He's shown glimpses all season of the talent that made him a preseason first-team All-American and the projected #1 NBA draft pick, but he's never really put it all together. The thought that he could be on the verge of greatness is an exciting feeling.
John Henson was an absolute monster inside on Saturday. It didn't take him long to completely demoralize the N.C. State bigs, and he continued to throw down dunks and swat away shots for the entire game. Henson finished with 16 points on 6-10 shooting, 16 rebounds, 7 blocks, and countless instances of intimidation. When Henson starts brimming with confidence, he can really dominate a game. What would worry me as an NBA scout is how his confidence is easily shattered, and you never know how he's going to feel on a given night. He certainly brings tremendous length, rebounding, and shot blocking to the table, and it's fun to watch him when he's feeling good about his game. Hopefully Henson starts working with a sports psychologist, because if he gets his mental game together he could be a great player for a long time.
Tyler Zeller and Justin Knox were dominant inside as well, leading to an easy Tar Heel victory despite getting next to nothing from either guard position. There simply wasn't much reason for the guards to attempt many shots, as it was clear the Wolfpack had no answer for anyone in the paint.
State's best player Tracy Smith ultimately fouled out and was part of the group that was annihilated by the Tar Heel giants, while Scott Wood was completely shut down on the perimeter, getting off only 2 shots (he missed both) and scoring 2 points. I'm almost embarrassed to say I'm not sure who was guarding Wood most of the time, but whoever it was did a great job of denying him the ball and forcing him to drive when he got it.
Up next is a trip to Boston College, a team that's in the top half of the ACC despite losses to two Ivy League schools earlier this season. Even though they were beaten by both Yale and Harvard on their home court, the Eagles have some very talented players and are definitely a threat to pull the upset on Tuesday night at 9pm. Reggie Jackson, Corey Raji, and Joe Trapani will all be playing basketball somewhere after they graduate from B.C., with Jackson having a real shot at making the NBA, so the Heels better come to play if they hope to get out of the snow with a win.
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