Chansky's Notebook: Double Bubble Rivalry

Art Chansky’s Sports Notebook is presented by The Casual Pint. YOUR place for delicious pub food paired with local beer. Choose among 35 rotating taps and 200+ beers in the cooler.

Sunday’s game in Raleigh is shaping up as an uncivil war.

There is so much at stake in the State-Carolina game that it is almost too long to list. Traditional rivals, recent rivals, always rancorous rivals.

First of all, it’s Carolina and State in what is always a bitter battle, no matter when, where and how the teams are playing. That the Tar Heels have dominated the series for years (won 7 of last 8) never matters. And, this season, the Wolfpack is a better ballclub with a better record, 20-7 and 10-6.

Unless UNC can run its difficult five-game table, it will be playing on Wednesday at the ACC tournament in Greensboro. If so, the Heels would finish 13-7 in the ACC with tie-breakers over Clemson and State for fourth place, although it is unlikely the 11-4 Tigers will lose three of their last five.

State is still contending to finish in the top four and get the coveted double-bye into the Thursday quarterfinals, which right now has all non-Big Four teams in those positions. But another Wolfpack loss locks it into Wednesday as well and a possible 8-9 seeded third match-up with Carolina.

An upset by the hated Heels would leave the two teams even in the loss column of the ACC standings and increases the chances of meeting again in the tourney, which would then affect their double-bubble status for an NCAA tournament at-large bids.

Going into the 1 p.m. tilt at PNC Arena, State is No. 38 in the NET rankings that has the most impact on NCAA seedings. The Pack is 2-5 in Quad 1 games, 4-2 in Quad 2s. The Heels, ranked No. 45 in the NET, are winless in Quad 1 games (0-8) for the second straight season (at this point) but 6-2 in Quad 2 games, which reflects a stronger schedule than State has.

Then there is the first game against these old foes, when State was hanging in there before its leading scorer Terquavion Smith (also No. 2 in ACC scoring and 3-point shooting) landed hard after a mid-air collision with Leaky Black, who was ejected for a debatable flagrant 2 foul.

And this time, State’s most versatile player, Jack Clark, is back from an injury while burly center D.J. Burns has evolved into one of the most efficient big men the league, moving up to fourth in ACC field goal percentage.

For the Tar Heels, no longer a rebounding machine, it has come down to 3-point shooting in almost every game. When making at least 34 percent from behind the arc, they are undefeated. When hitting the 32 percent mark, they have lost only once (at Virginia when Armando Bacot went out after 90 seconds).

But any worse than that, the Heels are winless. UNC shot 35.8 last year.

Featured image via Todd Melet

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Chansky’s Notebook: Double Bubble Rivalry

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