The Tar Heels have to rebound, rebound, rebound at N.C. State.

When a team hits rock bottom, with their pride and manhood challenged, there is only one way to go, and that is up. So expect a great game Wednesday night from N.C. State, playing at home against the hated rival whose blue uniforms always inflame the Wolfpack and its crowd at the PNC Arena.

So look for the State shooters – Smith, Rowan, Henderson, Dorn – to light it up from outside and the Tar Heels to wind up in the same position as at Duke, where they needed to rebound well enough to win. When a team outscores you by 27 from the three-point line, you can only offset that by making a lot more two-point baskets, and to do that you must have more possessions.

The Heels had to hold the rebounding edge against the hot-shooting Blue Devils and get enough chances to score after their own missed shots; after all, they went into the game leading the nation in offensive rebounding, but the board battle was about even, and it did not help by missing 8 of 18 free throws.

Although State is struggling and Coach Mark Gottfried appears on the verge of getting fired, Carolina can expect the same kind of game in Raleigh as it had in Durham. Former Wolfpack Coach Norm Sloan used to say the most important day of your regular season is playing at home against your arch rival, and that’s why the Wolfpack will be seeing red as well as wearing red.

If the Pack plays hard, defends better than it has recently and shoots 40 percent from outside – all of which will probably happen – the only way UNC wins the game is by getting more rebounds, more possessions and more shots, significantly more shots.

Assuming Isaiah Hicks is back, Carolina should be able to win, certainly not by the 51 points in Chapel Hill. Gottfried said after his team lost at Wake Forest by 30 points Saturday that “we ain’t laying down.” If they do and miss the NCAA Tournament again, it won’t be until after the Tar Heels leave town.

In short, Carolina has to play tall to win. Very tall.

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