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.

If there was ever a trap game, brothers and sisters, this is it.

Here are reasons tonight’s visit to Georgia Tech could be extremely dangerous.

First of all, since the beginning of (Frank McGuire’s) time, Carolina is the most anticipated game on every opponent’s schedule. This comes from being a championship brand with six NCAA titles and so much time on the tube that the Tar Heels are almost their own TV show.

Second, especially in these days of NET quad rankings, upsetting UNC can boost teams on the wrong side of the bubble into contention for an NCAA bid and also help their recruiting immeasurably.

Third, if Carolina gets caught peeking ahead, playing away from home can be even more treacherous than usual. And that is what the Yellow Jackets have going for themselves in Atlanta on ESPN.

Yes, the Heels have one of the oldest teams in college ball this season, but are still acclimating to playing together in the ACC, especially on the road. And having found a way to win all five true conference away games, they could be overconfident coming off Saturday’s comeback win in Tallahassee.

Georgia Tech is 2-7, tied for ninth in the ACC, and 9-11 overall. But the two conference wins are over Duke at home and at Clemson, and of the Jackets’ last seven ACC losses six are by nine points or less.

They are well-coached by first-year Damon Stoudamire, who has the No. 19 scorer in the ACC (Miles Kelly), the No. 5 rebounder (Baye Ndongo, also the No. 3 in FG percentage), and the No. 2 assist man (Naithan George).

Will third-ranked Carolina be overconfident for the 7 p.m. tip? Hopefully not, but boys will be boys. They should know by now that their No. 8 NET (and projected No. 1 NCAA seed) would take a serious hit by losing to No. 134 and a Quad 3 opponent.

And the first of the two biggest regular-season games looms Saturday night when arch-rival Duke and ESPN Game Day come to Chapel Hill. The second-place Blue Devils (7-2) and seventh-ranked team (19 NET) won their game at Virginia Tech Monday night and 11 of their last 12; they know that losing to the 9-0 Heels could kill their chances of winning the ACC regular season.

Key starters Jeremy Roach and Mark Mitchell are back from injuries, and Jon Scheyer will have a well-crafted game plan ready for the 6:30 tip.

For all those reasons, plus losing two close games to Duke last season, mark tonight an equally big prelude for the epic struggle between a younger Duke team and the older but still-ACC-green Tar Heels.

 

Featured image via Associated Press/Hakim Wright, Sr.

Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
Chansky's Notebook: Sad Ending
R.J. Davis and Armando Bacot are already among UNC’s best players ever, and they will be remembered for that more than this last loss.
Chansky's Notebook: Best of the West
If the oddsmakers are right, it will be Arizona and UNC on Saturday in Los Angeles for a trip to the Final Four.
Chansky's Notebook: 4 Out of 5 Ain't Bad
The ACC was relegated to “medium” space during the regular season and received five NCAA bids, when two or three more should have made it.
Chansky's Notebook: Gritty Renewal
If UNC doesn’t play harder, smarter and more together, its NCAA Tournament will be over at the hands of Michigan State.
Chansky's Notebook: 'The Wagner Season'
The Wagner team top-seeded UNC faces this afternoon in Charlotte is a lot better than the one that upset Duke back in 1983.
Chansky's Notebook: State of the Rivalry
When the Wolfpack beat UNC for its historic “Five to Stay Alive” sweep in Washington, D.C., it gave State a long-needed basketball bullet.
Chansky's Notebook: Manhood
UNC has that "we're Carolina" confidence and is playing at a physical level that matches the toughest teams of Roy and Dean.
Chansky's Notebook: History Repeating?
It is ironic that this year’s ACC Tournament is in Washington, D.C., the site where UNC last cut down the ACC nets.
Chansky's Notebook: Little Big Man
Unless he is a slam-dunk first-round pick, Elliot Cadeau has reasons to return and play at least another season for UNC.
Chansky's Notebook: The Davis 'Brothers'
Whatever happens in the postseason, UNC's two Davises are sitting atop the 15-school ACC, exactly where they belong.
›