Funny in basketball how what goes around comes around, isn’t it?

Carolina avenged a home whipping to Louisville Saturday by being a combination of Muhammad Ali, who was honored in his home town and at the Yum Center. The Tar Heels floated like a butterfly at times but stung like a bee more often in beating the Cardinals by more than the 10 points the final 79-69 score indicates.

In continuing its timely shooting and stingy defense of the last five games – all victories since Louisville administered what Roy Williams called his worst home loss at both the Smith Center and Allen Field House – Carolina moved into a three-way tie (7-1) for first in the ACC with Virginia and Duke. But now the Heels have to face the opposite scenario against 23rd-ranked (and soon to be out of the polls) N.C. State Tuesday night at home.

Did you see what the Wolfpack shot in its 47-24 loss to No. 12 Virginia Tech in Raleigh? Carolina might have delivered a haymaker in the first half at Louisville, but it looked like the State game should have been stopped by the referees. The Pack set school and ACC records by infamously shooting 17 percent from the floor (9 of 54) and 7 percent from 3-point line (2 of 28).

Laugh it up, UNC fans, but now the Wolfpack will come to Chapel Hill madder than their own team was in Ali-land. Like the Tar Heels lost at home to Louisville, State was whipped pretty soundly by its arch rival at the PNC Center in January. And, remember, the Pack won at the Dean Dome last season.

For Roy’s Boys to earn a sixth straight win in the first of a three-game home stand, they will likely have to take State’s best punch. Who misses 45 of 54 shots in this day and age of college basketball? The 24 points was the lowest for a ranked team in more than 30 years of the shot clock era.

If the old Bill Guthridge adage is right about needing to have your game together in February to make a post-season run, the Heels look to be in good shape against the embarrassed Pack. In going only 6-for-24 from the arc in the ‘Ville, Carolina still set its own school record by making 53 three-pointers in the current winning streak, the best five-game shooting stretch in school history.

Double-doubles by Luke Maye and Cameron Johnson led a rebounding domination of 49-32, including 18 off the offensive glass. But by law of averages alone, the Tar Heels can’t expect that many caroms against the gang from West Raleigh that couldn’t shoot straight – or at all – in its last outing.

Featured photo by Todd Melet

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