The Atlantic Coast’s top team will be on the road when the No. 7 North Carolina Tar Heels (22-5) head to PNC Arena to play the North Carolina State Wolfpack (14-13). Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Feb. 24 and can be seen on EFC and ES3.
The Wolfpack enter this game hoping for similar success after barely hanging on to beat Clemson 77-74 on Saturday. Abdul-Malik Abu played a pivotal role, recording his 12th double-double of the season with 17 points and 16 rebounds. The Tar Heels, meanwhile, are coming off a 96-71 win against Miami (FL) on Saturday. Justin Jackson played well for North Carolina, accounting for 15 points, eight assists, and two rebounds.
The prolific offense of the Tar Heels (ninth in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 117.5) will look to pick apart the bottom-tier defense of the Wolfpack (269th in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 107.6), a matchup that could favor North Carolina.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Tar Heels winning the first matchup 67-55. Kennedy Meeks had a standout performance in the victory, putting up 23 points, six rebounds, one steal, and three blocks.
Notes
In its last game, North Carolina won by a margin of 25 points. North Carolina State is 3-1 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. North Carolina has a 10-0 record in blowouts.
Ranked ninth, the North Carolina Tar Heels have an offensive rating of 117.5. The North Carolina State Wolfpack rank 269th with a defensive rating of just 107.6.
The North Carolina Tar Heels have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking 22nd in the nation with a FG% of 48.4%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the North Carolina State Wolfpack have an abysmal 1-8 record.
The North Carolina State Wolfpack and the North Carolina Tar Heels both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. North Carolina State is 257th and 219th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while North Carolina ranks 75th and 22nd in these categories.
The North Carolina Tar Heels rank fifth in assists per game, making an average of 18.6. The North Carolina State Wolfpack are among the worst in the country with 11.7 assists per game (ranked 291st).
North Carolina State ranks 71st in blocks per game with 4.4 and North Carolina ranks 55th with 4.6 blocks per game.
North Carolina State is one of the best teams in the country when it comes to offensive rebounds, ranking 10th. North Carolina ranks 58th in defensive rebounds.
On average, North Carolina State makes 4.4 steals per game. North Carolina has a stellar 19-4 record when it gives up at least 4 steals.
