Box score

Well, it had to happen sometime, didn't it?  At some point the streak wins had to stop.  The brilliant performances had to end sometime.  And they did.  Wake Forest played an almost flawless game, hitting open shots and connecting on all 32 of their free throw attempts.

The Heels had several chances to get back into the game, but couldn't follow up made shots with strong defensive possessions.  The key play may have been when Sean May tried to hit someone at halfcourt with a pass that was intercepted and then turned into a 3-pointer.  At least a 5-point swing at that point.

The Deacons had a great atmosphere.  The home crowd was pumped and ready for this game for weeks.  The officials made some tough calls, but the Heels should not have let that frustrate them.  Wake Forest took advantage of torrid shooting, and Chris Paul was able to knife his way into the paint for 26 points.

All is not lost, however.  Although I wish the Heels had another shot at Wake Forest in the Smith Center, this is the way the league works now.  No longer a round-robin for everyone, and Carolina has to hope Wake loses twice (and the Heels must win out) for a shot at the regular season crown.  But we'll think about this one for a few hours, then get up tomorrow and prepare for Clemson.  The sun rises tomorrow, and so will the Heels.  They got beat by the #3 team on Wake's home floor.  But I'll take the Heels in March, and I'll take them on a neutral court. 

The North Carolina Tar Heels travel to Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum today to take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons today at 1:30 pm.

Like the Georgia Tech game Wednesday, today's is the only regular-season matchup between the Deacs and Heels.  Skip Prosser's team comes in to the game ranked #3 and #4 in the AP and Coaches' polls, while the Roy Williams' club is at #4 and #3 in those polls.  So, on the national scene, the writers and coaches think these teams match up pretty well.  And they do.

Everyone I've heard has their eyes on the marquee matchup, Raymond Felton and Chris Paul at the point guard position.  When everyone  is talking about such a great battle at one position, it often means the game will be won elsewhere.

Jackie Manuel needs to get in Justin Gray's head.  Jackie knows how to be a shut-down defender, and he needs to hold Gray early, and not let him get hot at the start.

The Deacons match up pretty well down low with Vytas Danelius, Eric Williams, and Jamaal Levy going against Jawad, Sean, and Rashad.  McCants will have to be as strong today as he was Wednesday on the defensive end of the floor, as Levy will be a test.  Like the Heels this year, the Deacons are deep, and have Kyle Visser and Chris Ellis to spell Williams and Danelius.  But this year, North Carolina has a player named Marvin Williams.  You've heard of him.  He will be the difference the Heels need.

I think the Tar Heels have a slight edge talent-wise, but the Deacons today have home court, and the Wake Forest fans have been preparing all season for this game.  It's important for the Tar Heels to get off to a quick start, and keep their guard up on the defensive end.  It would also help if they shoot better than they did against the Jackets.  We saw what happened when a team runs on Wake, as Illinois did.  I think the Heels outrun the Deacons and win by 12.*

*For the record, I'm always going to pick the Tar Heels to win, even if I should know better.  That's how I picked the gridiron Heels to beat Miami.  But today, I really think we steal one from Wake Forest.  If you want to know how confident I am, check the margin.