The second-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels close out the road portion of their 2008-09 schedule this evening, as they take on the Virginia Tech Hokies in ACC action from the Cassell Coliseum.
The race for the ACC crown is still a tight one, with North Carolina clinging to first place at 11-3. The Duke Blue Devils are hot on their trail, setting up yet another classic battle in the season-finale between the two teams in Chapel Hill this weekend. Still, Roy Williams' squad needs to take care of business this evening in Blacksburg. The Tar Heels suffered a heart-breaking 88-85 loss to Maryland back on January 21st, but were able to get back in the win column this past weekend, with a 104-74 thrashing of Georgia Tech.
Seth Greenberg's Hokies have struggled in league play and come into this contest with a mediocre 7-7 league ledger. The team has really had a tough time of late, losing four of its last five outings, including a 72-65 setback against Duke on Saturday. Virginia Tech will close out its regular season with another ranked opponent, taking on 24th-ranked Florida State this weekend.
North Carolina has won 20 of the last 22 meetings with Virginia Tech to take a 57-12 advantage in the all-time series.
It isn't a surprise that the Tar Heels are in a position to claim at least a share of the ACC drown this evening in Blacksburg. The team is one of the most potent offensive squads in the country, ranking second nationally at 91.9 ppg. All five starters are averaging double figures for UNC, with the two central pieces being National Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough and All-American point guard Ty Lawson. Hansbrough is a multiple All-American selection who is closing out his career in Chapel Hill in impressive fashion, averaging 21.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Lawson is the best point guard in the nation, with the ability to lead the way as a scorer (15.8 ppg) or as a distributor (182 assists). Wayne Ellington (14.9 ppg), Danny Green (14.1 ppg) and Deon Thompson (11.2 ppg) round out the nation's best starting five. UNC's offensive proficiency was on full display against the Yellow Jackets this past weekend, as the team converted 53.6 percent from the floor, while rolling up 104 points. Hansbrough was once again masterful, posting a double-double with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Green poured in 23 points, followed by Thompson and Ellington, with 10 points apiece. As for Lawson, he scored just four points in the game, but did dole out 11 assists.
Virginia Tech lacks the offensive depth to hang with North Carolina in a shootout, but then again, most teams do. The Hokies are certainly more defensive-minded, holding foes to just .413 shooting and 69.2 ppg. The team does has a potent one-two punch in sharpshooters A.D. Vassallo and Malcolm Delaney. Vassallo leads the team with 18.7 ppg and Delaney isn't far behind (18.4 ppg). The two have combined for 126 of the team's 171 three-pointers to date. Forward Jeff Allen is the team's top option in the low post, averaging 14.0 ppg, while pacing the team on the glass (8.7 rpg). The Hokies made a strong push to erase a 16-point first-half deficit and actually tied the game in the second half, but could not get over the hump, instead falling to Duke by a seven-point margin. The loss spoiled a great effort from Vassallo, who finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Allen added 13 points in support, but Delaney struggled, playing all 40 minutes but hitting just 2-of-12 attempts from the floor and finishing with just seven points.
