Game and Time: No. 3 North Carolina at No. 4 Wake Forest. Tipoff is at 1:30 p.m.
Site: Lawrence Joel Coliseum.
TV/Radio: The game will be televised by ABC. The Tar Heel Sports Radio Network will provide radio coverage; the broadcast will air on 100.7 FM and WCHL-AM 1360.
Records: North Carolina is 14-1, 3-0 in the ACC. Wake Forest is 14-1, 3-0 in the ACC.
Series: North Carolina leads 147-62.
Probable Starters:
North Carolina
G: Raymond Felton, 6-1 JR
G: Rashad McCants, 6-4 JR
F: Jackie Manuel, 6-5 SR
F: Jawad Williams, 6-9 SR
C: Sean May, 6-9 JR
Wake Forest
G: Chris Paul, 6-0 SO
G: Justin Gray, 6-2 JR
F: Vytas Danelius, 6-9 SR
F: Jamaal Levy, 6-9 SR
C: Eric Williams, 6-9 JR
The Key Matchup: North Carolina center Sean May against Wake Forest center Eric Williams.
When the teams split last year, the center who had the better game won.
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Williams scored 24 points to May’s 15 as the UNC center fouled out in the Demon Deacons’ triple-overtime victory in Chapel Hill.
When the Tar Heels won the rematch, May posted a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds while holding Williams to six and two.
The two have posted similar numbers so far this year, with both averaging better than 15 points per game, though May has pulled down 8.9 rebounds per game to Williams’ 6.1.
In a game filled with intriguing matchups, the head-to-head battle between the two big men could be what makes the difference.
Final Analysis/Prediction: The Demon Deacons love to get out and run, as evidenced by their 85.3 points per game.
But nobody loves to run more — and maybe nobody does it better — than North Carolina.
The nation’s most potent offense hung 91 points on Georgia Tech on Wednesday after the Yellow Jackets had been allowing fewer than 60 points per game.
Maybe more impressive, though, was the Tar Heels’ defensive effort.
UNC held Georgia Tech to 69 points and just 36.8 percent shooting from the field — the first time the Yellow Jackets shot worse than 50 percent all season.
The Tar Heels have struggled at times to contain opposing offenses — they have given up 75 or more points five times — but the Georgia Tech win showed signs that UNC will be able to keep the Demon Deacon offense in check.
Wake Forest has shown improvement on the defensive end, giving up 71.6 points per game.
But against now-No. 1 Illinois, the Demon Deacons were exposed as the Illini repeatedly got out in transition and whipped Wake Forest 91-73 in December.
In a game featuring two teams that make more than half their shots, the team that can get more out of its defense will win.
The Bottom Line: North Carolina 92, Wake Forest 86.
— Complied by Daniel Blank
