Live from the 'Cuse
This is a very Jim Young thing to do, but the Blue Devils are back in Durham and so is Jim, yet the show must go on.
So I'll offer a little pregame analysis on UNC and Wisconsin, who tip off in the Syracuse bubble in about an hour. I've already picked the Heels to win in print, by a 72-65 score if I recall correctly, and I'm not going to contradict myself now. That would be bad for business. But I certainly could see a scenario by which UNC stumbles over its own talented feet.
Think back just two nights ago to the frustration NC State had against Wisconsin's patient swing offense and disciplined defense. And the Wolfpack is a team accustomed to playing at a deliberate pace. For the Heels, seeing the shot clock repeatedly go below 10 seconds is worse than watching "Ishtar" over and over and over. This could lead to a force-the-issue, force-shots mode.
We saw it in the ACC Tournament. Could happen again against a team like Wisconsin. But Villanova might have been the Tar Heels' big-scare game. Sean May and Marvin Williams could have huge days against the Badgers, and they could win by 12-14, which would feel like a blowout.
That would keep us on track for Illinois-Carolina in St. Louis. That's the matchup I'd like to see from a basketball purist's standpoint. Who's the best? Let's see for ourselves. So that had me in the odd position of being an Illini fan last night against Arizona. What a comeback. Or choke. However you prefer to look at it.