College Basketball
Tar Heels, Wolfpack head to St. Louis Wednesday
Published: 2012-03-21 10:07:00
Updated: 2012-03-21 18:57:48
Mar 21, 2012
Raleigh, N.C. — The story lines surrounding the University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University heading into this weekend's NCAA Tournament action couldn't be more different, but one very simple fact remains – both of the Tobacco Road rivals are in the Sweet 16.
To make things just a bit more interesting, the Tar Heels and Wolfpack will be playing in the same city, on the same court, Friday night in St. Louis. And just for a topper, should both teams win on Friday, they would face off against each other for the fourth time this season with a trip to the Final Four on the line.
In separate interviews on the Mike & Mike show on 99.9 FM The Fan Wednesday morning, Roy Williams and Mark Gottfried highlighted just how different the story lines have been since both teams won on Sunday. Williams spent most of his 10-minute interview discussing the health of point guard Kendall Marshall, who had surgery to repair a broken wrist suffered in North Carolina's win over Creighton Sunday evening.
"The unsettled nature of this thing and the curiosity of the whole thing is killing everybody, but we really don't know," Williams said of Marshall's playing status against 13th-seeded Ohio. "We're trying to prepare to play a game without him, and that's what I think we'll have to do."
2013 NCAA men's interactive bracket
Despite the need to prepare that way, even Williams wouldn't go so far as to say that Marshall definitely won't see action this weekend. The first-seeded Tar Heels play Ohio Friday evening at 7:47 p.m. on TBS.
"We're going to practice every day and if something weird happens and they say he can play, I'm probably going to let him play," Williams said. "But I don't see that happening."
If Marshall can't play, freshman Stilman White and graduate student Justin Watts would share the responsibility of running North Carolina's offense, Williams said. White, from Wilmington, averaged a little more than four minutes per game during the bulk of the year. Watts has seen action at multiple positions.
"It will be different because Kendall is the best I've ever seen at pitching the ball ahead on the break," Williams said. "Stilman and Justin don't do that, so it will change us a bit."
NC State's first-year head coach said his team, which has won six of its last seven games, isn't satisfied by advancing to the Sweet 16 with wins over San Diego State and Georgetown during the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
"We're playing the best we've played all year, and we're still getting better," Gottfried told Mike & Mike. "There is something they want, and they want to go get it. Our team is good enough. We're good enough to make some noise. We just have to stay hungry."
Gottfried was quick to admit that his team would 'love' playing their Tobacoo Road rival for a fourth time with a trip to the Final Four on the line, but he also said his players aren't looking past a Kansas team that's 29-6 on the year. The Wolfpack will get their chance against the Jayhawks following North Carolina's game, with a tentative tip-off time scheduled for 10:17 p.m. on TBS.
"We played [North Carolina] right to the wire in the ACC Tournament," Gottfried said. "But our guys truly get this thing. You aren't going to get the chance to play them again unless you play, and beat, a great Kansas team."
Both teams are scheduled to leave the Triangle Wednesday. North Carolina will depart from Gate D of the Dean E. Smith Center around 6 p.m. Fans wishing to send off the Tar Heels should arrive by 5:30 p.m. and park in the Manning Lots adjacent to the Smith Center. The Wolfpack have not scheduled a public send-off for fans, but NC State will depart from the Dail Basketball Complex around 5 p.m.
Copyright 2013 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Most Recent Comments
RE: Tar Heels, Wolfpack head to St. Louis Wednesday
Any Basketball fan with a ounce of information would realize that BB at Duke didn't begin with JJ Reddick. Can you say greats Like DICK GROAT , AA in BASEBALL (HOF too) ) and BB , ART HEYMAN, JEFF MULLINS,JACK MARIN, MIKE GMINSKI,GENE BANKS,JIM SPARNARKEL JASON WILLIAMS just to name a few SO a little research of the past would do you good. I know it's hard to visualize the past because 1974 ande 1983 are SO REAR MIRROR SITUATIONS .
- Posted by gerrysdadgw
And contrary to the beliefs of many, dook had a really good program before Kay arrived.
is that Mary Kay?
Excuse me, but how many ACC titles did Duke have before K ?
RE: Tar Heels, Wolfpack head to St. Louis Wednesday
Any Basketball fan with a ounce of information would realize that BB at Duke didn't begin with JJ Reddick. Can you say greats Like DICK GROAT , AA in BASEBALL (HOF too) ) and BB , ART HEYMAN, JEFF MULLINS,JACK MARIN, MIKE GMINSKI,GENE BANKS,JIM SPARNARKEL JASON WILLIAMS just to name a few SO a little research of the past would do you good. I know it's hard to visualize the past because 1974 ande 1983 are SO REAR MIRROR SITUATIONS .
- Posted by gerrysdadgw
How many times did Duke beat State & UNC from 1974 to 83 ?
RE: Tar Heels, Wolfpack head to St. Louis Wednesday
Pack just happy to be there, will get waxed by KU
- Posted by mayhem
Yeah, the Pack was also just happy to be in the tournament and were going to lose to SDSU, and when that didn't happen, Georgetown was going to wax them. Keep calling for State to get waxed. One of these games, you might end up correct.
RE: Tar Heels, Wolfpack head to St. Louis Wednesday
i now understand reading some of these post why alot of people hate carolina fans, some of you people are not real fans at all you are just worried about what you look like if the heels happen to loose here and there. let me tell you it happens, i am a life long tarheel always will be. i wear my blue win or loose no excuses. well i will get off this, but some of you people need to get over yourself and be real fans take the bad with the good and give credit where it is due! state fans you guys are looking very good, i happen to think you will beat kansas. GOOD LUCK TO THE TARHEELS!!!! and yes to the PACK that i think is playing as well as anybody.
- Posted by roushstang
AMEN to that roushstang,you hit the nail on the head.Wish all the so called fans you mention would leave and go root for some other team.These are the fans that fuel all the haters of UNC.GO HEELS!!!
RE: Tar Heels, Wolfpack head to St. Louis Wednesday
i now understand reading some of these post why alot of people hate carolina fans, some of you people are not real fans at all you are just worried about what you look like if the heels happen to loose here and there. let me tell you it happens, i am a life long tarheel always will be. i wear my blue win or loose no excuses. well i will get off this, but some of you people need to get over yourself and be real fans take the bad with the good and give credit where it is due! state fans you guys are looking very good, i happen to think you will beat kansas. GOOD LUCK TO THE TARHEELS!!!! and yes to the PACK that i think is playing as well as anybody.
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