North Carolina survived a close game last night against Virginia Tech in the ACC quarterfinals to earn a meeting with Florida State this afternoon. The Seminoles had a close call of their own against Georgia Tech, but they fought their way past the Yellow Jackets in order to face the number one team in the nation. Today's contest tips off at 1:30pm ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN.
NCAA Basketball Picks: Florida State vs North Carolina at SBGglobal.com have the Tar Heels listed as a -8.5 against the spread favorite.
North Carolina took first place in the ACC this year with a 13-3 conference record and 28-3 overall mark. They finished the regular season with three straight wins and they opened up the ACC Tournament with a narrow win over Virginia Tech last night in the Georgia Dome. Tar Heels point guard Ty Lawson missed the affair due to a toe injury.
With Lawson out, North Carolina leaned more heavily on big man Tyler Hansbrough and the senior came through with a game high 28 points. The Tar Heels also had three other players in double figures as they hit 44.6 percent from the field as a team. Virginia Tech kept themselves in the action by hitting 8-of-19 from beyond the arc, but they could not compete on the boards, losing the rebounding battle 30 to 41.
Roy Williams' squad has yet to lose a neutral site game this season, going 4-0 on the year. The Tar Heels will pose a challenge to the defensive oriented Seminoles as they average 90.8 points per game.
Florida State, which is ranked 22nd in the AP Poll and 17th in the RPI, had a tremendous season as well, garnering a 10-6 ACC record and a 23-8 tally on the year. They finished fourth in the conference and earned their 24th overall win and 11th ACC victory last night in Atlanta with a 64-62 victory over Georgia Tech.
The Semionles turned the ball over 19 times against the Yellow Jackets and hit just four of their 14 three point attempts; however, they did knock down over 49 percent of their field goals. Guard Toney Douglas led his team to victory with a 25 point performance, he was one of just two Florida State players to reach double figures in scoring.
FSU, like Carolina, is 4-0 in neutral site games this season. Unlike the Heels, they are not an uptempo, high-scoring ballclub. They average a meager 68.5 per game, but they hold opponents to a lowly 64.4 per outing.
Lawson is still questionable for today's game. If he does not play his absence will likely be a factor in the game. The ACC Player of the Year hit a game winning three point shot at the buzzer when these two schools got together in January in Tallahassee.
SBGglobal.com's NCAA Basketball Picks: Florida State vs North Carolina
Florida State Seminoles +8.5 (-110), Over 149.5 (-110), +325 (Moneyline)
North Carolina Tar Heels -8.5 (-110), Under 149.5 (-110), -450 (Moneyline)
