North Carolina and Louisiana State will meet today in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The two South Region squads are set to tip things off at 5:45pm ET at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. The winner will go on to meet either the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers or the Gonzaga Bulldogs. 
LSU vs UNC 2009 NCAA Tournament Picks at SBGglobal.com have North Carolina listed as a -12.5 against the spread favorite.
North Carolina did not need point guard Ty Lawson on Thursday as their 101-58 beating of Radford would indicate. UNC dominated the affair from the opening tip and in doing so they moved their overall record to 29-4. The victory was the Tar Heels fifth in six neutral site games this season and it was their fifth win in their last six games.
UNC shot 45.2 percent from the field and hit 20-of-24 from the free throw line while holding the Highlanders to just 27.5 percent field goal shooting. Four Tar Heels hit double figures in scoring, but Wayne Ellington and Tyler Hansbrough did most of the damage. The two players combined for 47 points and 15 boards in the blowout win.
LSU had a much tougher go against a much tougher opponent on Thursday as they narrowly defeated Butler 75-71 in Greensboro. The victory was just the Tigers second in their last five games and it moved their neutral site record to 2-1 on the year. LSU is now holding teams to an average of 65.6 points per game on the season after giving up 71 to the Bulldogs.
The Tigers hit 49.1 percent from the floor against Butler and they knocked down six of their 14 shots from beyond the arc. The difference in the game, however, proved to be guard Marcus Thornton — LSU's leading point producer. Thornton dropped 30 points on the Bulldogs and added six rebounds, four assists, and four steals for good measure.
SBGglobal.com's LSU vs UNC 2009 NCAA Tournament Picks:
LSU Tigers +12.5 (-110), Over 158.5 (-110)
North Carolina Tar Heels -12.5 (-110), Under 158.5 (-110)
