Carolina really hit a rough stretch. I’m surprised Roy Williams hasn’t pulled all of his hair out. The youth and inexperience has been a huge influence on the outcome of Carolina’s games. Turnovers. Turnovers. Turnovers. Why is this a problem? It’s because Larry Drew and Dexter Strickland are average guards. They leave their feet when trying to make a pass or they pass the ball to a teammate where he thinks he is going to be instead of actually seeing the pass through. But all of that is okay. Because I saw hope on Tuesday night against NC State. The same Wolfpack team that beat Duke 88-74 on the very same court.

For the first time this season, the Tarheels should that they can battle adversity. In the second half, the Wolfpack opened with a 10 to 1 run. Carolina answered with a 15-0 run of their own. Carolina’s defense was phenominal. NC State didn’t score for like 8 minutes in the second half. I loved the way Henson played. He might not be worth anything offensively, but he can create a lot of problems in the paint with his long wingspan. Roy Williams challenged them to do better and play with heart. The players answered and earned their first true road game victory.

Don’t be worried about Carolina and the NCAA tournament. They’ll make it. They already beat a good Ohio State team on a neutral court, and they beat Michigan State, a team in the top 5 currently. Carolina’s strength of schedule is definitely in the top 5. They’ve played both Texas and Kentucky, both of which were number one at point in the year. Roy William’s team will not die. They will not give up. For now, I say they are about a 7 seed. It doesn’t bother me. As long as they get an invitation to the dance.