Official North Carolina VS Ohio State ESPN 9.PT VOL. The Real Number 1 in both Polls

23michaeljordan45

23michaeljordan45

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North Carolina plays Ohio State tonight on ESPN, 9 p.m. ET (8 CT) in the ACC-Big TenChallenge.

From ESPN
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Point guard Ty Lawson may not be able to play when North Carolina (No. 2 ESPN/USA Today, No. 1 AP) plays Ohio State on Wednesday night (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET) in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

No matter, Buckeyes coach Thad Matta said. It's not one individual who makes the Tar Heels so good.

"The great thing about North Carolina, you know they're going to do what they do," Matta said. "They've got a little bit of the Green Bay Packers in them -- this is who we are, here we come, stop us."

In a rematch of a marquee game from a year ago, the Tar Heels have a decided upper hand this time around: more experience, more depth, center Tyler Hansbrough and a full complement of talented players.

But they may not have Lawson, the guy who directs traffic in the Tar Heels' uptempo attack and fronts their pressure defense. He's hobbled by an ankle injury.

"He did not practice yesterday. I haven't seen him yet today," coach Roy Williams said on Tuesday. "He's listed on the practice plan as 'limited.' That's wishful thinking, I think, on my part. But I don't know if it's false. We talked yesterday and I told him I would hope he'd be able to do some things today and if he did some things today I could see him playing in the game. I really won't know anything until after he practices and see how he handles it."

Ohio State's players figure Lawson will be on the court.

"Yeah. He's playing," Buckeyes point guard Jamar Butler said with a smirk. "He'll be playing."

If Lawson cannot play, Bobby Frasor would start, backed by Quentin Thomas.

"Ty gives you such a threat with his ability to push the ball and get it to the rim and finish plays, a much faster pace than Bobby and Q," Williams said. "Bobby's been sensational defensively. He shoots the ball from the outside. Q is really good in the open court, but not at the same pace as Ty. It definitely changes our team."

While Williams is concerned about his point guard, Matta is worried about stopping the Tar Heels' big man, Hansbrough.

The 6-foot-9 junior is averaging 23 points, which puts him on pace for the ninth-best season-scoring average in North Carolina's star-studded history.

But it's more than what he's done to the Tar Heels' first five opponents this season. Last season, before Ohio State's super freshman Greg Oden had begun to play after surgery on his wrist, Hansbrough hurt the Buckeyes inside in the Heels' 98-89 win. He had 21 points and 14 rebounds and had his way with a number of defenders.

Now Oden is gone, the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. The Buckeyes (4-1) start another 7-foot freshman with a spectacular future, Kosta Koufos. He will be backed by two of the same players who Hansbrough handled last time, Othello Hunter and Matt Terwilliger.

Matta believes that defending Hansbrough takes more than one man.

"One of the biggest challenges is you've got to collectively guard them," he said. "All five guys have to be attached physically and mentally to what we're trying to do and honestly what they're trying to do. They have a lot of weapons, obviously, from the low-post game to the outside shooting. When you're playing a great team, you have to take away as much as you possibly can. That's got to be where our focus is."

Ohio State is still trying to find its footing after losing five of its top six scorers from a year ago, including two other freshmen who joined Oden in the first round of the draft.

"That's the main thing, we don't have the same team and they pretty much do," Butler said of the rematch. "It's going to be a tough battle for us."

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press


I really hope Lawson will be able to play tonight...but either way, will be a great game.

I hope in this game I will be able to make another avy like the one against Iona.
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VOL. The Real Number 1 in both Polls


The heels, Yeah

The Buckeyes...Not so much...

Wait, are you talking about Carolina B-Ball in both polls, or Carolina B-Ball and O$U football....I confused myself....
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Lookin forward to this game..UNC all the way..but OSU might surprise us a lil..
 
Watch out for Koufous. If Hansbrough guards him, which i think he will, this could be a tough match up.

Not knocking Hansbourgh, but it isn't everyday you go against a 7 footer. This may be a preview to Singler. OSU played very well against us and this isgoing to be close then expected, especially if Lawson is out.

I expect a good game, but UNC pulls it out.
 
Originally Posted by dreClark

VOL. The Real Number 1 in both Polls
Click to expand...
Click to expand...


The heels, Yeah

The Buckeyes...Not so much...

Wait, are you talking about Carolina B-Ball in both polls, or Carolina B-Ball and O$U football....I confused myself....
laugh.gif



No, I was talking about UNC being Number 1 in the AP and Number 2 in the ESPN/USA Today.

Sorry, I don't think OSU should be number 1 in football, but ahead of Kansas.
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We were out rebounded the last 2 games. If we control the glass and buckle down on D we should take care of business. I think Bobby starts this game. I'd rather Ty rest that ankle tonight and be ready to go at Kentucky. We should have enough talent to pick up the slack.
 
JND1- Love your avy.
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@ the last guy (can't think of name, have to load up tarheelblue.com) right before Coach Williams. I think it's Surry Wood...
 
^^^

If Koufos went inside

Hansbrough is the only 'dominant' college big man I've ever seen that can manage to block .5 shots a game
 
Originally Posted by allen3xis

^^^

If Koufos went inside

Hansbrough is the only 'dominant' college big man I've ever seen that can manage to block .5 shots a game
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I haven't heard of Koufos before I made this thread.

I'll have to look out for him tonight.
 
We need some people trying to get some offense rebounds. Were going to get killed if we don't.
 
Jamar shouldn't have shot that three. But the rest of them are falling and we're getting some momentum. Let's keep it up.
 
I know he didn't just make that shot. Doesn't matter, OSU don't want it with Chapel Hill and Roy bout to show you why he's one of the best toever do it come 2nd Half.

I look forward to Danny Green or Marcus Ginyard having a big 2nd Half.
 
Uh-Gah-Ly game...Diebler hadn't done a thing all year but happens to have a "career night" against us, typical. Wayne did his thing once again. If a healthy Lawson was available, this wouldn't have been a ball game.

Anybody seen Koufos tonight?
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Our frosh have a long way to go...if Koufos stays next year, he will grow into what Hansbrough is this year...Diebler hasbeen inconsistent shooting this year, but that looooooooooong three that he made wasn't a fluke, he can drain those consistently and did back in highschool. Lighty needs to stay away from the three point line, he is not a great shooter by any means...
 
yeah that Diebler kid has a great step-back shot....i only expect him to get better...
 
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