ACC in NCAA Tourney Breakdown: 2) UNC vs. 11) Marquette

Posted by Brandon Rink on March 23, 2011 under ACC Basketball | Comments are off for this article

UNC's size is once again a factor going into the NCAA Tournament matchup with Marquette (Per OrangeandWhite.com)

(2) North Carolina Tar Heels vs. (11) Marquette Golden Eagles, 7:15 (EST), CBS, Newark NJ

Coaches Tourney Records: UNC – Roy Williams – 56-18 (9-4 in Sweet 16); Marquette – Buzz Williams – 3-2 (0-0 in Sweet 16).
Tar Heel That Has to Step up: F Tyler Zeller – Once again, UNC has a mismatch in the paint with only one Golden Eagle over 6′10 in Chris Otule who only averages 17.5 minutes per game…with a no. of solid guards for Marquette, Zeller has to be a big scorer Friday.
UNC Has to Stop: G Darius Johnson-Odom (16 ppg, 2.4 apg)– Johnson-Odom has hit right on that points per game in his last 12 games (19 against Xavier and 17 against Syracuse in the NCAAs) among a group of experienced guards.
What I’m Thinking…: The round of 32 brought a scare for the Heels against a team that matched them blow for blow on offense. In the Sweet 16, Marquette isn’t afraid to run with UNC either. Averaging  76.1 points per game (32nd in the nation), the Golden Eagles knocked out West Virginia in the first round of the Big East Tournament before Louisville drilled them 81-56, cruised in a win over A-10 regular season champ Xavier in their opening NCAA Tourney game and held on late (with the help of a questionable backcourt call) against conference foe Syracuse 66-62.

The young Heels have been flirting with disaster ever since the ACC Tourney games with Miami and Clemson – Marquette, a team that’s been hearing all week about how weak the Big East has been, will take advantage of UNC if they let them hang around. That said, UNC’s big men bail them out again and the ACC continues to roll right to the Elite 8.

Pick: Heels 79-71