UNC basketball is trying to complete a championship sweep and NC State is trying to make history at the 2024 ACC Tournament.
The fourth-ranked Tar Heels (27-6), who won the regular-season title, will try to win their first tournament crown since 2018 on Saturday (8:30 p.m., ESPN) against the Wolfpack (21-14) at Capital One Arena.
NC State, which hasn’t played in the championship game since losing to UNC in 2007, is trying to become the first ACC team to win five games in five days. A win would give the Wolfpack its first ACC Tournament crown since 1987 and its 11th overall.
WILD WOLFPACK WIN:Michael O’Connell, DJ Burns lead NC State basketball to ACC Tournament championship game
NO. 1 SEED?:UNC basketball playing for ACC Tournament title, possible No. 1 seed in NCAA Tournament
The Heels, who earned a pair of victories against the Pack in the regular season, are taking aim at their 19th tournament championship. Here’s a look at some other things to know and a score prediction for a trophy game between a pair of Tobacco Road rivals.
Harrison Ingram’s defense, production for UNC basketball against NC State
Harrison Ingram was the MVP in UNC’s first two games against the Wolfpack this season. Ingram had nine points and 19 rebounds – a Tar Heel record against State – in a 13-point victory at PNC Arena. He followed with 22 points and six rebounds in a nine-point win in Chapel Hill. Defensively, Ingram has locked down the opposing team’s top scorer in both ACC Tournament games. That all-around effort is key for UNC’s championship run.
Will the Wolfpack slow down RJ Davis?
RJ Davis, the ACC Player of the Year, is playing like the top dog in D.C. with an average of 21.5 points through two postseason games. After reaching 2,000 career points in the win against Pitt, Davis will try to put together one more stellar effort in the nation’s capital to help UNC cut down the nets.
Mo Diarra, Michael O’Connell as X-factors for NC State
DJ Horne and DJ Burns are the stars for NC State, but Mo Diarra and Michael O’Connell have been among the main reasons why the Wolfpack has a chance to raise a trophy this weekend. O’Connell has averaged 5.4 points this season, but he’s averaging 14 points through four games in the postseason. Diarra has averaged 10.3 points and 14 rebounds in the last three games. If NC State is going to pull off the upset, those two players have to keep it rolling.
UNC vs NC State score prediction
UNC 82, NC State 69: It’s been an incredible, improbable run for the Wolfpack, which will hang around to make it interesting. But the Tar Heels’ tempo will help UNC pull away late. RJ Davis will be the ACC Tournament MVP.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.
First appeared on www.fayobserver.com