The following is a quick look at how well Florida State and North Carolina match up with one another entering Sunday afternoon?s ACC Tournament final. We?ll do it by taking a peek at potential starting lineups for the two teams. (UNC?s is subject to change, due to the currently uncertain status of forward John Henson).
Sunday?s conference championship game will feature a pair teams that played only once during the regular season.
The Seminoles won that one, 90-57 in front of a jam-packed, raucous Donald L. Tucker Center crowd. This time around, they?ll likely be playing before a near capacity Philips Arena that will look more like a sea of Carolina blue and navy, rather than a gorge of garnet and gold. How might that affect the Seminoles? We?ll find out in about three hours ?
No. 1 seed NORTH CAROLINA (28-4) ? (stats entering Saturday?s semifinal vs. North Carolina State)
F Harrison Barnes (team leading scorer, 17.3 ppg, 39% 3-point ? 16 pts, 3-for-12 in semifinal ? 15 pts vs. FSU Jan. 14)
F James Michael McAdoo (5.3 ppg, 3.8 rebounds per game ? 9 pts in semifinal ? 0 pts, 10 min vs. FSU Jan. 14)
F Tyler Zeller (16.2 ppg, 9.2 rebounds per game ? 23 pts, 9 rebounds in semifinal ? 14 pts, 14 rebounds vs. FSU Jan. 14)
G Kendall Marshall (7.4 ppg, 311 assists, 89 turnovers, 42 steals ? 12 pts, 10 assists in semifinal ? 6 pts vs. FSU Jan. 14)
G Reggie Bullock (8.8 ppg, 4.7 rebounds per game ? 5 pts, 7 rebounds in semifinal ? 6 pts vs. FSU Jan. 14)
***
The Tar Heels have changed a lot since their January meeting with the Seminoles in Tallahassee. Of note, they have been without guard Dexter Strickland since the last meeting and have been forced to rely more heavily than anticipated on guard Kendall Marshall to set up sets and to score. Although Strickland was held to just four points when the Tar Heels met the Seminoles, he was a big piece of their team before suffering a knee injury the week after playing FSU.
In 19 games, Strickland averaged 7.5 points per game and had 25 steals. When UNC lost him, it lost a big piece of its defense.
Additionally, the drama surrounding the Tar Heels at the tournament this week has been whether or not All-ACC forward John Henson would play in the semifinal and final after suffering a wrist/hand injury in the quarterfinals Friday against Virginia. He didn?t play against North Carolina State on Saturday and appears to be doubtful for Sunday?s contest. If he?s absent, the Tar Heels will miss a key player in their low post.
That might not be a bad thing for UNC, though. The last time the Tar Heels faced the Seminoles, he was held to just 10 points and four rebounds.
***
No. 3 seed FLORIDA STATE (23-9) ? (stats entering Saturday?s semifinal vs. Duke)
F Xavier Gibson (7.2 ppg, 4.6 rebounds per game ? 4 pts, 1 rebound, 1 block in semifinal ? 3 pts vs. UNC Jan. 14)
F Bernard James (10.5 ppg, 8.3 rebounds per game, 70 blocks ? 13 pts, 7 rebounds in semifinal ? 8 pts, 9 rebounds vs. UNC Jan. 14)
G Luke Loucks (6.5 ppg, 39 steals, 125 assists ? 9 pts, 4 assists in semifinal ? 6 pts, 4 steals, 6 assists vs. UNC Jan. 14)
G Deividas Dulkys (6.8 ppg, 41 steals ? 2 pts, 4 rebounds in semifinal ? 32 pts, 8 3-pointers, 4 steals vs. UNC Jan. 14)
G Michael Snaer (team leading scorer 14.3 ppg, 41% 3-point ? 16 pts, 6 assists in semifinal ? 17 pts vs. UNC Jan. 14)
***
Unlike the Tar Heels, very little has changed for the Seminoles since their 33-point win over UNC on Jan. 14. The lineup is the same, and other than a few minor bumps and scrapes, the Seminoles have been relatively injury free. So the setup largely is the same. Their play is perhaps the thing that really has changed. As a team, the Seminoles appear more in sync, more together and in better communication with one another than they were back in January. Even coach Leonard Hamilton has noticed that, citing increased communication often during this tournament as the reason the Seminoles had a seven-game winning streak (that the UNC win helped kick off) and are in a favorable position now.
While Dulkys was the star for FSU the last time the teams played, look for another player to perhaps step up and capture the limelight. One of the team?s best assets, Hamilton has often remarked, is that any given player can be the hero on any given night. Luke Loucks played a heroic role Saturday with his long 2-point shot with 11.9 seconds remaining in the game. Michael Snaer has had his moments this season burying a pair of game-winners. Bernard James has had nights where his rebounds and blocks were the top story. Ian Miller has earned attention for being lights out down the second-half stretch, as well.
--Orlando Sentinel
Sunday?s conference championship game will feature a pair teams that played only once during the regular season.
The Seminoles won that one, 90-57 in front of a jam-packed, raucous Donald L. Tucker Center crowd. This time around, they?ll likely be playing before a near capacity Philips Arena that will look more like a sea of Carolina blue and navy, rather than a gorge of garnet and gold. How might that affect the Seminoles? We?ll find out in about three hours ?
No. 1 seed NORTH CAROLINA (28-4) ? (stats entering Saturday?s semifinal vs. North Carolina State)
F Harrison Barnes (team leading scorer, 17.3 ppg, 39% 3-point ? 16 pts, 3-for-12 in semifinal ? 15 pts vs. FSU Jan. 14)
F James Michael McAdoo (5.3 ppg, 3.8 rebounds per game ? 9 pts in semifinal ? 0 pts, 10 min vs. FSU Jan. 14)
F Tyler Zeller (16.2 ppg, 9.2 rebounds per game ? 23 pts, 9 rebounds in semifinal ? 14 pts, 14 rebounds vs. FSU Jan. 14)
G Kendall Marshall (7.4 ppg, 311 assists, 89 turnovers, 42 steals ? 12 pts, 10 assists in semifinal ? 6 pts vs. FSU Jan. 14)
G Reggie Bullock (8.8 ppg, 4.7 rebounds per game ? 5 pts, 7 rebounds in semifinal ? 6 pts vs. FSU Jan. 14)
***
The Tar Heels have changed a lot since their January meeting with the Seminoles in Tallahassee. Of note, they have been without guard Dexter Strickland since the last meeting and have been forced to rely more heavily than anticipated on guard Kendall Marshall to set up sets and to score. Although Strickland was held to just four points when the Tar Heels met the Seminoles, he was a big piece of their team before suffering a knee injury the week after playing FSU.
In 19 games, Strickland averaged 7.5 points per game and had 25 steals. When UNC lost him, it lost a big piece of its defense.
Additionally, the drama surrounding the Tar Heels at the tournament this week has been whether or not All-ACC forward John Henson would play in the semifinal and final after suffering a wrist/hand injury in the quarterfinals Friday against Virginia. He didn?t play against North Carolina State on Saturday and appears to be doubtful for Sunday?s contest. If he?s absent, the Tar Heels will miss a key player in their low post.
That might not be a bad thing for UNC, though. The last time the Tar Heels faced the Seminoles, he was held to just 10 points and four rebounds.
***
No. 3 seed FLORIDA STATE (23-9) ? (stats entering Saturday?s semifinal vs. Duke)
F Xavier Gibson (7.2 ppg, 4.6 rebounds per game ? 4 pts, 1 rebound, 1 block in semifinal ? 3 pts vs. UNC Jan. 14)
F Bernard James (10.5 ppg, 8.3 rebounds per game, 70 blocks ? 13 pts, 7 rebounds in semifinal ? 8 pts, 9 rebounds vs. UNC Jan. 14)
G Luke Loucks (6.5 ppg, 39 steals, 125 assists ? 9 pts, 4 assists in semifinal ? 6 pts, 4 steals, 6 assists vs. UNC Jan. 14)
G Deividas Dulkys (6.8 ppg, 41 steals ? 2 pts, 4 rebounds in semifinal ? 32 pts, 8 3-pointers, 4 steals vs. UNC Jan. 14)
G Michael Snaer (team leading scorer 14.3 ppg, 41% 3-point ? 16 pts, 6 assists in semifinal ? 17 pts vs. UNC Jan. 14)
***
Unlike the Tar Heels, very little has changed for the Seminoles since their 33-point win over UNC on Jan. 14. The lineup is the same, and other than a few minor bumps and scrapes, the Seminoles have been relatively injury free. So the setup largely is the same. Their play is perhaps the thing that really has changed. As a team, the Seminoles appear more in sync, more together and in better communication with one another than they were back in January. Even coach Leonard Hamilton has noticed that, citing increased communication often during this tournament as the reason the Seminoles had a seven-game winning streak (that the UNC win helped kick off) and are in a favorable position now.
While Dulkys was the star for FSU the last time the teams played, look for another player to perhaps step up and capture the limelight. One of the team?s best assets, Hamilton has often remarked, is that any given player can be the hero on any given night. Luke Loucks played a heroic role Saturday with his long 2-point shot with 11.9 seconds remaining in the game. Michael Snaer has had his moments this season burying a pair of game-winners. Bernard James has had nights where his rebounds and blocks were the top story. Ian Miller has earned attention for being lights out down the second-half stretch, as well.
--Orlando Sentinel
