College Basketball Midweek Game of the Week: #7 North Carolina at North Carolina State

Wednesday's bout between the Wolfpack and the Tarheels will be the 243rd matchup in the rivalry's history.

Conference play in college basketball is the best time all year for teams to stack wins and build on their resumes, and Wednesday's game between North Carolina and North Carolina State provides that opportunity for both squads. 

Dec 29, 2023; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Harrison Ingram (55) slaps hands on the bench after hitting a three point shot in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. M / © Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

The Tarheels enter the matchup against their in-state rival as the seventh-ranked squad in the country following an impressive road win over #16 Clemson. North Carolina also has wins over Oklahoma (ranked seventh at the time), Tennessee (ranked 10th at the time), and Arkansas (ranked 20th at the time) and boasts the sixth toughest strength of schedule in the country according to KenPom.com. 

R.J. Davis is averaging 20.6 points per game and has proved to be one of the country's best scorers this season. Davis is one part of the three-headed monster that North Carolina has deployed this season, the other two being Armando Bacot and Harrison Ingram. Bacot is scoring just under 15 points per game while also grabbing 11.1 rebounds per game and Ingram is contributing 13.1 points per game, 6.8 rebounds per game, 2.6 assists per game, and 1.5 steals per game. 

On the other side is North Carolina State. The Wolfpack's best win is over Virginia, but the lack of bad losses has NC State in a good spot. DJ Horne leads the way for the Wolfpack, averaging 14.4 points per game. 

The matchup to watch will be North Carolina State's offense versus North Carolina's defense. The Tarheels boast the 16th best defense in the country according to KenPom, but they do not force turnovers. On the flip side, North Carolina State's offense is one of the best in the country at not turning it over. They do not run a fast-paced offense and take care of the ball, so if the Tarheels can speed them up, North Carolina will control the game. 

NC State (11-3) vs. #7 North Carolina (11-3)

• Wednesday, January 10
• 7 p.m. CT
• ESPN
• Live Stream - fuboTV (Start your free trial)

TCU Men's Basketball Preview: Oklahoma

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