Wednesday didn't go as expected. NC State traveled to Tennessee and won on the road while UNC wasn't able to defend their homecourt against Texas.
NC State raised a few eyebrows with their solid play at Tennessee. The Pack defeated Tennessee 65=58 and it was the NC State defense that played a large part in the win. Tennessee posted an eFG% of just 31 in the loss. As with most wins this season, TJ Warren led the scoring attack with 21 points and 11 rebounds.
UNC's season continues to be a head-scratcher. A few hours before tipoff against Texas UNC learned that Leslie McDonald had been cleared to play. McDonald's appearance made a difference, but it wasn't enough as the Heels lost 86-83 to Texas. While McDonald certainly helped with perimeter shooting, it was rebounding and free throw shooting that caused the most headaches. The Heels made just 24-47 free throw attempts and watched Texas grab 44% of their own misses on the offensive glass. I thought Andrew Jones summed up UNC's struggles well...
Until UNC straightens out its FTs ineptitude, it must outplay even teams by 5-8 possessions a game. Didn't do that tonight and lost.
— Andrew Jones (@AJonesACC) December 19, 2013
After the game, we finally received some news on the PJ Hairston situation. UNC AD Bubba Cunninghame issued a statement essentially saying that the Hairston's situation should be resolved by the end of the week. It doesn't look good for a Hairston return if you combine that with the NCAA's statement from earlier yesterday. As part of the Leslie McDonald's news release, the NCAA issued a statement saying that McDonald's letter for reinstatement was the only one received from UNC. So, we should know something by tomorrow but UNC hasn't submitted paperwork to reinstate PJ Hairston. Reading between the lines, it doesn't look like PJ Hairston will return for UNC this season.
Tonight, Duke plays UCLA in Madison Square Garden, Clemson takes on Auburn, and Miami plays Savannah State. UCLA is highest ranked opponent of the 3, ranked #21 in the NCAAGameSim.com rankings.
NCAAGameSim.com Predictions
Miami at Savannah State - Miami wins 68-52 Sim the game here
UCLA at Duke - Duke wins 80-71 Sim the game here
Clemson at Auburn - Clemson wins 70-62 Sim the game here
View more predictions at NCAAGameSim.com
Highlights
| Team | Conf | Pct | Overall | Pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Tech | 1-0 | 1.000 | 7-3 | 0.700 |
| Maryland | 1-0 | 1.000 | 7-4 | 0.636 |
| Syracuse | 0-0 | 1.000 | 10-0 | 1.000 |
| Pittsburgh | 0-0 | 1.000 | 10-1 | 0.909 |
| Wake Forest | 0-0 | 1.000 | 9-2 | 0.818 |
| NC State | 0-0 | 1.000 | 8-2 | 0.800 |
| Clemson | 0-0 | 1.000 | 8-2 | 0.800 |
| Duke | 0-0 | 1.000 | 8-2 | 0.800 |
| Georgia Tech | 0-0 | 1.000 | 8-3 | 0.727 |
| Notre Dame | 0-0 | 1.000 | 8-3 | 0.727 |
| UNC | 0-0 | 1.000 | 7-3 | 0.700 |
| FSU | 0-0 | 1.000 | 7-3 | 0.700 |
| Virginia | 0-0 | 1.000 | 7-3 | 0.700 |
| Miami | 0-1 | 0.000 | 5-5 | 0.500 |
| Boston College | 0-1 | 0.000 | 5-6 | 0.455 |
 Injury Report |
|---|
| Patrick Rooks (CL) |
| injured hip, out for season |
| Jason Morris (GT) |
| stress fracture in foot, back in late Nov |
| Travis Jorgenson (GT) |
| Torn ACL, out for season |
| Seth Allen (MD) |
| 10/30 - broken foot, out 8-10 weeks |
| Deandre Burnett (MI) |
| injured wrist, out for season |
| Marquis Rankin (VT) |
| out for personal reasons |
Links
- UNC: Resolution for Hairston By Week's End
- ACC Divisions: Potential Reallignment
- Williams disgusted by UNC's 86-83 loss against Texas
- 'HORNS HOOK HEELS
- Hairston remains sidelined as McDonald returns to court
- Inside the Game: Clemson at Auburn
- SU athletic director Daryl Gross emailed ACC ADs about current football structure
- Syracuse assistant Adrian Autry witnessed High Point player Allan Chaney's first collapse due to heart problem
- North Carolina Tar Heels Shouldn’t Panic After Loss to Texas Longhorns
- Texas Longhorns Upset Over North Carolina Doesn’t Prove Anything
- Duke Returns to New York for Matchup With UCLA
- MBB Game Notes: vs. UCLA (Dec. 19, 2013)
- Kyle Anderson could feel at home when UCLA plays at Madison Square Garden
- Quinn Cook and Andre Dawkins’ veteran presence key for Duke
- Cook, Dawkins establishing new roles in Duke offense
- Blue Devils should receive challenge on defense vs. high-scoring
- The ACC season about to start for Duke Blue Devils
Yesterday's Games
| Matchup | |
|---|---|
| NC State 65 @ Tennessee 58 | Box |
| Texas 86 @ UNC 83 | Box |
Today's Games
| Time | Matchup | TV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00:00 PM | Miami @ Savannah State | Preview | |
| 7:30:00 PM | UCLA @ Duke | ESPN | Preview |
| 8:00:00 PM | Clemson @ Auburn | FSN | Preview |
