After four games last night, there are four more coming your way tonight across the ACC. #11 North Carolina and #19 Louisville are both in action tonight trying to better their records against non-conference foes. Here’s the full four game preview.
Tulane (6-4) Vs. #11 North Carolina (7-2), 7:00 PM ET on ESPN2
Game Notes
- North Carolina has fought through their fair share of injuries so far this season, and their woes will continue on Wednesday night, as junior forward Kennedy Meeks will miss his first game of the season with a bone bruise in his left knee. He could ultimately miss up to three weeks with the ailment, which will be a pretty big loss for the Tar Heels frontcourt. Meeks is averaging 12.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game so far this season.
- Stat of the night: Per ESPN, Tulane has lost 30 straight games against ranked opponents entering the game with the #11 Tar Heels.
Prediction
Kennedy Meeks will be a loss that the Tar Heels will have to overcome when they enter conference play next month, although the hope is that he will be back without missing too much of the conference schedule. While his injury could be more amplified once UNC gets into their ACC schedule, the loss of Meeks should not hamper the #11 Tar Heels this evening, as Marcus Paige and Justin Jackson should provide more than enough offense to cruise to an easy home victory against lowly Tulane.
North Carolina 80 Tulane 66
High Point (8-2) Vs. NC State (6-3), 7:00 PM ET on ESPN3.com
Game Notes
- North Carolina State is one of the top rebounding teams in the country entering play, as they pull down 43.8 boards per game as a team which ranks 15th nationally.
- High Point, while scoring a modest 80.1 points per game this season, has struggled on the glass, where they have only pulled down 35.6 rebounds per game. The glass is clearly an area where the Wolfpack can assert themselves this evening.
Prediction
High Point has an offense that can, and will stay competitive in the game on Wednesday night. John Brown (20.6 ppg.) and Lorenzo Cugini (14.5 ppg.) will have to produce performances along the lines of their season averages in order to give the Panthers a chance against a well-coached NC State team. The Wolfpack and dynamic guard Cat Barber (20.6) points per game will have enough offense to go toe-to-toe with High Point.
Ultimately, the difference will come on the boards, where NC State’s Abdul-Malik Abu and Lennard Freeman should have a big night. The duo combine for nearly 15 rebounds per game this season, and will help set the Wolfpack apart in a very close game.
NC State 72 High Point 65
Kennesaw State (3-8) Vs. #19 Louisville (7-1), 7:00 PM ET on ESPNU
Game Notes
- Louisville Cardinals opponents this season have only shot the ball at a 34% clip against their defense, proving once again that Rick Pitino’s squad boasts one of the best defensive teams in all of college basketball.
- The spectacular defense has led to easy offense for the Cardinals, whose 86.0 points per game are tied for 16th in the country. Senior transfer guard Damion Lee has led the way, averaging 18.8 points per game through the first eight games of the season.
Prediction
Kennesaw State is 329th in the country in scoring, and they are going up against the nation’s second-ranked scoring defense. That’ll do it.
Louisville 94 Kennesaw State 52
Mississippi State (4-4) Vs. Florida State (6-2), 9:00 PM ET on ESPN2
Game Notes
- It’s a youth movement in Tallahassee, as Florida State freshmen Malik Beasley and Dwayne Bacon are the team’s two leading scorers thus far this season, and are averaging a combined 34.1 points per game. This accounts for 40% of the team’s 85.4 points per game.
- The above bullet is bad news for Mississippi State, who has struggled mightily on the defensive end of the court this season. The Bulldogs are giving up just over 76 points per game, which is 274th nationally.
Prediction
Mississippi State is a team that should improve as the season wears on, but I do not believe that their defense is ready for what the Seminoles are going to throw at them this evening. With two dynamic freshmen in addition to sophomore sensation, Xavier Rathan-Mayes, Florida State will ultimately have too much offense for Mississippi State’s defense, and will pull away at home in the second half to earn their seventh win of the season.
Florida State 82 Mississippi State 70
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