UNC's Not Invincible; State Gets Sidney's First

I do love Sunday. It's my favorite day of the week, and I'm writing this while watching the NFL playoffs.

The Bears have just beaten Seattle and I really want to watch Philip Rivers and the Chargers go against New England. So here you go.

Man, how surprising was that Virginia Tech win over top-ranked Carolina? You've got to give credit to the Hokies for just taking it to the Heels, and conversely, you have to give Carolina credit for not giving up and almost coming from 23 down. If the game had gone a couple of minutes longer, UNC might have won it, but they didn't, and Virginia Tech is 3-0 in the ACC.

Now despite what happened in Blacksburg, I still think Carolina has the best talent in the ACC. I mean, actually, who doesn't? This team, however, has played few games in hostile arenas and some of the younger players might not have been ready for the unfriendly ACC road environment. All those cupcakes in the Smith Center don't prepare you for the ACC road. Virginia Tech is more experienced and that experience for most of the game trumped Carolina's young talent.

I think another Carolina problem could be what is perceived to be a strength -- all of that depth. Yes, having so much talent and running so many players in and out can wear other teams down -- and it certainly has this season. It's easy to play all those players effectively in blowout games, but can it be done when the competition becomes fiercer? And will some of those players who might see their playing time cut be content? You know, a senior like Reyshawn Terry wants to play more than the 16 minutes he did against Virginia Tech.

Roy Williams, though, is of course one of the best in the business. He knows what he's doing. I doubt he expected this team not to lose in the ACC. And when you look at this conference as a whole, Carolina still seems to have the biggest upside. But right now (and it's early), the Tar Heels do not lead the Atlantic Coast Conference. Boston College and the Hokies do.

N.C. State finally got its first league win. It's Sidney Lowe's first league win as coach, and it comes against a Big Four opponent. Going into Saturday's game at Wake Forest, who knew what to expect from these two young, erratic teams. Both teams needed this one badly. And the game was no thing of beauty, but State was clearly better, and they won convincingly with Engin Atsur missing still another game with the hamstring problem. I have always believed that State will be a factor of some kind and cause some trouble. They have some players who know how to score. Defense is sometimes a different matter.

Wake Forest just isn't very good, and Skip Prosser is looking at another tough season. When was the last time the Deacons played any defense?

State now has a week to get ready for Duke. I doubt Gavin Grant and company will be afraid of the 2007 Devils who will come to the RBC Center.

I did enjoy covering the Duke-Maryland women's game on Saturday. I've always enjoyed the women's game, and these were two of the nations' best. It was a packed crowd and some good basketball. A lot of good athletes on the floor. The Duke men could certainly use Lindsey Harding's quickness.

What struck me was how appreciative the Duke players were of the crowd support and how friendly and talkative they were in the post game. The women seemed to be having the time of their life, relishing the moment, and I believe they would have talked to us forever. It was refreshing.

In contrast, most men's post-game gatherings, win or lose, look like a room full of patients waiting to see the dentist. They will answer the questions, but there is little joy in doing so.

The difference is that most men's programs have become jaded to all the media scrutiny they know is coming while the women's game is still growing, and they want and appreciate the attention.

Another huge women's game is coming up on Monday in Chapel Hill with undefeated Carolina hosting always-powerful Connecticut. This is a game that should be watched.

The first Duke-UNC women's matchup is Feb. 8 in Chapel Hill.