Editor's note: N.C. State senior J. Mike Blake is covering the Wolfpack for WRAL.com this season.



First of all, let me just say that I should be paid double Gregg Found’s salary for this one, because I’ve had to work twice as hard finding reasons why N.C. State (11-3) will beat No. 1 North Carolina.

Let’s just hope fatigue doesn’t set in as Gregg lists the numerous things that the Tar Heels have going for them. His team is steamrolling opponents not named Clemson or Davidson while State is struggling with the likes of the Catamounts, Privateers, and something called the Blue Hose.

Anyway, contrary to popular belief, the Wolfpack does have a chance in this one. I don’t see the road upset happening, but there’s a chance.

Outside of the usual factors (offensive rebounding, turnovers, etc.) that play into every basketball game, the Pack can prove me, you and everybody else wrong if they just do the following things to a tee:

1. Lowe gets the troops riled up

So Sidney Lowe has yet to prove he’s the best for preparing a team for games against the East Carolinas of the world. It’s downright puzzling how the team that beat Villanova scored 17 first half points against Presbyterian.

But when the red jacket comes out – and it likely will with his team playing its archrival and top team in the country - it usually leads to inspired play.

In his young coaching tenure, Lowe is working on a reputation as an excellent big-game and tournament coach.

His team is 8-2 in tournament games, counting last year’s ACC and NIT Tournament runs plus this season’s Old Spice Classic title.

And if you leave out the half that Lowe did not coach against the Heels, the one where he fell ill, State actually trails UNC 209-203 after 100 minutes of play.

His presence on the sideline is critical, because for whatever reason, Lowe is at his best when put against the best.

How else do you explain taking down both Coach K and Roy Williams in just his first year?

As a former player, Lowe knows the meaning of this rivalry, and you get the sense his players do as well.

He needs to have his players come out with an effort we haven’t seen all year from this ball club, because it will take 40 minutes of high intensity from his guys to take down the top team in the nation.

2. Win the match-ups: Hickson vs. Hansbrough, Fells ( if he plays?) vs. Ellington

It’ll be a showdown of contrasting styles and careers as the All-American Tyler Hansbrough goes up against the physically imposing J.J. Hickson.

One guy is cementing his legacy in his stellar third season on campus, while the other isn’t quite 15 games into his fledgling career.

Hickson must do what Clemson did – deny Hansbrough the entry passes and keep “Psycho T” from starting his lethal post moves. Otherwise, it may be a repeat of three years ago, when junior Sean May took freshman Cedric Simmons to school.

It’s probably too much to ask for Hickson to outright win his battle. But both men can’t help but score double-digits, so if Hickson can just hold his own with Hansbrough, State has a chance.

Well, hold that thought. That’s actually where teams like Clemson and Davidson went wrong.

So what if Hansbrough gets just 10-12 points? That’s where Wayne Ellington has stepped up as a lethal No. 2 option.

The likely defender of Ellington for the Pack is Courtney Fells, who sprained his right ankle in the win over North Carolina Central.

Make no mistake, State needs Fells to be healthy and take on Ellington. Fells outplayed Ellington at times last year, but Ellington has much improved and now demands attention on the defensive end.

If Fells, who has had some excellent games this season, is cleared to play, he’ll need to then proceed to score and defend like a guy with his athleticism is capable.

Should State lose both of these match-ups, it doesn’t have a prayer. Win one or both, and anything is possible.

3. Shoot the lights out

Of course State doesn’t need to run up and down the court with UNC, but it doesn’t mean the game necessarily needs to be low-scoring.

Since Lowe took over before the 2006-07 season, State has scored over 80 points 10 times including last year’s 83-79 win over the Tar Heels. In those games the team is 9-1, the only loss coming in last year’s closely contested ACC title game.

With Lowe on the sideline, the team must pick and choose wisely its shots in the half court sets and hope to shoot over 50 percent for the game.

Besides, it’s a lot harder for UNC to run-and-gun when it has to take the ball out of the basket on a regular basis. Hitting shots actually forces the Heels out of their desired tempo.

Granted, State’s shooting numbers – especially from the perimeter - have been atrocious in the past two games. But if there’s a silver lining, it’s that Carolina will never throw a zone at the Pack – something it has struggled mightily with.

Therefore, State must take advantage of the overly-aggressive Tar Heels man-to-man defense and score buckets when they’re there for the taking.

This was illustrated beautifully in last year’s games when floor general Engin Atsur consistently found the open guy whenever Carolina was forced to switch on a screen or double team another.

Atsur is gone, but if the Pack has efficient ball movement that creates open looks - and those players hit 50-plus percent of those open looks – it should make for a good game.

And maybe - just maybe - one that State can win.