Heels Remember Tough Loss at N.C. State Last Year

They still remember how it felt to watch a swarm of red-clad fans rush the court last February when N.C. State upset UNC, 83-79.

“When the horn went off and everybody rushed the floor, they had so much joy and excitement from beating us,” sophomore Wayne Ellington said. “We didn’t play the way we were supposed to play that game, and that’s definitely something we all remember.”

While the Tar Heels dominated the most recent meeting between the rivals, the UNC team Wednesday will look a little different from the squad that blew out the Wolfpack in January.

Quentin Thomas will control the point as Ty Lawson is expected to miss his fifth-straight game due to a sprained ankle.

The Carolina offense looked disjointed immediately following Lawson’s injury. The number of Tar Heel assists decreased while the turnovers soared.

But as Thomas gets used his new role as a starter, UNC’s offensive play has started to click again. Passes are cleaner and tighter.

After a series of close calls in conference play, Carolina responded in a big way Saturday, shooting lights out to dismantle Virginia Tech 92-53.

“On the offensive end, we were able to do a lot better spacing and being a lot more patient, trying to get the shot that we want,” Thomas said.

Lawson and Thomas play two different styles at the point, and the change took everyone some time to adapt. But UNC coach Roy Williams said the team learned to use more set plays and half-court offense than it had with Lawson.

“We’ve adjusted. It hasn’t been smoothly,” he said. “With Ty Lawson you get some easy baskets that it’s more difficult to get with Q. ... What we’re doing is making adjustments to what we have as opposed to what we don’t have.

Thomas had symptoms of the flu Sunday, but team trainers established that he didn’t have the flu, and Thomas said Tuesday he felt much better.

The lone scholarship senior on the team, Thomas has four years of experience under his belt, and he has seen what the post-season has to offer all the way through to a national championship.

But the starting position was something unfamiliar, as he watched Bobby Frasor and then Lawson pass him on the list to fill the spot. In the past five games, Thomas has played the same number of minutes (164) as he did than he had his entire junior season.

When Lawson went down at Florida State, Thomas knew he had to deliver, but the senior seemed unsure of himself and struggled to protect the ball. It was not the same player who calmly sunk two free throws to force a second overtime against Clemson two games later. Or the one who orchestrated a smooth, efficient offense against Virginia Tech on Saturday.

“He’s getting more comfortable and we’re getting more comfortable playing with him.” Ellington said. “It’s just a different adjustment, catching the ball in different places and getting ready for different passes.”

Williams said Thomas has learned how to get through mistakes, put bad plays behind him and just keep going. And as his confidence continues to rise, the rest of the team also plays with more assurance.

The Tar Heels know they can expect the best shot from the Wolfpack, which has now lost three games in a row. But Thomas is determined to help his team leave the RBC Center on a good note.

“I always said when I came to college I didn’t mind if I played as many minutes as the next person,” he said. “But as long as I can contribute and help my teammates, that’s all that really matters to me.”