FSU basketball: Will Noles avenge UNC loss to make ACC Tourney Finals?

No. 15 FSU basketball (15-5, 11-4 ACC) will have to avenge a recent loss against North Carolina to make the ACC Tournament Finals.

The Noles waltzed into the semifinals once Duke had to cancel their quarterfinal game due to a player testing positive for COVID-19.

The Tarheels reached the semifinals by blowing out Notre Dame and edging Virginia Tech in a hard-fought win Thursday night.

The two teams have split two games earlier this year, both winning their home games. FSU blew a double-digit halftime lead in the latest matchup.

Of course, the matchup Friday night will be in North Carolina’s backyard, with plenty of their fans in attendance. They could be heard chanting in the stands during the Virginia Tech game on TV.

It’s a game where FSU’s depth can become a factor. It’ll be UNC’s third game in three days, and the Virginia Tech game was a tough and physical contest throughout.

The biggest differential in the Virginia Tech game was offensive rebounding and free throws. North Carolina dominated the Hokies on the boards and shot 11 more free throws(the game is in their backyard, ahem).

The rebounding is the biggest concern for the Noles, who have held their own in that department in both games against North Carolina. FSU basketball has to play with consistent energy from start to finish and avoid the sloppy turnovers that plague them from time to time. They started with good energy against North Carolina the second game and came out flat in the second half and lost.

They started sluggishly against Notre Dame in their last outing and played with better energy in the second half to erase a nearly 20-point deficit and had a chance to win that game late.

FSU has no excuses if they do not play hard for 40 minutes. They have essentially had a triple-bye to the semifinals. It’s a team that gave them an embarassing loss after dismantling them in the first half. If they play hard, they’ll beat this North Carolina team unless the referees intervene with that good old Tobacco Road home cooking.