ACC Basketball: 5 key storylines for No. 11 Florida State vs. North Carolina

By Ian Mumm | Feb 26, 2021

Feb 20, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Leonard Hamilton (right) talks to forward Malik Osborne (10) during the second half against the Pittsburgh Panthers at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

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North Carolina Tar Heels Roy Williams Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

Tar Heels in need of a signature win

North Carolina’s early-season struggles seem to be far in the distance compared to their recent results. After opening the year 5-4, the team has rattled off wins in 9 of their last 13 games including 8 of their last 11 in conference. The turnaround has resulted from a visibly more comfortable and in-sync rotation on the court. The insertion of freshman guard Kerwin Walton into the starting lineup has provided balance for the Tar Heels on the offensive end of the floor.

While this extended stretch of games has helped the program trend in the right direction for a March Madness birth, Carolina’s most recent outing and double-digit loss to Marquette does not do them any favors. In fact, the Tar Heels have only played 3-ranked teams so far this season and have lost each of them.

North Carolina does not possess a feature win and desperately needs to win this game, as well as their final two games, to hope to avoid any late surprises from the selection committee. Take care of business on their home court against Florida State and they increase their likelihood of extending the season.