Ready for a run and gun matchup in the 2011 NCAA Tournament Bracket? You’ll love North Carolina vs. Washington. It’s the bottom of the East Region and the first game on the Sunday portion of the 2011 NCAA Tournament schedule, tipping off from Charlotte at 12:15 p.m. Eastern with Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg on the call.
NCAA Bracket 2011: No. 2 North Carolina Vs. No. 7 Washington
North Carolina's already had to deal with one crew of jet-fueled shooters, but the Tar Heels' athleticism helped them stave off the scrappy Long Island Blackbirds in the first round. Tyler Zeller was excellent in that victory, his 32 points tying Jimmer Fredette for the best scoring output of the Second Round, with John Henson (28 points, 11 rebounds) and Harrison Barnes (24 points, 16 rebounds) giving the Heels their first trio of 20-point scorers in an NCAA Tournament game. If they can put on the same sort of show on offense against the Huskies while tightening up a defense that leaked at times, North Carolina will be Sweet Sixteen-bound.
The Washington route to the Third Round was significantly tougher: after a knock-down, drag-out Pac-10 Tournament final against Arizona, the Huskies' season hung in the balance in the final minute against George, with Washington clinching its victory only when a Travis Leslie three at the buzzer couldn't catch iron. Isaiah Thomas led the Huskies as usual in that game, chipping in 19 points to lead a team that had just one other player (reserve guard Scott Suggs) in double figures. The Huskies capitalized on Georgia's 14 turnovers to compensate for deficits on the boards and from deep — U-Dub made just four of 18 threes — but will almost certainly not beat North Carolina with that blueprint. Thomas needs help, whether from Venoy Overton or Matthew Bryan-Amaning or Justin Holiday; failing that, it will be a long day for the Huskies, and an easy win for the Heels.
Star Watch: Kendall Marshall's steady hands have been North Carolina's catalysts on offense for much of the last two months. His 10 assists against Long Island gave him 10 or more dimes in four of his last seven games. And since February, North Carolina is 9-0 when Marshall has seven or more assists and 3-2 when he has six or fewer.
Prediction: North Carolina’s offensive arsenal is too deep for the Huskies to match, and the Tar Heels move on to Newark with an 84-71 win.
More Reading: SB Nation’s North Carolina blog has coverage of the Tar Heels’ NCAA Tournament push, while our Washington blog UW Dawg Pound is a great resource for Huskies fans.
Need help picking your bracket? Check out SB Nation’s full 2011 NCAA Tournament bracket predictions, picking every game of March Madness, or our region by region breakdowns for the East Region, West Region, Southeast Region, and Southwest Region.
Did your team miss the 2011 NCAA Tournament? We have you covered: check out the 2011 NIT bracket.
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