GAME NOTES: ACC action takes place in Chapel Hill this afternoon, as the fifth- ranked North Carolina Tar Heels welcome the Virginia Tech Hokies to the Smith Center. Roy Williams' Tar Heels opened the season as the top team in the land and maintained that perch for a while. However the ACC slate has brought about several challenges for UNC, including surviving injuries to key personnel. At 8-2 in-conference, the Tar Heels trail only second-ranked Duke (10-0) in the standings. UNC has won two straight and five of its last six games overall, however, the last three wins have included a pair of overtime decisions and a 75-74 squeaker at Virginia this week. The Hokies have dropped two games in a row to fall to 5-5 in league play. The most recent setback took place last weekend, a 74-71 home loss to Miami-Florida. The Tar Heels hold a huge 55-12 advantage in the all-time series, but Tech swept a pair of meetings a year ago, including an 81-80 overtime thriller in Chapel Hill.

Much of the success Virginia Tech has enjoyed this season has come as a direct result of solid play at the defensive end of the floor. The team leads the conference in scoring defense (64.1 ppg), while ranking third in field-goal percentage defense (.405). However, Virginia Tech has not been able to carry any of that success to the offensive end this season, as the team ranks 11th in the ACC in scoring (69.0 ppg). Junior guard A.D. Vassallo is the team's top offensive threat, averaging a solid 16.3 ppg, thanks to over 40 percent shooting from behind the arc (60-of-147). Freshman Jeff Allen (12.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg) and senior Deron Washington (12.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg) provide some balance in the frontcourt. The Hokies fell behind by 10 points late in the game against Miami last weekend and couldn't tie it up at the end, falling by three points. Vassallo hit 9-of-15 shots from the floor, including four three-pointers, en route to a game-high 24 points. Allen added 16 points and fellow freshman J.T. Thompson chipped in 10 in the loss.

It was yet another supreme effort from All-American Tyler Hansbrough that lifted the Tar Heels to the win in Charlottesville this week. The 6-9 Hansbrough hit the deciding hook shot with about 20 seconds remaining, as the team won in heart-pounding fashion. Hansbrough finished the game 10-of-15 from the floor, pouring in 23 points. Wayne Ellington led the way in a depleted backcourt with 19 points, while Deon Thompson added 12 points to the cause. The Tar Heels were able to overcome 17 turnovers in the game, by shooting 52.5 percent from the floor overall. One of the nation's top offensive teams (90.4 ppg), UNC has looked out of sync at times without savvy point guard Ty Lawson (13.6 ppg, 5.7 apg) running the show. Lawson injured his ankle a few games ago and has been idle ever since. He is currently listed as questionable for this game. One player that hasn't seemed to miss a beat is Hansbrough, who leads the conference in both scoring (22.8 ppg) and rebounding (10.7 rpg), while ranking among the leaders in field-goal percentage (.555). Ellington is a perfect complement with his long range acumen, adding 16.5 ppg, while leading the team with 50 treys to date. Danny Green (11.7 ppg) rounds out the double-digit threats, as one of the ACC's top bench players.

North Carolina has been very fortunate of late, but often times, great teams have a way of dealing with adversity and continue to win. That has certainly been the case with the Tar Heels, who may once again show some vulnerability in this contest. However, in the end, look for Hansbrough to once again lead the way to victory.