UNC had an interesting game with Clemson as the Tigers played tough until the end when UNC pulled away for a 10-point win.
For the first time, Roy Williams conceded the obvious and started Kendall Marshall over Larry Drew. Drew is more athletic, but Marshall was born to play point guard. He's a natural.
The Tar Heels encountered a very different Clemson team this year. Although they made the traditional late mistakes, they didn't panic the way they normally do in Chapel Hill.
Brad Brownell's team showed a lot of tough defense and willingness to go head-to-head with a physically superior team, but they had a difficult time overcoming Tyler Zeller and John Henson inside.
Clemson got just nine minutes from Tanner Smith before he departed with a knee injury.
This is a rare sort of game where both teams can take a lot of encouragement from the outcome. Clemson blinked down the stretch and took a number of poorly considered shots, but still, they didn't do that badly, not least of all considering Smith's absence and the fact that Jerai Grant finished 1-12 from the floor.
Although UNC did not have Leslie Donald, Reggie Bullock had a sensational game, finishing with 18 and 16 of those in the first half.
On Wednesday night, Virginia travels to Boston College to match their tough defense against B.C.'s flashy offense, Wake Forest rides the train wreck down to Atlanta, and Florida State visits Miami