On paper #2 seed North Carolina should not have a problem with #11 seed Marquette. They are really not that impressive nor did they have a particularly good season. Their record is only 22-14 (just 9-9 in the Big East Conference), they were in the lower end of their conference in almost every offensive and defensive statistical category, and they probably shouldn't have even made the tournament.
As I have heard so many times, they do not play the game on paper, it is played on the court. Marquette is a dangerous team for North Carolina. They are on a roll having taken out two higher seeds already, including #3 seed Syracuse. They are playing well defensively and with intensity, they are hitting the big shots when they need them, and they are playing with a chip on their shoulder.
Marquette probably has a slight quickness advantage over North Carolina but will it be enough to combat the 'Heels size advantage and strength in the middle. Marquette's leading scorer, Darius Johnson-Odom, is a Raleigh, NC native and they usually try to play their best against a Tobacco Road team because they did not get recruited by them.
North Carolina had better take care of the basketball tonight and take advantage of their size in the middle if they want to win this game. It would be kind of nice to build an early lead because the longer Marquette stays in the game, the more dangerous they become.
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