Thursday, March 13th, 2:30 p.m. (et)

FACTS & STATS: Site: Charlotte Bobcats Arena (20,200) -- Charlotte, North Carolina. Television: Raycom. Home Record: NC State 10-6, Miami-Florida 14-2. Away Record: NC State 2-9, Miami-Florida 4-6. Neutral Record: NC State 3-0, Miami-Florida 3-1. Conference Record: NC State 4-12, Miami-Florida 8-8. Series Record: NC State leads, 4-2.

GAME NOTES: The second of four opening round games in the 55th-annual ACC Tournament in Charlotte will pit the fifth-seeded Miami-Florida Hurricanes against the 12th-seeded NC State Wolfpack. The Hurricanes come into this afternoon's tilt following a highly successful regular season that saw the team go 21-9 overall. Still, winning in the ACC is never easy and that was evident in Miami's 8-8 league ledger. Frank Haith's team however did get hot at the right time, winning six of its last eight games. Sidney Lowe's Wolfpack struggled with consistency this year and the team's 15-15 overall mark is certainly evidence of that. League play was much worse for the team from Raleigh, as NC State finished in the conference cellar at 4-12. In addition, NC State is dragging an ugly eight-game losing streak into the postseason, as the team hasn't won a game since February 5th. These two teams met just one time this season, with the Wolfpack claiming a thrilling 79-77 overtime decision in Raleigh on January 19th. With the victory, NC State is now 4-2 all-time against Miami. The winner of this game will move on to the quarterfinals against fourth-seeded Virginia Tech.

The Wolfpack had their problems this year, especially in league play, but there were certainly some high points on the year, thanks in large part to freshman sensation J.J. Hickson (14.4 ppg, 8.3 rpg), who shot a scorching .592 from the floor on the season. The 6-9 youngster was a All-ACC Honorable Mention as well as being named to the All-Freshman Team. Joining the talented freshman in the frontcourt is Gavin Grant (13.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, team-high 91 assists) and Brandon Costner (8.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg). The top outside threat is guard Courtney Fells (10.8 ppg), who converted nearly 40 percent of his three-point attempts in the regular season (54-of-137). The team as a whole lacks great offensive punch, averaging just 67.9 ppg, despite shooting a solid .459 from the floor (fifth in the conference).

The Hurricanes joined North Carolina, Duke and Clemson as the only teams in the conference to eclipse the 20-win mark. Miami can make some noise in this tournament, as the team is averaging 76.0 ppg, led by All-ACC First Team member Jack McClinton (17.4 ppg). McClinton shot an ACC-leading .442 from behind the arc this season (84-of-190) and ranks ninth nationally in free-throw percentage (.900). He became the school's first-ever All-ACC First-Team honoree. Fellow guard James Dews is another perimeter threat, tacking on 10.3 ppg, and delivering on 37.6 percent from long range (53-of-141). Dwayne Collins (9.5 ppg, 6.6 rpg) and Anthony King (7.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg) highlight an underrated frontcourt. A dangerous team at both ends of the floor, Miami averages a steady 76.0 ppg, while limiting the opposition to just 68.6 ppg (second in the ACC).

NC State won a tight one in Raleigh this year against Miami, but the Hurricanes are the much better team heading into the postseason. NC State hasn't sniffed a victory for more than a month and will be hard-pressed to bring an end to the skein here.

Predicted Outcome

Miami-Florida 74, NC State 65