Tech aims for three-game sweep against UNC

By Carroll Rogers

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

GREENSBORO -- To keep its NCAA tournament hopes alive, Georgia Tech has to beat North Carolina for the third time this season Thursday night in the opening round of the ACC tournament.

It has been 25 years since the Yellow Jackets last accomplished that feat, when Mark Price was a junior and led Georgia Tech to its first ACC tournament title by knocking off Carolina in the championship game.

This is not that caliber of a North Carolina team. The Tar Heels have lost eight of their past 11 games, failed to put a player on the All-ACC first, second or third team for the first time since the ACC was formed in 1954, and have coach Roy Williams in danger of missing his first NCAA tournament since Kansas was on probation his first season as a head coach.

But the Yellow Jackets know the motivation of not wanting to get swept in three games. That's the motivation Tech used to beat Clemson in the first round of last year's ACC tournament.

"Now that you're on the other end of it, you know how tough it is to beat a team three times," Tech guard Iman Shumpert said. "It's something we're prepared for; we've got to come out and show it [Thursday]."

Defensive lapses

Tech has played uncharacteristically generous defense the past two games, allowing 91 points and 55.2 percent shooting to Clemson and 88 points and 51 percent shooting to Virginia Tech. Before the Clemson game, the Yellow Jackets had held 32 consecutive opponents under 50 percent shooting and were ranked No. 3 in the nation in field-goal percentage defense.

"That's not us," forward Gani Lawal said. "We've got to play better defense, and we will play better defense."

He and Zachery Peacock blamed it on mental lapses, poor communication and poor anticipation. To improve on that against North Carolina, Tech is focusing on transition defense and cutting off penetration by Tar Heels guards.

"It's just getting back to what we do," Lawal said. "We've done it for the whole season. We know what to do."

More Mfon

Mfon Udofia has had back-to-back strong practices, Tech coach Paul Hewitt said Wednesday, and could see more playing time Thursday night than he has lately. The freshman guard started Tech's first 25 games, but was replaced by Glen Rice Jr. in the starting lineup and has averaged only 8.4 minutes and 2.6 points in the five games since.

"He's starting to play like the guy we saw earlier in the year," Hewitt said.

Bell's honor

Senior D'Andre Bell was named winner of the ACC's Bob Bradley Spirit and Courage Award for his comeback from missing all last season following surgery for  spinal stenosis. Bell will be honored on the court before Tech's 7 p.m. game Thursday night. Bradley is the former Clemson sports information director who passed away in 2000 after batting bone cancer for three years.