Lady Tar Heels Have a Busy Weekend Ahead

March Madness is about to descend on hoop junkies of every kind.

The Lady Tar Heels of the University of North Carolina have two regular season conference games left to play that could help them out in the ACC tournament seeding.

Tonight, the Heels (24-4, 9-3 ACC) host the Miami Hurricanes, currently in 10th place in conference play.

Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Not so fast.

The Hurricanes come to Chapel Hill with a somewhat deceptive record of 13-14 overall and 2-10 in ACC action.

Miami had some early success this season, compiling a 12-4 record before beginning conference play. Life in the ACC, however, has been another matter entirely.

The team sank to a 0-4 conference record before defeating NC State at home in Jan. for their first ACC win of the season.

Since that win, the 'Canes have won only one other conference game—against Virginia Tech on Feb. 12.

But, let’s take a look at their last two games.

On Feb. 19, the Hurricanes managed to take the No. 23 ranked Virginia Cavaliers into overtime, finally losing, 84-75.

Freshman Shenise Johnson led the way for Miami with 25 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds.

Three days later, Miami lost by one point to the 11^th ranked Florida State Seminoles, a heartbreaker in which Miami maintained a substantial lead for much of the game.

In the end, the 'Noles showed why they are in first place in the tough ACC, tying the game with 19 seconds left and going on to win, thanks to some clutch free throws by Alysha Harvin.

 Both of those games were on the road for the 'Canes.

It could be tempting to look past the Hurricanes, with a trip to Duke coming up on Sunday, but it is doubtful that Sylvia Hatchell’s Tar Heels will do anything of the kind.

Carolina is well aware of Miami’s strengths, especially Hurricane Shenise. Johnson has been named ACC Freshman of the Week three times, no small feat.

Johnson is a talented and well-rounded player, currently ranking sixth in assists in the ACC, seventh in steals, fourth in assist/turnover ratio, and 10th in defensive rebounding—not bad for a freshman.

But, she is not a one-woman show. Senior LaToya Cunningham can score, especially from outside. Epiphany Woodson is one to be watched as well.

As a team, Miami ranks first in assist/turnover ratio—something the Heels should be noticing.

With Duke’s demolition of Wake Forest Wednesday night, the Blue Devils leap-frogged over UNC to take third place in the ACC, behind Florida State and Maryland (23-4, 10-2 ACC).

Sunday’s UNC-Duke (23-4, 10-3 ACC) showdown looms large in the Tar Heels’ ACC tournament picture, but the Miami game is important too.

If the Tar Heels can run the table now, they will finish ahead of Duke and have a theoretically easier first round in the tournament.

Not that the Heels want it easy. They are a talented bunch of young women who have gelled as a team of effective role-players over the course of the season.

Of course, talk to any Carolina fan, and they will tell you that the main thing is finishing ahead of Duke.