De'Andre Hunter, No. 3 Virginia Avoid NC State's Upset Bid in 66-65 OT Win

The No. 3 Virginia Cavaliers moved into a tie atop the ACC standings with Duke with a dramatic 66-65 overtime victory over the No. 23 North Carolina State Wolfpack on Tuesday at PNC Arena.

Virginia is now 19-1 overall and 7-1 in league play, while the Wolfpack fell to 16-5 overall and just 4-4 in the conference.

NC State came charging back from a 14-point second-half deficit to force overtime with two free throws from Markell Johnson, but Virginia overcame a season-high 16 turnovers and prevailed in the extra period. Johnson had the chance to force double-overtime with three free throws with 0.9 seconds remaining, but he missed the first.

De'Andre Hunter (15 points, five rebounds and four assists) and Ty Jerome (12 points, six assists and six rebounds) spearheaded the effort for the visitors, while Johnson led the Wolfpack with 14 points and six rebounds.

Virginia's Defense Only True ACC Threat to Duke

There is a reason Virginia is rated second in the country behind only Michigan in Ken Pomeroy's pace-adjusted defensive rankings.

It held NC State to 23 points in the first half as it deflected passes to throw off the offensive rhythm, packed the paint to cut off penetration lanes and swarmed outside shooters. The Cavaliers also picked up ball-handlers full court at times and remained in the Wolfpack's collective grill for the entire shot clock on those possessions.

There is also a sense of urgency that sets in when playing Virginia with the slower pace on the other end, which leads to teams forcing shots and settling for contested looks.

It is going to take an elite defense to dethrone Duke and its NBA prospects in Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish. Virginia learned that the hard way in its only loss of the season when Barrett scored 30 and Williamson added 27 in a two-point Blue Devils win at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Fortunately for the Cavaliers, they will have a rematch at home on Feb. 9. Not only will they have the chance to play in front of their own fans instead of the raucous ones at Duke, but they will also have a better understanding of how Williamson and Barrett like to attack on the offensive end.

If they can use that prior experience to clog driving lanes and force them into contested jump shots, they can make up the two-point deficit at home.

Virginia's stout defense is the only hope for the rest of the ACC when it comes to Duke, as Louisville's defense is just 37th in Pomeroy's rankings and North Carolina has struggled on that end in marquee games.

The Tar Heels allowed 92 points to Texas, 84 to Michigan, 90 to Gonzaga, 82 to North Carolina State, 83 to Louisville and 82 to Virginia Tech, which is a troubling formula with two games remaining against the Blue Devils.

Only Virginia is equipped to standing in the way of Mike Krzyzewski and a conference crown.

Wolfpack Will be Disappointed on Selection Sunday

It would be fair to assume a ranked team in the loaded ACC will receive a favorable seed come Selection Sunday, but that will not be the case for the Wolfpack.

For one, their record is bloated from easy wins in nonconference play. According to CBS Sports' rankings, their nonconference schedule is an ugly 349th out of 353 teams in the country. What's more, they lost their only true nonconference road game to Wisconsin.

NC State's one win of note before ACC play was over Auburn, but the Tigers have fallen off since that December matchup. They are just 2-4 in SEC play, have lost three in a row and now look the part of bubble team instead of contender.

The Wolfpack have already missed multiple chances to pick up a much-needed signature win in ACC play as well with losses to North Carolina, Louisville and now Virginia, as well as a defeat to Wake Forest.

Their inconsistent defense is a primary reason they have struggled against top-notch opponents, as Pomeroy's rankings have them a mere 69th in the country on that end.

ESPN's Joe Lunardi projected NC State as a No. 8 seed in his latest bracketology, which is not exactly what one would expect for a ranked ACC team. However, seeding won't be the team's only concern if it continues losing high-profile matchups with games against Virginia Tech, Duke, North Carolina and Florida State remaining.

A continuation of that pattern will leave little room for error against dangerous teams that are not ranked such as Syracuse and a rematch with Wake Forest. Just making the tournament will be a bigger worry than seeding in that case.

What's Next? 

Both teams are at home Saturday with the Wolfpack hosting the No. 12 Virginia Tech Hokies and the Cavaliers facing the Miami Hurricanes.