East Regional Semifinal: North Carolina vs. Washington State

The first semifinal in the East Regional will match North Carolina from the Atlantic Coast Conference against Washington State from the Pacific-10. Both teams have cruised to easy victories in the first 2 rounds, and will look to build on their winning ways.

Here's a look at each team:

North Carolina Tar Heels

Who they beat thus far:
Mount St. Mary's, 113-74
Arkansas, 108-77

Strengths:
High-octane offense - The Tar Heels can run up and down the court for 40 minutes and score at will. Scoring over 100 points in both games so far only shows what kind of overall talent they have. Averaging nearly 90 points and shooting 49% on the season, they will overwhelm teams with their speed, strength, and depth.

Close wins - While they won easily in the first 2 rounds, they know how to eek out wins as well. They have defeated Georgia Tech by 1, Virginia by 1, Virginia Tech by 2, and Clemson by 2 and 5. Also, they won all 3 overtime games over Clemson twice and Florida State.

Weaknesses:
Defensive letdowns - Even though they have only lost 2 games, they have been susceptible to giving up over 80 points in a game and trying to win by outshooting teams. They gave up 80 to Boston College on March 1, 77 to Florida State on March 4, and 81 to Clemson on March 16, though they won all of those games.

No Bobby Frasor - He has not played in the last 24 games, and while they have certainly become used to not having him around, losing a talent like him is hard to overcome. They did not lose with him in the lineup, and miss his 2.5/1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Washington State Cougars

Who they beat thus far:
Winthrop, 71-40
Notre Dame, 61-41

Strengths:
Shut-down defense - On nights when their shooting has gone cold, they can thank their tight defense for keeping them in contention. Only 6 times this season have they given up 70 or more points in a game. After allowing 75 to Stanford in the Pac-10 semifinals, they have only given up 81 combined points in the first 2 rounds of the tournament.

Balanced scoring - 4 guys average in double figures, led by Derrick Low's 14.1 PPG. When Low, Kyle Weaver, and Taylor Rochestie are hitting their perimeter shots, they are tough to contain.

Weaknesses:
Front line scoring - If the guards are not playing well, they can struggle mightily to put points on the board. Aron Baynes has fouled out in 6 games this season, and has come close in numerous others. Robbie Cowgill has picked up his play lately, scoring in double figures 4 of his last 5 games. But, the 1 game he did not was against Stanford, where he was scoreless. A lack of consistency from the forwards remains an issue.

Free throws - They ended the regular season 52^nd in the nation at 73.3% from the line. Most surprisingly, however, is that they do not even rank in the top 100 in free throws attempted or made. The lack of opportunities shows just how much of a jump-shooting team they are. If the shots are not falling, they are very beatable.

Top matchup:
Tyler Hansbrough vs. Derrick Low

While these 2 may not guard each other at all, they are the top players on each of their teams and will thus have the targets on their backs. Hansbrough takes about 3 more shots a game, and holds a big edge in scoring, rebounding, and field goal %. While Hansbrough has not been held in single-digits once this season, Low will need to need to build on his 12 straight double-digit games in order for the Cougars to stand a chance. Basically, Low will need to put up Hansbrough-like numbers for his team to be victorious.

SCORE PREDICTION:
North Carolina 81 - Washington State 63

Sources:
ESPN.com
USA Today