ESPN analyst Jay Bilas admits that he’s baffled by the turn for the worse of North Carolina (13-10, 2-6 ACC) as the Tar Heels prepare to play host to No. 8-ranked Duke (19-4, 7-2) at 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Bilas said there’s nothing wrong with the schemes, defenses or technical aspects of the game Roy Williams is coaching. For whatever reason, Bilas said, the Tar Heels seem to be suffering from a crisis of confidence and a lack of fight.

Linebackers coach Andy McCollum has been considering an opportunity to leave N.C. State and join Georgia Tech's staff.

N.C. State athletics director Lee Fowler confirmed Tuesday morning that McCollum has interviewed for the job and said McCollum hadn't made up his mind as of Monday afternoon.

It's widely known -- love it or hate it -- that North Carolina coach Roy Williams prefers to let his team play through a run, rather than call a timeout and settle his players down, because he thinks it helps them in the long run to play through adversity.

So its another sign of how much the current Tar Heels -- now 2-6 in the ACC -- have faltered, that Williams called early timeouts in losses at Virginia Tech and Maryland.

DURHAM - There were few moments in Monday night’s nationally-televised game that the Duke women’s basketball team didn’t own against rival North Carolina.

DURHAM - Add Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski to the voices questioning the ACC basketball schedule this season.

The imbalance in teams' schedules puzzles Krzyzewski. Duke played Clemson twice in its first six ACC games and will play Maryland twice in 18 days later on.

Georgia Tech and Florida State had met twice by Jan. 24.

Forty-eight hours later, N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe still felt bad about how he reacted after the Wolfpack's 73-71 loss at Georgia Tech on Saturday.

Lowe walked off the court after Julius Mays' 3-point attempt bounced off the rim at the buzzer without stopping to shake hands with Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt.

DURHAM - As Duke prepares to visit North Carolina on Wednesday, the Blue Devils' players obviously are aware of the Tar Heels' struggles.

Duke (19-4, 7-2 ACC) moved up to No. 8 in The Associated Press' rankings on Monday, and North Carolina is 13-10 overall, 2-6 in the ACC.

"My reaction is, 'What's going on?' " said Duke junior guard Nolan Smith. "Because when I look at them, I know some of their players. I know they are a very talented team. They have guys that are probably going to be lottery picks. It's very surprising to me. But they're a very talented team."

Even if there is no love lost between Duke and North Carolina
basketball fans, there's not much hate in the rivalry, either,
according to a survey released today by Public Policy Polling.

Thirty-five percent of North Carolinians said they'd root for UNC
Wednesday night, compared to 21 percent who said they'd root for Duke.
Nearly half, 44 percent, said they don't care who wins.

N.C. State guard Farnold Degand's day-to-day with a thigh injury, Wolfpack coach Sidney Lowe said Monday.

Degand missed State's 73-71 loss at Georgia Tech on Saturday and did not practice on Monday. State hosts Virginia Tech on Wednesday.

Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt wasn't happy with his team's toughness in the Yellow Jackets' 73-71 victory Saturday against N.C. State. Tech led by 16 points in the second half, then wilted down the stretch under the Wolfpack's full-court pressure. It wasn't until N.C. State's Julius Mays missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that Tech prevailed.

Hewitt knows of an ACC player whose toughness his team should emulate: Duke's Kyle Singler. Playing with a sore wrist, Singler scored 30 points against Georgia Tech last week in an 86-67 Blue Devils victory.