CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina Roy Williams said earlier today that the N.C. State team the Tar Heels will play on Tuesday night in Raleigh is far different than the one that suffered a 74-55 defeat against UNC at the Smith Center on Jan. 20.

CHAPEL HILL — P.J. Hairston, the North Carolina freshman guard who has averaged 6.6 points per game, will sit out the Tar Heels’ game against Virginia on Saturday because of a sore left foot, according to a statement UNC released on Friday.

Hairston played 10 minutes and did not score in UNC’s 85-84 loss against Duke on Wednesday night. Hairston, who is wearing a protective boot on his left foot, will not practice today.

CHAPEL HILL — Three North Carolina-related things to consider on this Wednesday morning:

CHAPEL HILL — As expected, North Carolina coach Roy Williams spent a good portion of his weekly ACC teleconference answering questions about how the Tar Heels plan to compensate for the loss of junior guard Dexter Strickland, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in UNC’s victory at Virginia Tech on Thursday night.

Here’s a summary of what Williams said about filling the void left by Strickland, among other topics:

CHAPEL HILL — No. 3 North Carolina hosts Miami tonight at 9 p.m. at the Smith Center.

While we wait (and wait) for the late tip, consider these three things to watch:

Updated 5:30 p.m.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Trailing by one point here in the final seconds in a loud, raucous Rupp Arena, North Carolina chose to go inside – to attack the heart of the Kentucky defense. The Tar Heels’ hopes for a victory disappeared down there, as if tossed into a black hole.

That’s what the free throw lane – the area better known as the “paint” – represented on Saturday for No. 5 UNC, which was dominated on the interior during a 73-72 loss against top-ranked Kentucky. The Heels found failure on numerous occasions inside but it will be their final breakdown that will be remembered most.

CHAPEL HILL — P.J. Hairston, the North Carolina freshman who has been the Tar Heels’ leading 3-point shooter, wrote through his Twitter account that he will not play against No. 1 Kentucky on Saturday after he suffered a wrist injury in UNC’s 60-57 victory against Wisconsin on Wednesday night. (See 105 photos from the game.) 

UNC basketball recruit James McAdoo and P.J. Hairston lead their teams against each other Saturday night at the Smith Center in Chapel Hill.

UNC and Duke recruits play in the Triangle this weekend.

Dezmine Wells, a 6-foot-5 Xavier University basketball commitment from Raleigh Word of God Christian,
is transferring to Hargrave Military
Academy for his senior season.