The media can knock him for making some poor decisions. His critics can get on him about taking too many ill advised shots. But one thing that everyone has to say about Harrison Barnes is that this kid has ice water in his veins when the game is on the line.
It is much better than what Charlie Sheen says is in his veins.
Barnes knocked down another game winner last night as the North Carolina Tar Heels defeated the Florida State Seminoles in a big road game in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The big 72-70 win keeps the 'Heels tied atop the conference standings with none other than the Duke Blue Devils, who also did their part by defeating the Clemson Tigers at home, 70-59.
That means it all comes down to Saturday night in Chapel Hill. North Carolina will look to avenge last month's loss at Cameron Indoor Stadium, in which they held a halftime lead of 14 points.
Both teams are tied at 13-2 in conference play, which may be a bigger deal for the Tar Heels than it is for the Dukies.
North Carolina began the season at just 4-3, but ever since Kendall Marshall took over running the offense, this has been a much different Tar Heel team.
Duke looked unstoppable for most of the season, but they have recently shown a few weaknesses. This team still lives and dies by the three point shot. When they are knocking them down consistently, they are very tough to beat, but when they aren't, a good team can capitalize and put them away.
The Tar Heels have their flaws as well. They are still very inexperienced, especially in comparison to a team such as Duke. Many of their impressive freshman still make some mental mistakes that will become more difficult to overcome as tournament play begins next week.
Aside from pride and bragging rights, the winner of this game will be the ACC regular season champions. That will give them the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament that tips off next Thursday, although both have already earned a bye in the first round.
These teams know what to expect when they face off on Saturday. Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith will look to show that experience counts, as the seniors have already started their countdown to the end of their collegiate careers. But they also get big buckets from Seth Curry and Andre Dawkins.
The Tar Heels get production from many players as well. Aside from Marshall and Barnes in the backcourt, John Henson and Tyler Zeller make up one of the more formidable frontcourts in the country. Henson has turned into a double-double machine, and is very adept at blocking shots.
This game means a lot—it always does. Throw in a conference regular season championship and momentum heading into the ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament, and suddenly this game means even more.
Who even though that was possible?
Kelly Rowland Danica Patrick Josie Maran Leighton Meester Dominique Swain
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