I'd feel relatively safe if I was a #19 North Carolina (20-7, 10-4) fan going into their first game tonight (8:00 pm EST ESPN) as a ranked team in almost two months. They keep the dark times close to heart, which can be organized into three distinct time periods: (1) the loss Belmont (21-8, 12-2) in the third game of the season, followed two games later by a win over then #3 Louisville and then (2) a 63-59 loss to UAB (17-10, 6-7), followed by a win over then #1 Michigan State and wins in five of their next six until (3) a five game stretch to start the ACC season in which they lost four. Since the end of dark period #3, they've won nine in a row, including upsets of Duke and Pittsburg.

"Nobody on this team wants to go back to that place," forward James Michael McAdoo (14.4 ppg) told ESPN. "We don't want to have a bunch of what-ifs at this point in the season. We all have big goals and aspirations, so I think that just helps us become hungrier."

North Carolina State also went through a tough time to start ACC play with losses in four of their first five, the last and biggest coming to Duke, 95-60. From there, they've gone 6-3, one of those a 14 point loss to UNC.

Luckily, the Wolfpack have the Tarheels at home this time, which leaves me wondering if home court is more of an advantage in a rivalry game, less, or the same. My guess is it's more, though I don't think it's going to be enough to negate the Tar Heels from winning by at least four points (which is their spread, according to Vegas Insider). UNC for the cover.

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Record: 20-29 (Goal is to avoid 30 losses this year, C'mon!)

Butler @ Creighton: L (picked Butler, +10.5)

UConn @ Memphis: L (picked Memphis, -7.5)

Depaul @ Villanova: W (picked Villanova, -17.5)

Pittsburg @ Syracuse: L (picked Syracuse, -5.5)

Creighton @ Villanova: L (picked Villanova, -6.5)

Baylor @ Kansas: W (picked Baylor, + 10.5)

Indiana @ Michigan State: L (picked Michigan State, -12)

Iowa @ Michigan: L (picked Iowa, + 1.5)

Colorado @ Arizona: W (picked Colorado, + 14.5)

Illinois @ Ohio State: W (picked Illinois, + 11)

Michigan @ Michigan State: W (picked Michigan, + 4.5)

Villanova @ Marquette: W (picked Villanova, -3)

Utah @ Arizona: W (picked Utah, + 15)

Oklahoma @ Oklahoma State: W (picked Oklahoma, + 4.5)

Villanova @ Georgetown: L (picked Villanova, -6.5)

Michigan State @ Iowa: W (picked Michigan State, + 5)

St. John's @ Creighton: W (picked St. John's, + 12)

Iowa State @ Kansas: L (picked Iowa State, + 8.5)

Syracuse @ Wake Forest: L (picked Syracuse, -10)

Purdue @ Michigan: L (picked Michigan, -12)

Florida @ Mississippi State: W (picked Miss. State, + 15)

Duke @ Syracuse: L (picked Syracuse, -3)

Xavier @ Villanova: L (picked Xavier, + 10)

Nebraska @ Michigan: L (picked Nebraska, + 13)

Boston College @ Virginia: L (picked Virginia, -13)

Oregon @ Arizona: L (picked Arizona, -11)

Oklahamo State @ Texas Tech: W (picked Texas Tech, + 6.5)

West Virginia @ Kansas: L (picked WVU, + 14)

Maryland @ Virginia: L (picked Virginia, -11)

Iowa State @ West Virginia: L (picked Iowa State, - 1.5)

Michigan @ Ohio State: L (picked Ohio State, -3.5)

Florida @ Tennessee: W (picked Florida, - 1.5)

Syracuse @ Pittsburg: W (picked Syracuse, + 2.5 -- absurd line)

Villanova @ Depaul: W (picked Villanova, -14)

Creighton @ Butler: L (picked Creighton, -8.5)

West Virginia @ Texas: W (picked Texas, -6)

Florida @ Kentucky: L (picked Kentucy, -2)

VCU @ Saint Louis: W (picked VCU, +4.5)

Villanova @ Creighton: L (picked Villanova, -3.5)

Texas @ Iowa State: L (picked Texas, +6)

Villanova @ Providence: L (picked Villanova, -4.5)

Wichita State @ Loyola: L (picked Loyola, + 13.5)

Creighton @ Marquette: W (picked Creighton, -3)

Gonzaga @ BYU: L (picked Gonzaga, +2)

Duke @ North Carolina: L (picked Duke, -2)

St. John's @ Villanova: W (picked St. John's, + 8.5)

Seton Hall @ Creighton: L (picked Creighton, -13.5)

Syracuse @ Maryland: L (picked Syracuse, -4.5

Indiana @ Wisconsin: W (picked Wisconsin, -10.5)