As we get closer to the NCAA Tournament, the beginning of conference play tends to show fans, coaches and players which teams are pretenders and which are contenders. Two teams that haven’t proven themselves to be one or the other yet will square off Wednesday night in ACC country.

First, lets start with the defending National Champion, North Carolina Tar Heels. While last year North Carolina was one of the most versatile teams in the game, this year they are decidedly more frontcourt heavy, as they rotate five players who are all 6’10 or bigger.

Leading the way is senior Deon Thompson, the only returning starter from last year’s team. Thompson, is a physical force down low, and is the leading scorer on one of college basketball’s highest scoring teams. Joining him is sophomore Ed Davis, who is averaging 15 points and 10 rebounds. Tyler Zeller, John Henson and Travis Wear come off the bench.

In the backcourt, the Tar Heels may have finally found the answer to their shooting struggles in the form of senior Will Graves. Graves hit three big 3-pointers late in the win against Virginia Tech Sunday night, and is coming on strong in his final season in Chapel Hill. Larry Drew runs this offense, with Dexter Strickland providing a spark off the bench.

As for Clemson, as always, they are off to a hot start, but if history has been any indication, they’ll fade in conference play. Senior Trevor Booker (doesn’t it seem like he’s been around forever) is the player to keep an eye on here, as he leads Clemson in both scoring and rebounding. Three or four guards- none with a ton of experience- rotate into the backcourt.

Coming into this game, North Carolina seems to have the advantage, just like they do every game, on the inside. Clemson’s entire frontline is undersized, including Booker, who is generously listed at 6’7. Although the Tar Heels love to run up and down the court, their best bet might actually be to slow things down, and force the ball inside. North Carolina should control the glass all evening long.

While the Tar Heels have been inconsistent all year, it seems as though they finally have hit a stride, convincingly beating Virginia Tech Sunday night. With Graves and Marcus Ginyard healthy on the perimeter, they could go from a good team, to potentially a really good one fast.

And Clemson, well, I still think they’re a pretender. They have a chance to prove otherwise Wednesday, but until then, I’m taking North Carolina in the NCAA Basketball Betting Odds.

Aaron’s Pick: North Carolina by 8
Courtesy of BetUS.com

Related posts:

1. North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Clemson Tigers Pick & Odds: February 12th 2011
2. Clemson Tigers vs. North Carolina Tar Heels Pick & Point Spread: March 12th 2011
3. Virginia Tech Hokies vs. North Carolina Tar Heels Pick & Odds: January 13th 2011
4. Duke Blue Devils vs. North Carolina Tar Heels Pick & Point Spread: March 13th 2011
5. North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Miami Florida Hurricanes Pick & Odds: January 26th 2011