By Mike Feigen Daily Evergreen

March 26, 2008

Pullman, WA (UWIRE) -- According to WSU head coach Tony Bennett, the people of North Carolina are about two things: basketball and racin'. And with the Cougars set to face the high-octane North Carolina Tar Heels on Thursday, WSU is hoping the game doesn't resemble something you'd see upstate at the Darlington Raceway.

For Cougar fans more accustomed to watching Pac-10 games, North Carolina will be a shocking departure from the defensive-minded attack featured by conference leaders UCLA, Stanford and WSU.

The Tar Heels play an NBA-style of game that relies on tremendous one-on-one athleticism, explosive rebounding and an exceptional fast break. What sets the Tar Heels above teams such as, say, Oregon is that they play an NBA style because they have NBA talent.

The first name on that list is national player of the year candidate Tyler Hansbrough. Although the 6-foot-9, 250-pound monster in the middle is not considered a top NBA pick, his tenacity on the floor is unmatched and will continue to draw superlatives from broadcasters and analysts as long as his team is alive in the tournament.

WSU center Aron Baynes will likely draw the assignment of guarding "Psycho T," mainly because he is the only player on the roster with the type of strength to control Hansbrough.

"It'll be fun being able to test myself against him," Baynes said. "I think it's going to come down to us playing team defense."

Hansbrough, while just a junior, is already the ACC's all-time leader in free-throw attempts and makes. That statistic should cause Cougar fans to shudder, particularly with Baynes' propensity to pick up fouls on the low block. Baynes seems to have the right mindset going in, however.

"You do have to be a bit more conscious about (fouling) with the way he plays," Baynes said. "I've definitely been working on that toward the end of the year, and hopefully I stay out of foul trouble and be able to be a presence on the floor."

Junior forward Caleb Forrest also understands his name could be called to defend Hansbrough, particularly in situations where Baynes needs extended breaks on the bench. Forrest noted that being in the right spot defensively is going to be critical in slowing down Hansbrough, who averages 22.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.

"The most important thing with him would be positioning and trying to keep him off the boards," Forrest said. "He's a lot stronger and a lot thicker than I am."

Forrest thinks he's got the All-American matched in one department, however.

"I think I'm similar to him in the fact that I'm tough and I'm not afraid to get in there and bang against him," the 6-foot-8, 228-pound Forrest said. "I'll just try to hold my own."

Hansbrough may be the face of the Tar Heels, but point guard Ty Lawson is the engine that makes UNC run.

Perhaps most importantly, Lawson is finally healthy after injuring an ankle earlier this season. Had it not been for Lawson's misstep, the 'Heels would likely be 35-1 instead of 34-2; North Carolina fell to Duke at home without the 5-foot-11 floor general. What makes Lawson so exceptional is his knack for finding the open man and not committing careless turnovers, which WSU thrives on. So far in the tournament Lawson has 11 assists and zero miscues.

Taylor Rochestie, who may be charged with slowing down the speedy sophomore, is very impressed with what he's seen on film.

"When I think of Ty Lawson I just think of toughness," Rochestie said. "Not just in strength and size but just the way he plays hard and plays every possession like it's his last. He can shoot, drive, do it all - he's a complete player."

UNC scored 221 points in its two games against Mount St. Mary's and Arkansas, many of which came off layups and dunks in transition. Carolina head coach Roy Williams is one of the nation's foremost teachers of the fast-break offense, but what makes the Tar Heels so deadly is their secondary break. When most running teams look to score the ball in the open court, North Carolina will try to counteract WSU's defense by kicking the ball out to open shooters on the wings while in transition.

That's where sharpshooters Wayne Ellington and Danny Green come in.

Ellington is the more highly regarded of the two, having played on the U.S. Pan American team with Low and Kyle Weaver last summer. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound shooting guard is averaging 16.8 points per game and has knocked down 42.1 percent of his 178 3-point attempts.

Green is long and lean like Weaver, and the 6-foot-5 lefty will likely be matched up with the Cougar senior when he is in the game. Green, like Weaver, is considered the UNC "glue guy" because of his versatility and defensive prowess.

Whatever the match-ups will be, the Cougars are fully aware of the task at hand. They know it'll be very difficult to beat a team like North Carolina, especially in their own backyard. But they are ready for the challenge.

"I expect there to be a lot of (Carolina) blue in there," Rochestie said. "I'm looking forward to going in there and treating it like it's a road game. It's going to be a dogfight for 40 minutes."

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