The Duke-North Carolina rivalry rightfully gets the attention nationally, given it has been voted the top rivalry in college basketball.

But for anyone who has spent much of his or her life in the state of North Carolina, tonight's game between Carolina and N.C. State is the true grudge match on the schedule.

The bitterness between these two cannot be duplicated in the battles with the Blue Devils. Duke and Carolina have a grudging respect for each other's universities and basketball programs.

Carolina and N.C. State is a simple hate match.

If you don't believe it, then you've never sat in the Wolfpack's home arena and listened to the abuse pour from the stands.

Each year Carolina's players call it the toughest place in the league to play.

Unfortunately for the Wolfpack, there is no one on the Tar Heels' schedule Roy Williams enjoys beating anymore than N.C. State.

When third-ranked UNC (24-2, 9-2 in the ACC) renews its rivalry with the Wolfpack (15-10, 4-7) tonight at 7 on ESPN, Carolina will still be without starting point guard Ty Lawson, but Williams said that he thinks some of his players' injuries and ailments are finally improving.

"I spent Sunday night in the trainer's room, trying to see if we're getting a little bit better," Williams said. "Thankfully we are. Deon Thompson played only nine minutes in the first half against Virginia Tech and never came back in the game. He didn't feel like he could move. He felt a little bit better (on Sunday).

"Ty Lawson feels better. I do not expect him to play against North Carolina State. Marcus (Ginyard) is getting a little bit better. (Quentin Thomas) came up with the flu Sunday morning. Hopefully, it will be better than it was for Danny (Green), coming up with the flu right before the Virginia Tech game."

UNC played its finest game yet without Lawson on Saturday, whipping Virginia Tech 92-53 at the Smith Center in what Williams said was the Tar Heels' best defensive effort of the season.

The Tar Heels will need a similar effort tonight, because the RBC Center will be jumping. It always is when the Tar Heels come to Raleigh.

Carolina All-American Tyler Hansbrough has said on a couple of occasions that he vividly recalls seeing the Wolfpack fans swarm the court in jubilation a year ago when N.C. State defeated UNC 83-79 after losing six consecutive games to the Tar Heels in the series.

UNC hammered the Wolfpack 93-62 in the first game this season, but Lawson played. He had 16 points, five assists and no turnovers in that game, and UNC turned the ball over a mere 12 times in 40 minutes.

With Lawson now on the bench, UNC has been turning the ball over between 17- and 20-plus times a night.

Beginning with the game against Florida State, in which Lawson hurt his ankle in the first few minutes, UNC is 4-1 without him.

"They have shown they are capable of playing well and winning without him, even though they are better with him," Wolfpack coach Sidney Lowe said. "They have guys on their team who understand what it means not to have a player of his caliber in there, and they pick up their game.

"We have to be prepared to try to minimize what those other players are going to do, what Hansbrough is going to do, what (Wayne) Ellington is going to do, to make sure what Green is going to do. We can't let these guys have big games. We know they are going to come in here ready to go."

Ellington is coming off one of his finest games as a Tar Heel. He went 7-of-9 from the field against the Hokies, and ended up with 19 points, five rebounds, four assists, a steal and just two turnovers.

Hansbrough continues to perform at an elite level. As well has he has played all year, he seems to have elevated his game since Lawson went to the bench. Hansbrough is consistently hitting short jump shots, driving the ball and is also doing all the usual things that make him such a fine player.

"He's kind of three-headed monster," Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg said. "He rebounds and runs, but they are stepping him out of back screens and out of their motion, and he's much quicker than people give him credit for. He has the ability to draw you out, shot fake you and make plays.

"You have to respect him out to about 15 feet now, and he has the quickness to go by you. Not only does he post hard, not only does he run the floor every single possession, not only does he pursue every single miss Ñ his and others Ñ now he has the ability to take you out away from the basket a little bit."

Lowe said his team must play as smart as it does hard.

"We're going to have to shoot the ball well," Lowe said. "We're going to have to take care of the basketball much better than we did and play smarter. They applied pressure, and you have to play strong and precise with your decisions. We have to be ready to make the right play. Making baskets heals a lot of wounds."