Mac Attack 1/30/12: ESPN College Basketball analyst Dino Gaudio calls in to talk about the Tarheels’ National Title chances, if the Heels are a better team without Dexter Strickland, and whether or not NC State is a tournament team.

Gaudio didn’t waste any time giving the Mac Attack his thoughts on UNC, backing the ACC school’s hopeful sprint towards March.  He didn’t seem phased by their slow start, comparing this team to the 2009 National Championship team.

“They really are [dangerous]…in ’09 they started ACC play 0-2.  They lost to Boston College and came to Wake Forest and we beat them, and they end up, as well all know, National Champions.  Last season they [went] down to Georgia Tech… they get beat 78 to 58, and that same team is up over the number one Kentucky with two minutes to go and a chance to go to the final four.  And then this year, they go down to Florida State and take a pretty good beating …Coach Williams finds a way, he figures it out.  I really, really like this Carolina team…I think they can go to the Final Four, I think that have National Championship potential.”

He doesn’t seem to think the loss of Dexter Strickland will hurt them too much offensively, but his absence on defense will definitely be noted.

“The loss of [Dexter] Strickland is going to hurt them a little bit defensively, [but offensively],  Reggie [Bullock] is as good a three-point shooter as there is in the ACC.”

Gaudio didn’t discount other ACC team’s potential runs in the NCAA tournament-he still has his eyes on NC State, saying the next three ACC games will be crucial for the team:

“They are playing a little looser on offense [than I would like]…they have to get their three upcoming games…they have to get those three wins, get them to seven wins overall…then [the games at] at Duke, home versus Florida State and North Carolina are going to define their season and their NCAA hopes…[Quality close loses are] absolutely [not going to cut it].”