The North Carolina Tar Heels are entering a make-or-break stretch, with pressure mounting on both players and coaches. Their March Madness hopes are riding on a $1.3 million star, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. With big games ahead, an ESPN broadcaster has called on head coach Hubert Davis to step up. As the season reaches its climax, UNC’s path forward is anything but certain.

The Tar Heels have had an up-and-down season, sitting at No. 6 in the ACC with a 15-11 overall record and an 8-6 mark in conference play. While their NCAA Tournament hopes are still in question, they kept their name in the conversation with a crucial 88-82 road win against Syracuse. And at the center of it all? Ian Jackson. The freshman guard stepped up in a big way, leading UNC with 23 points.

Tim Donnelly addressed UNC’s fight for a tournament spot in a recent episode of The Drive, saying, “We start off with the team that kept their name in the conversation of making the NCAA Tournament—North Carolina. And that’s exactly what they did this weekend. They earned their right to stay in the conversation. Not saying they’re in, but they earned the right to still be in it, and that’s the most important thing.”

Despite their record, UNC is still on the bubble, and bracketology projections show they’re inching closer. Some analysts like Joe Lunardi have moved them from the “next four out” to the “first four out,” but there is no margin for error. If they want to get themselves an outside chance into March Madness, they need their best players to step up—and that’s where Jackson comes in.

Tim made that clear, too: “UNC needs Ian Jackson. I was watching the game with my girlfriend on Saturday, and he hit a three-pointer early. and she said oh he’s having a big and he had a massive day with over 20 points first time we’ve seen him score double-digit points in quite a while.”

And she wasn’t wrong. Before that game, Jackson had been quiet, failing to hit double digits in five straight outings and scoring just 20 points combined in that stretch. His last 20-point game was all the way back on January 15th against California. But with the Tar Heels fighting to keep their tournament hopes alive, Hubert Davis needs this version of Jackson now more than ever as they face NC State next.

ACC Showdown at Dean E. Smith Center

The NC State Wolfpack (10-15) will try to end an eight-game road losing streak when they face the North Carolina Tar Heels at the Dean E. Smith Center. It starts at 7:00 PM ET on Wednesday

The Wolfpack are searching for their fourth ACC win of the season. Offensive struggles have fueled their rough stretch, leading to a nine-game skid that included losses to California, and Stanford, and a blowout defeat against a ranked Louisville team. However, they finally snapped the streak with a 70-62 home win over Boston College on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Tar Heels are looking to build momentum with back-to-back wins. They started ACC play strong, winning four of their first five games, but inconsistency has plagued them since. Over their last five matchups, they’ve gone 2-3, with a blowout loss to Duke, a home win over Pittsburgh, and a road loss to Clemson.

For NC State, Marcus Hill has struggled with consistency, scoring 10 or fewer points in four of his last six games, including eight in Saturday’s win. He’s averaging 12.6 PPG this season. Jayden Taylor led the team with 19 points in their last game, bumping his season average to 11.8 PPG on 41% shooting.

Dontrez Styles has scored 18 or more points in three of his last six games, averaging 9.8 PPG and 4.7 RPG. In the frontcourt, Brandon Huntley-Hatfield has reached double figures in two of his past five games, averaging 8.2 PPG and 5 RPG.

For UNC, RJ Davis has been consistent, scoring 16 or more points in eight straight games. The senior guard had 16 points in Saturday’s win and led the team with 17.3 PPG. Ian Jackson has been quieter, scoring eight or fewer in three of his last four games, but still averages 13.7 PPG on 46% shooting.

UNC has four players in double figures. Seth Trimble has hit double digits in four of his last five games, contributing 12 PPG. Elliot Cadeau added nine points in the win over Syracuse and is averaging 10.3 PPG on 45% shooting.

With UNC’s tournament hopes hanging in the balance, it’s on Hubert Davis to get the best out of his team. The Tar Heels can’t afford any more missteps, and they’ll need Ian Jackson to keep this momentum going. If their key players step up, Davis just might lead them back into the March Madness conversation.