N.C. State guard C.J. Williams did not practice Friday, but Wolfpack coach Mark Gottfried is hopeful Williams will play at Miami on Sunday.
The Wolfpack senior injured his right shoulder in the second half of N.C. State's 76-62 win over Boston College on Thursday night. Williams watched the final 9 minutes and 16 seconds from the bench with his shoulder wrapped and iced.
"We're going to watch him for 24 hours and see how he responds," Gottfried said Friday. "Right now, it's doubtful, but we're hoping that he will be able to play."
Gottfried said Williams told him he felt a "pop" in his shoulder while defending on the possession before he left the court.
Williams has been one of N.C. State's most improved players in his senior season. His scoring average (12.1 points per game) has jumped almost eight points per game, and he has emerged as the team's best defender and leader.
Williams has started every game and also averages 4.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.
Gottfried has been using a seven-man rotation, with senior Alex Johnson as the only guard off the bench. Johnson likely would start against the Hurricanes on Sunday if Williams can't play, Gottfried said.
Freshman wing Tyler Harris would also get more playing time, Gottfried said.
"We're a team that can't afford injuries, but if he can't play, we have to respond and find another avenue," Gottfried said.
Duke: The 10th-ranked men's tennis team will open its 2012 dual match season against No. 32 Michigan today at 6 p.m. in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Four Blue Devils are ranked in the top 125 in singles and two doubles pairs are ranked among the top 40 in the nation heading into the matchup against the Wolverines
The No. 59 N.C. State men's tennis team will host a pair of dual matches for the second consecutive weekend at the Isenhour Tennis Center, when it faces Penn State today at 10 a.m. followed by a 4 p.m. match against East Carolina.
The N.C. State women's tennis team will open up the 2012 season today with a doubleheader against Davidson and Winthrop.
The Wolfpack will host Davidson at 8:30 a.m., before taking on Winthrop at 5 p.m. Both matches will be held at the J.W. Isenhower Tennis Center.
North Carolina: The Tar Heels will face possibly its toughest dual weekend of the year today and Sunday as the Tar Heels take on conference foes Virginia and Virginia Tech in a pair of road duals.
The Tar Heels enter with a 1-0 mark in the ACC with an impressive win over Duke.
