Jalen Washington comes up big in win over in-state foe NC State

All season long, the main topic surrounding the UNC basketball program has been the production from its frontcourt.

Replacing Armando Bacot just doesn't happen overnight, as the Tar Heels were unable to land one of the top-tier big men in the transfer portal this offseason. They did bring in some reinforcements to compliment Jalen Washington, but the group, as a whole, hasn't been as productive as they need to be in order for this team to be successful.

On Saturday afternoon in Raleigh, Jalen Washington put together his best overall outing as a Tar Heel, as his performance, a end of game heroics, are the focus of the victory over NC State.

With the game tied up at 61 a piece, Washington threw down a dunk to give the Tar Heels a two-point lead with 20.3 seconds remaining.

The Wolfpack had one last chance to tie the game or take the lead, but Washington had other plans. With Jayden Taylor driving to the basket, Washington met him and swatted his shot away, securing the win for the Tar Heels.

Washington recorded his first career double-double, finishing with 11 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks. While we'll all talk about the two plays at the end of the game, Washington's production throughout played a huge role in the win, a game the Tar Heels certainly didn't want to lose.

Now, the UNC basketball program heads back down the road to Chapel Hill, as they hope that Washington can build on this performance. If he can continue to produce at this level, it would be a major boost for the UNC basketball program as they get deeper into conference action.