Tobacco Road in all its glory

Here's a quick look at what's coming on a Wednesday sports day in January. All in all, not a bad line-up:

1. Smells Like Tobacco Road
-- Wake Forest at North Carolina, 7 p.m.

-- Duke at N.C. State, 9 p.m.

It doesn’t get a whole lot better than that around here if you’re into college hoops. Which team has the most pressing questions to answer?

That would be the Tar Heels.

2. A Six Pack Night

The Bobcats are going for a sixth straight win tonight when the Miami Heat visit. It’s the final game in a so-far-perfect homestand for the Bobcats.

Gerald Wallace is nursing a tender ankle but it didn’t stop him Monday against Sacramento. Still no word, though, on when Tyson Chandler might be back.

3. The Catamounts Are Coming

Coach Larry Hunter is quietly doing an outstanding job of rebuilding the Western Carolina basketball program. The Catamounts are 14-3 overall and leading the Southern Conference North Division with a 4-1 record entering their game tonight at Davidson. If Hunter’s name sounds familiar, he was a long-time assistant coach to Herb Sendek at N.C. State.

4. On To Richmond

That’s where the Charlotte 49ers play tonight. A Charlotte victory would put the Niners in third place in the Atlantic-10 race at this still-early point in the season.

5. Still Turning Left

The NASCAR media tour continues today with more talk from the various teams about how excited they are about the new season that starts next month at Daytona. There's been talk this week about how to make racing more interesting and competitive.

The answer seems pretty obvious -- figure out how to slow down Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 car.