
File photo by Arianna Hoffmann
Will any of these guys return to UNC next season?
Zeller played through his bottling up to score 12 points and add six rebounds. Stilman White, though over-matched by Tyshawn Taylor defensively, competed fiercely and acquitted himself well: He doled out seven assists and didn't commit a single turnover in either of his NCAA Tournament starts.
Roy Williams didn't seem as affected this time by the prospect of competing against his former team. Whatever went wrong, at least these Heels did not fall behind 40-12 as the 2008 squad did. Of course, he still maintains he'll never schedule the Jayhawks for a home-and-home.
Moving on, everyone will hope for the best and prepare for the worst with respect to the NBA. Zeller graduates, and Barnes, Henson and Marshall all are considered likely to exit the college ranks as well. Even freshman James Michael McAdoo, who blossomed late this season, has been considered an outside candidate to make the jump. This season was Carolina's time to make its championship push, and the Heels did compile a fantastic 32-6 record before bowing out.
This team's legacy will follow the footprints made by the 1977 and 1984 groups. Those squads also suffered gravely due to injuries, and both also came up short in the tournament.
Click here for the UNC/Kansas box score.