Two of the greatest teams in College Basketball history will face off Saturday (12:30pm) in Lexington, Kentucky. The two rivals, the Kentucky Wildcats and the North Carolina Tar Heels, have both shown their weaknesses as North Carolina already has one loss and Kentucky has barely escaped from opponents such as Miami (Ohio). Regardless of either team’s success (or lack thereof), both squads know that this game has enormous bragging-rights that come with a win. Following are some things to keep your eyes on:

The Frontcourt: Kentucky has two good big guys in Demarcus Cousins and Patrick Patterson, but Cousins, a freshman, hasn’t played a team that has skill anywhere near that of Carolina’s. The Tar Heels can play 6 talented guys that are 6’10” or taller while Kentucky doesn’t have much talent behind Cousins or Patterson; if they get in foul trouble, Carolina will dominate the lane.

North Carolina’s Backcourt: The backcourt of Kentucky has the edge over the Heel’s. John Wall, Kentucky’s point guard, was ranked as the #1 recruit this year by most sources and will likely be gone to the NBA after this season. Wall has lived up to the hype as he is averaging 18.5 points per game along with 7.8 assists (he also averages 4 turnovers a game). Alongside Wall is Eric Bledsoe, another freshman guard who averages 10.7 points a game. North Carolina’s backcourt has been shaky early this season, but this week’s win against Michigan State might be a turning point as Larry Drew, the Heel’s starting point guard, had 18 points and 6 assists (3 turnovers). It will be interesting to see if North Carolina puts their best defender, Marcus Ginyard, on Wall or if they let Drew cover him. The edge goes to Kentucky in this category, but if Carolina can limit turnovers (which have killed them so far), they will be in a position to win.

Prediction: Carolina will dominate in the frontcourt while Kentucky’s backcourt keeps them in the game. If a lot of fouls are called, it will favor Carolina as they have a deep bench in comparison to Kentucky’s. Carolina will have to limit turnovers as Kentucky can turn those into points as quick as anyone in the nation. If the Wildcats guards struggle, expect Carolina to run away with this one… Carolina wins 87-82

Posted by Tom

UNC 89, MSU 82

Box Score

It’s becoming a common thing. UNC plays Michigan State. UNC wins.

The Heels have taken their last five meetings with the Spartans, and these aren’t just in the Big 10-ACC Challenge games. I recall an April day in 2005. A hot Spartan team was in the Final Four making some noise and ready to take down the No. 1-seeded Tar Heels. Or wait was that 2009?

Anyway, for all the things that Tom Izzo does well, he can’t seem to figure out his Carolina conundrum. And honestly, who didn’t think Tuesday was going to be his night?

A completely different UNC team showed up in the Smith Center than I’ve seen this year. The froshs and sophs played like upperclassmen right from the tip-off, with UNC jumping out to an early lead. It had to feel sickening for MSU fans, a horrible case of deja vu. Us DC-based Rafters bloggers sat with a decent contingent of UNC fans at Buffalo Billiards. A great idea emerged. Anyone not privileged enough to live in Chapel Hill, like our esteemed colleague Benn, should tweet us to meet up in the DC area for game viewings. We like to go out. If we go out anyway, we’ll make sure to say where we’re going.

Hey, we might even put your picture on the internets.

Before I get all hot and bothered thinking about tweet ups:

Takeaways:

• The recruiting class of 2008 came out of its shell. LD and Easy Ed both notched career highs in points (18 and 22 respectively). LD hit some clutch shots and had a 2-to-1 assist to turnover ratio in 27 minutes. Davis was his normal smooth self. You must watch this guy on Ustream sometime. Just follow him on twitter and he’ll notify when he’s getting on. If you want to know why we love him so much that will tell you everything.
• If there’s only 5 seconds left in a half, who gets the rock? Answer: Dexter Strickland. Strickland hit his second buzzer beater of the year at the end of the first half, sinking a trey.
• Will Graves is a starter, but he logs bench minutes. He’s getting about the same run time as Strickland, John Henson and Tyler Zeller. Gut tells me that once Roy is more comfortable with Henson or Strickland they’ll get the start. (And after last night I gotta be leaning towards Strickland)
• Back to Dex. Strickland had zero turnovers while logging some significant minutes at point. And as Luke Winn reminds us, he is a converted shooting guard. Got to be happy with that.
• Are the Wears twins? …………or clones? Travis – 2 pts, 3 rebs in 6 minutes; David – 2 pts, 2 rebs in 7 minutes

Superlatives

• Players of the Game: Larry Drew and Ed Davis -  see above
• Lookin’ Fierce Award: Roy Williams
• John Henson, if there was an award for throwing the ball between your legs to save it from going out, we’d give it to you. I don’t think even the Rafters has an award for that.

Same year, new season.  Tonight the Michigan State Spartans are hoping to hand the North Carolina Tar Heels their first defeat in a rematch from last April’s NCAA Title Game.  It will be another early season test for both teams.  After their loss to Florida last weekend, Michigan State bounced back the next day to defeat Massachusetts, but has dropped to #9 in the polls.  North Carolina is #11.  Should be an excellent game (I hope).  Go Green!

(pic from Edthesportsfan.com)

Tonight begins what could be the toughest two weeks of the Tar Heels’ season. The defending champs are taking on the team they ousted for the title just eight months ago. The headlines back on that glorious April day: “A Legacy Fulfilled” – DTH and “High Five” – Durham Herald Sun, among others.

The headlines might be a little different tomorrow as the Spartans are the favorites favored about equally tonight, but the test could prove to be a turning point for the Heels. Win or lose, I can’t see the impact of tonight’s result being negative. A win could start a wave of confidence that helps the Heels plow through December. A loss would identify the main weaknesses in a young team, preparing them for their other Top 10 match-ups this month and getting them ready for the ACC season.

Some think we’ll win, others think we’ll lose. (No link for the lose crowd. After all, who actually picks the Heels to lose?)

BTW that was the first time I’ve ever used the term “we” when talking about Carolina on this blog. I’ve tried staying away from it, but c’mon. You know you say it, too.

Here’s a Rafters-worthy prediction:

The Heels bigs hassle the tiny Spartans side-to-side and up and down the court. MSU shoots a horrible percentage while Big Z, Easy Ed and damn-he-needs-a-sweet-nickname Deon Thompson corral the boards and teasingly hold the ball above their heads. John Henson, who is also in need of a sick nombre, will have a breakout game and play 20 minutes, scoring 20 points. LD will teach Kalin Lucas to respect the wood — as Lucas will be on the floor after his ankles get broken so many times — and UNC will win by 15.

Hopefully Mr. Wilson can recreate some of his magic from Kenan Stadium last season.

It seems like only yesterday that I was writing the first game day post of the year about the Wolfpack taking on South Carolina. I must say things haven’t gone like I expected them to. But that, my friends, is why they play the games.

Heading into today’s game, the 4-7 Pack seemingly have little to play for while the 8-3 Tar Holes are in position to potentially make a New Year’s Day bowl if everything falls into place. Again, that’s why they play the games.

I love rivalry games for lots of reasons, but the main one is that more often than not records mean absolutely nothing. It’s a good thing for the Wolfpack too. I have mixed emotions about how I think the game will go. The logical football fan in me says that Carolina should probably win by 10 points or so. Obviously the N.C. State fan believes otherwise and it’s been difficult this week to try and find some sort of middle ground.

The key to the game this week without a doubt is the turnover battle. If N.C. State takes care of the football it will be in the game simply because Carolina’s offense is not built to put up 30+ points a game, even against a defense as porous as State’s. Other than that, it’s the same old stuff. Run the ball, stop the run. Blah, blah, blah. I’m not going over stuff I’ve covered all year. If you’re interested in how I think teams should win football games, read some of the archive posts.

Another factor to tomorrow’s game, which I wish wasn’t even something to consider, is the emotional impact the illness of offensive coordinator Dana Bible could have on the Wolfpack. It could quite possibly be a motivating factor but at the same time I worry about how smoothly the offense will be able to run in his absence. We’ll just have to judge that after the fact.

I feel pretty good going into the game, but I’m not sure why. It’s probably the fan side of my brain, which usually gets bigger and bigger every day as Saturday gets closer.

That being said, I’m going to make a logical prediction. This is going to hurt.

UNC 31
NCSU 27

Check Twitter before, during and right after the game and check back tomorrow evening for a post.

(Photo by Robert Willett of the N&O)

UNC 93, Gardner-Webb 72

Box Score

The story of this game is short and sweet.

Gardner Webb was just outsized and out-athlete-ed. Yes, it’s a word. Anyways UNC’s perimeter defense was again shaky, it’s just GW didn’t have the guards Syracuse did. That didn’t stop Runnin’ Bulldogs guard Grayson Flittner from tying the record for most 3-pointers in a game in the Dean Dome (9). The kid could not miss. He finished with 32 points.

Takeaways from the game:

• It seems like Tyler Zeller has taken a charge every single game. It will be shorting him a few games worth, but starting now we’ll try to keep track of how many games he does this. So beginning yesterday, he’s 1 for 1.
• Dexter Strickland has shown flashes of greatness. His development will determine a lot in regards to how far Carolina goes this year. If he steps up big, look out.
• When both the Wear twins are on the floor at the same time, UNC plays smart. You can tell these kids have played together their entire lives. Did anyone else catch how the only resemblance of a comeback in the Syracuse game came mostly at the hands of the Wears? Wish they were a bit more athletic, but you can’t have everything, they’ll get there.
  

Superlatives:

• The “If you call me Shane Battier, I’ll kick your ass” Award: Tyler Zeller
• Best Block: Once again to John Henson for his block-into-leap-frog-between-the-legs-bounce-pass-to-save-it-from-going-out play. It’s at the 1:23 mark of the video, though you can’t see the best part, which is the out-of-bounds save. That’s two wins in this category for Mr. Henson.
• Stat Stuffer (aka the Danny Green Award): Marcus Ginyard – 8 pts, 5 rebs, 6 asts, 3 stls
• Most Minutes without a Turnover Award (sadly a very important one): Tyler Zeller, 15 min played

A great weekend for Spartan basketball.  (Not so good for Spartan football — lost to Penn State — it was ugly!)   The basketball team played twice: a Friday night contest against Toledo where the Spartans won despite looking a bit ragged and unfocused, and a Sunday game against Valparaiso where the Green cruised easily.  A couple of tough games coming up: University of Florida (Friday, November 27th) and then their first road trip — down to North Carolina (rematch of last year’s championship game) on Tuesday, December 1st.  Go Green!

(photo by Jack McIssac – Getty)

After a nail-biter against Ohio State, one could almost see it coming. The way UNC sloppily handled its double-digit lead Thursday didn’t bode well for the contest on Friday against a Syracuse team that is seemingly firing on all cylinders. The Heels lost 87-71.

Carolina’s turnovers are starting to become a broken record, 19 this time, and ball security seems to be their biggest weakness. Syracuse scored more than 20 points off those turnovers, but it wasn’t until the second half that the game got out of hand. UNC’s defense kept them in the game in the first half, creating some turnovers of its own and  helping the Heels to a three-point halftime lead.

In the second half, two different teams showed up than had played in the first. UNC, whose offense hadn’t been very effective all night, suddenly forgot how to play D as well. Syracuse became an unstoppable force, hitting 10 of it’s first 14 shots in the half and going on a 22-1 run that effectively won the game. UNC made a late charge to bring it within eight, but it was a short-lived rally.

Sometimes you hear coaches say that it’d be good for their team to get a loss, so what good will come of this?

How about just the sting of a blowout loss? The Heels haven’t had a loss like this since the 2008 Final Four loss to Kansas, which ended 84-66. Last year’s team lost four games by a total of 16 points combined. This year’s team equaled that in one game. Pride can be a great motivator.

The parts are all there — and I’m sure Roy hadn’t spent too much time on playing against a zone like Syracuse’s — so this loss may sting now, but it will be something to build on. And with the Heels non-conference schedule, they better get building.

Tomorrow under the blazing lights of Madison Square Garden, Carolina will get its first test of the season against  No. 15 Ohio State in the 2K Sports Classic.

The matchup will be tricky as the Heels are a frontcourt-heavy team, and Ohio State is guard-laden — star guard-laden.

The Buckeyes’ point guard, in case you hadn’t heard of him, is Evan Turner, and he might challenge for National Player of the Year. If you get a chance — which if you read this blog, you probably will tomorrow night — you should watch this guy play. At 6′7″, he’s OSU’s point guard and fifth tallest player. He chalked up a triple double in the Buckeyes’ first game of the season, with 14 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists, and followed it up with 24 points and 17 rebounds against James Madison last Thursday. As you probably inferred from that stat line, the guy is active on the glass, and once he gets a defensive rebound the ball is consequently in the hands of  OSU’s point guard, making the outlet pass a threat.

Other than Turner, they’ve got David Lighty, William Buford and John Diebler, who are all 6′5″ or 6′6″, play guard and log starter’s minutes. After watching the James Madison game, it appears Turner and Lighty look to drive first, but are certainly not shy about popping a trey. Diebler and Buford seemed more perimeter oriented. As a team, they don’t take a ton of threes, but don’t leave them open because they can shoot them at a good percentage.

Sounds like a pretty dangerous team right?

Here’s where the matchup gets interesting. Of the four players taller than Turner (6′8″ and up), only two of them play significant minutes. At 6′9″, Kyle Madsen has been starting and last year’s starting center, 6′8″ Dallas Lauderdale, has been coming off the bench while he recovers from a broken bone in his hand. Against JMU, Madsen played 19 minutes and Lauderdale 13. OSU doesn’t really depend on its post play.

Carolina, however, does.

It’s widely accepted that UNC’s frontcourt is certainly the deepest and possibly the most talented in the nation. It will be interesting to see how Thad Matta decides to defend the Heels. If he plays man-to-man, mismatches will result out the wookie, allowing the likes of Deon Thompson, Ed Davis, Tyler Zeller and John Henson to dominate down low. I’m guessing he’ll play some kind of zone, if not for the whole game, at least large portions of it. This would challenge UNC’s guards in getting the ball inside and also require them to make plays they might not normally make.

The thing I could see hurting the Buckeyes is foul trouble. Their top six players, maybe seven, are talented enough to play with the Heels, but after that, I’m not so sure they have the depth. Another observation, is that the Bucks’ best player is also one of their tallest on the floor many times. If OSU decides to match up size-wise, Turner would end up banging down low more often than not, possibly tiring him out.

Prediction: OSU’s shooting will suffer because of Carolina’s size on defense. UNC will win the rebounding, not often giving up more than one shot. Evan Turner will have 20 points and 11 rebounds, but his efforts will be in vain. Carolina is too deep and by the time the game’s over, Turner is worn out and his teammates are frustrated because they couldn’t get their offense going.

Final Score: UNC 82 OSU 70

(Photo by Robert Willett, The News & Observer)

Box Score

A young team certainly goes through a growing process over the course of a season. The focus and discipline that are characteristics of a championship contender are not as instilled in a group that’s getting to know each other just as much as they’re getting to know a coach’s system.

This was never more evident than in Carolina’s win over Valparaiso on Sunday.

The brilliant defensive play that marked the Heels’ last contest was nowhere to be seen. The impressive – even demoralizing – blocks and thunderous dunks that have been so prevalent were also missed. To be frank, the Heels didn’t show up for work.

From the AP story:

“I could feel it coming a little bit,” fifth-year senior Marcus Ginyard said. “In warmups, we didn’t seem like we had that pep in our step. Nobody was really talking. We just didn’t have that intensity and it showed tonight.”

The sheer size talent differential was enough to keep UNC ahead for the game, and honestly that will carry them in some of these shaky non-conference games when they play small-time schools like Valparaiso.

The trouble is UNC is playing five ranked opponents in a month, starting Thursday against Ohio State. The other trouble is that Valpo’s Brandon Wood lit up the Dean Dome for 30 points, including six 3-pointers, and Brandon Mcpherson had 20 points behind 4-6 shooting beyond the arc. The Carolina frontcourt might be imposing, but the backcourt will need to step up defensively so that a hot-shooting guard isn’t the downfall of the team on a given night. Especially given that Evan Turner is a monster.

The good news is that the team knew they laid a stinker tonight, and Roy does, too.

“I said before the season started that some days we’re going to be pretty good and some days we’re going to be pretty ugly. And today was one of those days, I thought we were pretty ugly,” Roy said after the game.

So by Thursday, everything will be fixed!

Superlatives

1. Most Missed Lobs – The whole team
2. The This-won’t-be-my-career-high-for-long Award – Ed Davis, 16 pts (career high), 6 rebs, 2 blks, 6-6 FG
3. Best Production in Limited Minutes – Justin Watts, 2 pts, 2 rebs, 4 assts, ZERO TURNOVERS, 10 min played

#1 – North Carolina Tar Heels

Great opening week for Roy Williams and the Tar Heels as expected which came to show how deep they are at recruiting. Good win over a decent Florida International team that was fired up for the debut of Isaiah Thomas but that wasn’t a problem and then huge defensive performance against North Carolina Central. Huge game at Ohio State this Thursday.

#2 – Kansas Jayhawks

They looked as good as it gets against Hofstra however it’s tough to understand what that means. Game to watch: Kansas vs. Memphis on neutral court, Tuesday.

#3 – Michigan State Spartans

Normal week for Izzo and the Spartans, they ran over Florida Gulf Coast as expected and the Kalin Lucas experiment started really well. They play a very good Gonzaga program on Tuesday.

#4 – Kentucky Wildcats

No Wall, no problem. On Calipari’s debut, the Wildcats run over a Morehead State team that will definitely be on the NCAA Tournament. Huge performance by Bledsoe, it will be interesting to see how they will split the touches from now on.

#5 – Ohio State Buckeyes

With the football team on its way to the Rose Bowl, the basketball program was overshadowed on its first week which was a shame. The wins over Alcorn State and James Madison don’t mean much however the performances of Evan Turner and William Buford throughout the week were impressive.

Check More At: MVN

Offseason Top 5: http://basketballoutsider.wordpress.com/2009/11/09/offseason-top-5/

I think former Tar Heel Ty Lawson’s going to do just fine in the NBA.

The 2010 recruiting classes are starting to shape up for most universities, as only a few players have not yet committed to a school. In this post we will look at the top two recruiting classes; those of the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Ohio State Buckeyes. 

North Carolina - The Tar Heels landed the top recruit in Harrison Barnes. Barnes is a 6’7” small forward that can do about everything on offense while his incredible 84 ½” wingspan will wreak havoc in the passing lanes. North Carolina also signed shooting guard Reggie Bullock, a top-10 prospect who has a great jump shot. Joining Barnes and Bullock is Kendall Marshall, a point guard that is ready for the college level and has a natural feel for the position. Marshall is ranked the lowest in the 2010 class of these three players at 32. These three players would easily be starters for most schools, but with all of North Carolina’s talent, they will have to earn their playing time.

Ohio State - The Buckeyes have 6 players from the 2010 class that have already committed. The number of players coming in isn’t the only reason why their recruiting class is considered better than North Carolina’s in some people’s opinions. Recruit Jared Sullinger is the best all-around post player in the class and is ranked 3^rd in the nation. In addition to Sullinger, Ohio State signed power forwards Deshaun Thomas and J.D. Weatherspoon. Thomas, one of the best forwards in the class of 2010 in terms of offense, is ranked 18^th while Weatherspoon is ranked at 137. The Buckeyes also landed 3 guards: Jordan Sibert, Aaron Craft, and Lenzelle Smith Jr. Sibert and Smith, both shooting guards, have different strengths: Sibert is more aggressive on the offensive end and prefers to attack the basket while Smith is more of a pass-first guard. Craft is ranked 104 in his class and will likely be a backup point guard. Ohio State signed both inside and outside players that should make an immediate impact.

Posted by Tom

The College Basketball season has officially begun and the Michigan State Spartans (ranked #2) are 1-0!  Go Green.  Granted, the first opponent (Florida Gulf Coast) was not a top-25 team, but a W is a W and the Spartans will not wait too long before taking on ranked opponents as they tune up the team for the Big Ten season and the “Road to the Final Four.”  Next up, Gonzaga University (though not ranked yet this season, a worthy opponent nonetheless) on Tuesday (the 17th).  Coming up in December, a couple of high powered road games: AT the University of North Carolina Tar Heels (#4) and AT the University of Texas Longhorns (#3).

I love this time of year!  March is dangerously close!

Christmas has come early for the Heels.  This afternoon, top rated prospect Harrison Barnes selected UNC over Oklahoma, UCLA, Iowa State, Kansas and most notably, Duke.  Landing Barnes makes Carolina’s Class of 2010 one of the best in the country.  He will join PG Kendall Marshall and SG Reggie Bullock on a team that should undoubtedly challenge for the 2011 National Title.

Barnes announced his decision in an unusual fashion-Skyping Coach Williams to inform him of his intent to play for the Heels.  I am rather impressed with Roy’s technical savvy.  As Coach would say himself, he has had the same putter and wife for the past 30 years.

As for Duke, this is yet another blow to Coach K’s recruiting prowess.  Roy has outmaneuvered Coach K for other prized recruits in the recent past (Brandan Wright), and Barnes’s decision solidifies Williams as the top recruiter (and coach) on Tobacco Road.  All this should make for an interesting trip to Cameron for Mr. Barnes in February of 2011.

Now, time for a victory cigar.

Unless you’re one of the lucky fans whose team is playing in the 2K Sports Classic Benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer — as per us at The Rafters — then tonight begins the best four and a half months of the year.

And unless you are a Master of your Domain (DVR), you’re going to have to miss some of the action as many teams are playing at the same time.

SCHEDULE SNAFU:

Six Top 10 teams are playing overlapping games tonight. Kentucky (5)– perhaps one of the most anticipated debuts — plays at 6:30 p.m., while Michigan State (2), Villanova (6), Purdue (7) and Duke (8) play at 7 p.m. To top it off, the preseason No. 1 Kansas plays at 8 p.m., further complicating things  for the second half of the 7 o’clockers.

As an ACC junkie, and Tar Heel alumnus, naturally I’ll be glued to the Duke game “just to see if they lose.” It’s amazing how many Duke games I watch under that pretense. I’ll also watch the first half of the first half of Kentucky, because I desperately want the Calipari experiment to fail.

But what about during breaks in the despised Durhamites’ matchup?

Of course, when there are multiple games on, it’s inconceivable that one would watch commercials. Here’s my hierarchy of channel flippage for tonight. (We ordered the college hoops package, so yes, be jealous. Or order it, too!) If No. 1 is at commerical, I proceed down the list until I find a game.

6:30 p.m.

1. Kentucky vs. Morehead St.

7:00 p.m.

1. Duke vs. UNC Greensboro – For Obvious Reasons
2. Kentucky vs. Morehead St. – I told you I want him to fail!
3. Michigan State vs. Florida Gulf Coast – Love Kalin Lucas
4. Purdue vs. Cal State Northridge – Is it me, or is the Big 10 scary this year?
5. Villanova vs. Fairleigh Dickinson – Will Jay Wright continue to wear pinstripes for an entire season!?

7:30 p.m.

Otherwise same as above:

5. UConn vs. William and Mary – Down year in Storrs?
6. Penn State vs. Pennsylvania – Hopefully I won’t make it down this far
7. Villanova vs. Fairleigh Dickinson – Just not that interested for some reason

8:00 p.m.

1. Duke vs. UNC Greensboro – Still anticipating failure!
2. Kentucky vs. Morehead St. – See above
3. Kansas vs. Hofstra – Are they really THAT good?
4. Clemson vs. Presbyterian – ACC with a capital A!
5. Michican State vs. Florida Gulf Coast – Remember when UNC beat them twice last year?
6. Purdue vs. Cal State Northridge – Again, I hope I don’t make it down this far.
7. UConn vs. William and Mary – Kemba Walker is fast

9:00 p.m. and on

1. Kansas vs. Hofstra – I will never forgive you, Cole Aldrich
2. Clemson vs. Presbyterian – Can Trevor Booker carry you guys?
3. UConn vs. William and Mary – W&M has a nice campus
4. Georgetown vs. Tulane – Greg Monroe should be beastmode
5. Tenneessee vs. Austin Peay – It rhymes!
6. Mississippi State vs. Rider – Blocks, blocks and more blocks

Now — while there’s still hours before we know where he’s headed — it’s still reasonable to think about what it would be like if Harrison Barnes comes to UNC.

Oh, how glorious.

Starting Line-up assuming Ed Davis leaves for the NBA

PG – Larry Drew II
SG – Dexter Strickland
SF – Harrison Barnes
PF – John Henson
C – Tyler Zeller

Now, realizing that Henson could be gone as well. That would likely put one of the Wear twins in the power forward position. Regardless, Carolina would play big, and play fast. Add to that the fact that UNC would  have blue chippers Kendall Marshall as a backup point guard, and Reggie Bullock at small forward shooting guard coming in as freshmen, and you’ve got a lot of talent. Marshall is high-profile enough that he might challenge for a starting spot. Plus Will Graves, Leslie McDonald and Justin Watts would be getting minutes and that’s a 12-man rotation. Talk about deep. This team would no doubt challenge for a national championship.

And after Tyler Hansbrough stayed for four years, it can’t be helped to ask: What if Ed Davis stays?

Think about that, Harrison. Think about it.