UNC's Barnes, Henson, Marshall turning pro

CHAPEL HILL — Harrison Barnes, John Henson and Kendall Marshall are leaving North Carolina and will enter the NBA draft, the school announced in a statement on Thursday.


Barnes, a forward, and Marshall, a point guard, are sophomores who are both foregoing their final two years of eligibility. Henson is leaving the Tar Heels after his junior season.

In addition to senior Tyler Zeller, Barnes, Henson and Marshall were most responsible for the Tar Heels’ success during the 2011-12 season. UNC fell short of its goal of winning a national championship, but the Tar Heels finished 32-6, won the ACC regular season championship and reached the NCAA tournament Midwest regional finals.

“It’s a great day for three youngsters who are taking another step toward their ultimate goal of playing professional basketball,” UNC coach Roy Williams said in a statement. “On a very small stage, it’s a sad day for me because I won’t get to coach them again. All Tar Heel fans will miss them greatly, as well.”

The announcement comes four days after the Tar Heels ended their season with an 80-67 loss against Kansas in the Midwest regional final in St. Louis. UNC lost while Marshall sat on the bench, sidelined by the broken right wrist he suffered in a victory against Creighton in the third round of the NCAA tournament.

Andrew Carter

NIT title game important for Johnny Dawkins

It may only be the NIT, but Thursday’s championship game against Minnesota in New York could be an important step for Stanford coach Johnny Dawkins.

In his fourth season at Stanford, the former Duke all-American and longtime first assistant to Mike Krzyzewski appears to be gaining traction.

It’s not been an easy path for the 48-year-old Dawkins.

After his first three teams finished 20-14, 14-18 and 15-16, there was some speculation that the rebuilding task was too much for Dawkins to handle.

Even though Stanford got a four-point win over N.C. State early and gave Syracuse a scare in the preseason NIT title game, the Cardinal could do no better than 10-8 in Pac-12 Conference play.

It wasn’t until March that Dawkins' generally young team clicked. With six wins in the past seven games, the Cardinal (25-11) could begin next season as the league favorite regardless of what happens Thursday in Madison Square Garden against Tubby Smith’s Gophers (23-14).

Four of Dawkins’ starters are either freshmen or sophomores _ 6-1 Chasson Randle (14 ppg), 5-11 Aaron Bright (11.6 ppg), 6-6 Anthony Brown (8.8 pgg) and 6-9 Dwight Powell (5.7 ppg).

“Our guys have really worked and stayed with it all season,” Dawkins said after Tuesday’s 74-64 semifinal win over Massachusetts.

“Having gained this experience throughout this tournament, I think will bode well going into the future. I think this will help us understand how to win games in this type of atmosphere, which will make us a better team in the future.”

-Caulton Tudor

UNC' point guard Kendall Marshall out against Kansas

ST. LOUIS — Kendall Marshall will not play today when North Carolina plays against Kansas in the NCAA tournament Midwest regional final. Marshall, the sophomore point guard, suffered a broken bone in his right wrist in a victory a week ago against Creighton.

Stilman White, a freshman who started and played 32 minutes in UNC’s 73-65 overtime victory against Ohio on Friday night, will start against Kansas. White had six assists and no turnovers in the victory against Bobcats.

Marshall participated in some of the Tar Heels’ practice on Saturday, but he said he likely wouldn’t play unless he felt significant improvement in his wrist. Marshall said he thought he’d likely be able to play if the Tar Heels advance to the Final Four in New Orleans.

-Andrew Carter

UNC's Stilman White, toast and an iPhone game

ST. LOUIS -- You've heard UNC head coach Roy Williams at various points this season describe Tar Heels guard Stilman White as a guy who's out there, who's not of the normal, who's a bit of a character. Williams, the Tar Heels coach, recently described White as a "wacko." It was a term of endearment.

White started his first college game on Friday night in place of the injured Kendall Marshall , and when the Tar Heels play against Kansas here on Sunday in the NCAA tournament Midwest regional final, there's a good chance - a great chance - White will be starting again.

So, naturally, the national media members who have gathered here want to know more about White. About why he's this guy that Williams likes to rag on. Williams was happy to oblige Saturday.

Here's how Williams opened up a story about White: "Let me explain to you something now. This morning at breakfast. Kendall's standing up and says, 'Who's toast is this over here?' Looked at our table, no. Looked at the next table, no. Looked at the next table, no. 'Who's toast is this?' "

Williams went on.

"John [Henson] said, 'Toast, toast, anybody's toast?' Twenty-one people in there looked at Stilman and Stilman says, 'Oh, that's my toast.'"

Now, I wasn't in the room when Williams recounted this story. So I can't tell you the reaction among reporters who listened. Me, I would have been laughing.

The moderator of the press conference asked White if he had a response. And White said:

"I was kind of into my iPhone game and I was working on a high score, so I had to wait until I finished that round before I could pick my toast up."

So naturally the next question was about what game White was playing in the moment he forgot about his toast.

"It was Super Jetpack, I think," White said. "It's a good game."

UNC point guard Kendall Marshall speaks on his injury, playing status

ST. LOUIS - Kendall Marshall doesn't know if he might play on Sunday (5:05 p.m., CBS) when North Carolina plays Kansas in the NCAA tournament Midwest regional semifinals. Marshall is hopeful, of course, but he said earlier Saturday that he wouldn't play if UNC had a game Saturday.

Marshall suffered a broken bone in his right wrist six days ago during the Tar Heels' victory against Creighton. Here's what Marshall had to say, in his own words, on a variety of topics:

-on if he did anything basketball-related in practice on Saturday:
"Yes, I did. I didn't go through any contact things. I went through a lot of the walk-through stuff. And shooting drills, things like that. And thankfully, because of my off hand, my jump shot's almost better - because I have to really focus on my form and stuff. But it didn't feel too bad. Obviously there's going to be pain. But we'll see [Sunday]."

-on how much range of motion he has:
"Well the brace that we have - it does a great job of not letting me go too far. So that's helped out a lot. The range of motion is getting gradually better every day. And that's a positive sign, not just for the game, but just getting healthy in general that I feel like there's been a tremendous improvement every 24 hours."

-on if he thinks he'll play Sunday:
"I don't know. We'll see [Sunday]. See how I feel after shoot-around."

-on how difficult it'd be for him to sit and watch again:
"I don't know if I can go through that again. You know last night after the game I couldn't sleep. I'm sitting here thinking about game plans. I'm like, what's wrong with me? I still play on the team. If it comes down that I feel like I'm not able to help my team and the best thing for me is to be in a suit,  then that's what it will be and I'll still try to contribute the best way that I can."

-on if he could play right now:
"As of right now, it's still the same thing as yesterday. You know, I'm not playing. But if I do to continue to feel better, you know, there's no telling. I could be out there playing."

-on if he has been fitted for another wrist brace:
"I did. This morning I got put in the brace that I would be playing in and it's a little more sturdy. Like I said, it really holds my wrist into place and doesn't bend it. So that's definitely a positive."

-on what basketball-related skill causes him the most difficulty with his wrist injury:
"The toughest thing is actually passing the ball, which sucks. But the passing and the catching is a little tough. But I feel like I did a good job today [Saturday]. You know, I really told the managers and my teammates, 'Don't hold back. You know, throw it the way you would do in a game.' And I felt like I responded well. But it still hurts. It's still painful. So we'll see."

-on if he could play in the Final Four if UNC advanced:
"I'm sure with a week's rest, if we have a win [Sunday], a week's rest would be great. And I feel like I'm almost positive that I'd be able to play in a week. But we're just focused on [Sunday] right now."

-on what his parents have told  him:
"My parents told me, you know, nobody knows how my wrist feels but me. And they want me to do what's best for me. And not just what's best for the team or what's best for my hand, but what's best for my health. And the last thing they want me to do is injure it."

-on how the UNC offense looked without him:
"It was a little tough. You know, it's obviously a different look. My team is accustomed to me being out there, you know, 35 minutes a game. So it's hard to make that adjustment. The biggest positive you  can take out of that is that they did find a way to win. They did find a way to hit big shots. And I think that was great for us, that no matter what's been thrown at us to still find a way to win that game, I'm proud of them."

-on watching the struggles and how it affects his decision to want to come back:
"No. I really try to separate the two. Because I want to do what's best for my health. But at the same time, I do have a competitive edge. I want to be able to be out there and play, you know. And any of these games could be the last game of our season. And it was tough to watch, because that is my team. That is who I want to fight with every night. But I'm extremely proud that they still found a way to win."
'
-on how Kansas players want him to play:
"That's all competitors, you know. You don't want to - that's like kicking a wounded soldier. You know, you don't want to do that. You want to see them when they're at full strength. And I'm looking forward to competing. I see a player like Tyshawn in front of me and you want to compete against him. You know, you want to compete against the best ... but at the end of the day, I still have to do what's best for me."

- Andrew Carter

Status of Kendall Marshall unchanged for UNC on eve of NCAA Elite Eight

ST. LOUIS -- Kendall Marshall participated on a limited basis in North Carolina's practice on Saturday but he said he would not have played had the Tar Heels had a game to play on Saturday. The Tar Heels will play Kansas at the Edward Jones Dome on Sunday afternoon in the NCAA tournament Midwest regional finals.

Marshall suffered a broken bone in his right wrist during UNC's victory against Creighton six days ago. He hadn't participated in any basketball activities until Saturday. Marshall attempted shots and attempted passes, which he said were difficult.

He said catching passes, though, caused him the most pain. Marshall during practice wore a new brace on his wrist - the same kind he would wear if was to play on Sunday. The brace, he said, stabilizes his injury.

"I didn't go through any contact things," Marshall said of his participation in practice. "I went through a lot of the walk-through stuff. And shooting drills, things like that. And thankfully, because of my off hand, my jump shot's almost better - because I have to really focus on my form and stuff. But it didn't feel too bad.

"Obviously there's going to be pain. But we'll see tomorrow."
Marshall said his status would be decided after the Tar Heels' shootaround before the game on Sunday.

- Andrew Carter

Crothers: Roy Williams can't forget his last game against Kansas

The last time UNC coach Roy Williams faced his former employer, the Kansas Jayhawks, he called it "one of the worst nights of my career."

That matchup occurred in the 2008 NCAA Tournament semifinals and when I spoke to him about it more than a year later during the research for Williams' autobiography "Hard Work," he could still recall in detail almost every play from that game.

He said he walked onto the court that night in San Antonio believing his team was going to play great. Before he knew it, the Tar Heels trailed 40-12.

He also admitted that he coached the game feeling so ill that he threw up into a towel and so dizzy that he had to hold onto a chair to keep from falling. At one point he asked his assistant coach Steve Robinson to call a play because he couldn't.

Though the Tar Heels made a run in the second half, UNC lost 84-66.

"It felt like somebody reached in and grabbed my heart and shook it in front of my face," Williams told me. "That Kansas game will eat at me for the rest of my career. Playing so poorly was bad enough, but playing so poorly against the team I coached for 15 years made it even worse. I wanted to win that game more than any game I have ever coached... Watching us play felt like a nightmare. I still to this day have not watched a tape of that Kansas game, and I probably never will."

Think he wants to win this one?

- Tim Crothers

'... if Duke was playing against the Taliban ...'

Associated Press (and former Charlotte Observer) business writer Christina Rexrode started calling CEOs at the start of the 2012 NCAA basketball tournament for their brackets. The North Carolina alums who picked up the phone had few kind words for Duke.

Family Dollar CEO Howard Levine  told her he went to UNC's basketball camp as a kid, and still wears his UNC hat to meetings to antagonize co-workers who went to Duke. So he was heartbroken when older son Brian  chose to do the same.

"I told him, 'OK, you're going to Duke, and I can get over that,'" Levine recalled. "But you can't wear that Duke stuff when you come home.'"

Cute, but hardly impolitic. For that, we turn to U.S. Rep. Brad Miller.

After speaking with the state's five-term congressman last week, Rexrode decided to call back when North Carolina State made the Sweet 16 as well, and ask about divided loyalties.

"The way I deal with it is, I scream my lungs out for Carolina," Miller said. "I make no pretense that I am at all half-hearted in my support for Carolina. Nobody in North Carolina would trust a politician who claimed to be neutral on a matter as important as college basketball."

Miller said he rooted for N.C. State against Georgetown, And when they play out-of-state. And any time a Wolfpack win doesn't affect Carolina's ranking.

Duke is another story altogether.

"I have said very publicly that if Duke was playing against the Taliban," Miller said very publicly again, "then I'd have to pull for the Taliban."

Guess who's not running for re-election?

- Jim Litke, Associated Press

• More from Jim Litke's column
  

For N.C. State, 3s the key to beating Kansas Jayhawks

ST. LOUIS — When Duke beat Kansas, at a neutral site, back in November, the Blue Devils made 11 3-pointers, compared to only two for the Jayhawks.

When Davidson beat Kansas, at a neutral site, a month later, the Wildcats made 11 3-pointers, compared to only six for the Jayhawks.

In all six of its losses this season, Kansas — a prototypical inside-out team — was out-scored from 3-point range. And four of those losses came at a neutral site.

If N.C. State needs a roadmap for tonight's Midwest Regional semifinal against the Jayhawks, it just needs to follow the semi-circle, 20 feet and 9 inches from the basket.

In its six losses, Kansas was out-shot from 3, 55 to 26. Its opponents shot 41.9 percent from 3 (55-131) in Kansas losses and 32.5 percent (159-489) in Kansas wins.

The Jayhawks (29-6) are built on the power game of forward Thomas Robinson (17.7 points per game) and 7-footer Jeff Withey (9.9 ppg). Like North Carolina, they are willing to trade 3s for 2s. That means Scott Wood, the top 3-point shooter in the ACC, C.J. Williams, Lorenzo Brown and Alex Johnson will be important for N.C. State's upset chances tonight.

Wood made four 3s in State's third-round win over Georgetown and the Pack is 10-0 when he makes at least four 3s.

Williams broke out of a scoring slump against Georgetown with 14 points — his first double-digit game since Clemson (Feb. 25) and only his second in the past 11 games.

Brown has made 6 of his 10 3-pointers in the postseason and has shot at higher clip than the regular season.

Johnson did not score in the first two NCAA tournament games but he's capable of helping out from 3.

-J.P. Giglio

UNC vs. Ohio: Three keys for the Tar Heels

ST. LOUIS — Won’t be long now, folks. North Carolina’s game here against Ohio in the NCAA tournament Midwest regional semifinals will begin in about four hours at the Edward Jones Dome. The Tar Heels will attempt to advance to the regional finals, where they’d play either Kansas or N.C. State.
But first, three keys for top-seeded UNC against No. 13 Ohio:

First …
Avoid turnovers, especially in the backcourt. It’s unlikely that Kendall Marshall, the sophomore point guard who sustained a broken right wrist in UNC’s victory against Creighton on Sunday, will play tonight. In his absence the Tar Heels will rely on Stilman White and Justin Watts to handle the bulk of the point guard duties.

White, Watts and whomever else might be handling the ball for UNC will face a difficult test tonight. Ohio plays an aggressive defense, and specializes pressure in the backcourt. You can bet the Bobcats will try to increase that pressure tonight.

Ohio has forced turnovers on 25.8 percent of its opponents possessions, which among the best ratios in the nation. Ohio ranks third nationally in steals, with 334, and it’s a team that does a great job of getting into the passing lanes and making it uncomfortable for opposing teams to settle into their offense.

Second …
The Big Three must come up, well … big. Without Marshall, there will be more pressure on Harrison Barnes, John Henson and Tyler Zeller. And none of them can avoid an off game tonight.

The frontcourt is one area where UNC has a clear advantage, both in talent and size. Ohio won’t start a player taller 6-foot-8, and the Bobcats won’t have a defensive answer for Henson and Zeller on the interior. Barnes, meanwhile, can create mismatches because of his versatile skill set.

Before his injury, Marshall had proven to be a capable scorer. So when Barnes, Zeller or Henson – or any combination of the three – struggled offensively, Marshall could mitigate the damage with scoring of his own. But Marshall isn’t likely to be on the court tonight, of course, and UNC can’t afford unproductive games from the big three.

It’s almost a given that Zeller and Henson will have successful games, given their physical advantages, but Barnes could be the x-factor. We’ve been waiting a while for Barnes to break out and completely dominate a game. Now would be a good time.

Third …
Guard against the 3-point shot while making 3-pointers on offense. There are two ways Ohio can win this game: The Bobcats either need to force a lot of turnovers, limiting UNC’s field goal attempts. Or Ohio needs to shoot well from behind the 3-point line. Of course, the Bobcats will try to do both tonight.

Ohio this season is averaging 21 3-point attempts per game, and the Bobcats on average make seven of those. They were 9-of-18 in their victory against USF in the third round of the tournament and Ohio is likely to try to use the 3-point shot tonight to offset its disadvantage on the interior.

UNC did a good job defending the perimeter against Creighton, and the Heels need that kind of defensive performance again. Conversely, the Tar Heels need to make 3-pointers of their own. If the Heels are making 3s, that means Reggie Bullock and P.J. Hairston are having an impact – and that’s a good thing given the load that Barnes, Henson and Zeller will shoulder.

Almost game time now.
-Andrew Carter