it could be great theater if state and unc play again.....
it could be great theater if state and unc play again.....
"One POSSIBLE future. From your point of view... I don't know tech stuff.".... Kyle Reese
Just think back to how vulnerable UNC was when Marshall couldn't score... then when he started hitting shots, UNC looked like world beaters. When he wasn't, he was able to run the break and get everyone involved.
Without Henson, UNC's defense suffers, but their offense doesn't. They NEED their offense more than their defense.
Everyone here is thinking it's shaping up to be an easy weekend for UNC. But to me, it looks like it's shaping up to be an extremely easy weekend for NC State and Mark Gottfried.
They made it to S16 and with the way they are playing, i think they have the best chance to take KU down. Then without KM, NC State can throttle UNC's offense. That is assuming, KM doesn't play.
Have to strongly agree with Ferry here. Marshall is by far the most irreplaceable player on that team. Not even close. There is a reason he made 1st Team All America and none of the others did. UNC can steal a game against Ohio, but w/o Marshall they are going to struggle mightily on offense. Plus he is their only true guard left other than White. What happens if teams press the heck out of them?
I hope he plays, but if not, their title chances go way down. If they make it to the Elite 8, they start playing Top 15 and higher quality teams. They are fortunate their bracket has fallen apart as it is. Ohio is their last cupcake. Even if they draw State in the Elite 8, they will face a team with real talent playing their best ball of the year. Otherwise they face Kansas.
Regarding the title of the front page and UNC being done, can we take this down please? Anyone ever heard of the weaxfgods?
___________________
Mike Stein
Trinity '97, Tent #1 '97
Tampa
I agree with this, but would insist that it's only true when UNC commits to play strong D. Zeller, especially, is much underappreciated; he's a fine D-player. Barnes can play good D - he seemed to enjoy the challenge against Singler - but I haven't seen him play consistently good D, to put it charitably.
On the PG issue, I'm guessing - assuming no Marshall - that Watts gets a shot at it, White plays a bit more than previously, and Hairston gets some of those minutes, too.
Fwiw, Kenny Smith just said he expects Marshall to suit up and play spot minutes....
Agreed. UNC, by most measures, including KenPom, was a heck of a lot better defensively than we were this year. Their interior defense is good enough to make up for pretty weak perimeter defense. Basically, with Henson in the middle, if you can make your 3s you can beat UNC. If you can't, you won't.
Losing Marshall doesn't hurt UNC's defense, and it doesn't help. Marshall may not have been a stellar on-point defender...Stillman White isn't either. But UNC's offense will not be the same, at all, without Marshall.
Think UNC when Lawson went down.
This is a huge coaching challenge for Roy. Does he play White and hope he's another Hale (In-Hale Ex-Hale) without the mullet? Try to turn one of his other perimeter guys into a serviceable 1? Let Barnes chuck up 50 3s a game and tell Henson and Zeller to rebound everything? Use Kenny Smith's remaining eligibility? Suffice to say, ever since Marshall took over the point Roy's been able to roll out the ball and let Marshall run a high octane offense utilizing a posse of future lottery picks. That's when Roy's offense looks best, when he's got a rockstar point guard. Now he doesn't have that. I'll be very interested to see what he tries tough situation.
Just posted Kenny Smith's opinion that Marshall will suit up and play a little.
Because he has a real future as a pro, I assume UNC will take no chances with that future.
However, if it is determined by medical experts that, with some sort of protective cast, he could play some, I think Marshall is one of a small handful of guys who could figure out how to do some of what he usually does. Marshall sees things most players haven't a clue about. He knows, intuitively, how to get the ball places where most players don't know a place exists. He takes advantage of every opponent whose head is turned, and he knows how to spin a pass at the perfect angle and pace to get the ball in the optimal position to score.
Some commentary among the talking TV heads have opined that, "no way he could be effective." If - big, big if - Marshall can play at all, there's at least a chance he could get some things done. Not the highest chance, but a higher chance than with any other player I can think of. Marshall knows how to do stuff.
UNC has plenty of offensive threats and I did say " The rest of the team will have to step up in Marshall's absence". They'll HAVE to step up on both ends of the court.
Zeller, Henson, Barnes, McAdoo, Bullock etc. are all capable scorers. Barnes and McAdoo can create and go after their own shots.
They will miss Marshall's assists to be sure. Defense capabilities will probably be a wash.
Again, if White/Watts keep turnovers very low and Barnes/McAdoo/Bullock step up, I think the Heels still have a decent chance.
If nothing else, we'll really get to see what they're made of... and, I agree that their defense is better than some give them credit for.
Look for Barnes to handle the ball more as has been the case when White has been in.
I takemy hat off to all of you. You are all so vey nice. How many UNC fans were so polite about Kelly getting injured?
@GaryParrishCBS Source close to UNC. Kendall Marshall will have surgery Monday. Hopeful he'll play in S16. But considered "unlikely."
Supposedly Kendall's dad also posted on Facebook that he will get surgery tomorrow and "could" play Friday.
This seems insane.
I have to assume the aforementioned "surgery" just refers to putting a screw in a non-displaced fracture, or something. Still, seems pretty reckless.