I wouldn't trade the win over UNC for a win over West Virginia, because I don't think we'd have gone any further than the next game.
The only bad thing about the UNC loss was that it inflated the expectations of our fans, and possibly put pressure on the players that led to them wearing down as the season went along. No doubt some will contest what I'm about to say, and some will not be so nice about it, but I do not think we beat UNC if Lawson had played.
If we had lost a tough, but fairly close game, I wonder how the pyschology of our players would have been affected? I can't help but wonder if they might not have been encouraged by the near miss but left with a greater sense of hunger.
It's also interesting to wonder if UNC would have developed their half court game, and Thomas as a workable back up to Lawson had he not been out. It's just funny the way things work out sometimes.