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College Basketball

October 28, 2009

UNC begins life after No. 50

AARON BEARD AP Sports Writer

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — For the past four years, Roy Williams had the security of knowing Tyler Hansbrough would be there to take a big shot or grab the rebound that would start North Carolina’s transition attack.

And now?

“I keep looking for him,” Williams said. “Where’s Waldo? Where’s Tyler?”

Yes, No. 50 is gone, taking with him the determined style that made him the most decorated player in the program’s history. So too are Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington, who helped the Tar Heels win their second national championship in five seasons and reach consecutive Final Fours. Although North Carolina has lost a lot of flashy, big-name talent, there’s still enough left behind — namely along a deep front line — to keep the Tar Heels among the elite.

It’s a far less tenuous situation than the last time the Tar Heels (34-4) came off a title run. They lost their top seven scorers from that 2005 team, including four underclassmen who went on to become NBA first-round picks, and had to rely largely on an incoming freshman class that included Hansbrough, Danny Green, Bobby Frasor and Marcus Ginyard.

The outside expectations were minimal, but that group surprised by winning 23 games, finishing second in the Atlantic Coast Conference and reaching the second round of the NCAA tournament.

This time, Williams has a lot more proven players to work with, starting with senior forward Deon Thompson (10.6 points) and Ginyard, the Tar Heels’ versatile do-everything leader in their 2008 Final Four run who is back for a fifth season after sitting out most of last year with a foot injury.

Despite losing four starters, the Tar Heels are co-favorites with rival Duke in the ACC and are picked by many to be a Final Four contender again.

“It’s unbelievable to me, it really is,” Williams said. “I told our kids it’s probably because we made everybody look so bad in ’06 that they won’t get caught that way again.”

It all starts up front. Playing alongside the 6-foot-8 Thompson is 6-10 sophomore Ed Davis, who had 11 points and eight rebounds in the championship-game rout of Michigan State and was the team’s top shot blocker. The team also returns 7-foot sophomore Tyler Zeller, who returned late last season from a broken wrist that was initially expected to sideline him for the rest of the season.

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