A shorthanded North Carolina team hung tough against Kansas for 37 minutes. Unfortunately for the Tar Heels, the game is 40 minutes. Kansas advanced to the Final Four by outscoring UNC 12-0 over the last three minutes, coming away with an 80-67 victory.
North Carolina had opportunities to win despite playing without field general Kendall Marshall but anyone who knows basketball knows that it was an uphill battle for the Tar Heels to win that game without him.
It took a season-high 63.5 percent in the first half to even tie Kansas 47-47 at the half. You wouldn’t think Carolina would shoot that well after a halftime to adjust and the Heels didn’t, hitting only seven of 31 shots in the second half. A lot of that is the perimeter shooting problem that UNC has had all year but most of it, despite the best efforts of Stilman White, was due to Marshall not being there to run the offense effectively.
Doctors had said that Marshall would not injure the fractured wrist more by playing but that it would depend on the pain and comfort level. Coach Roy Williams said the wrist was sore after workouts Saturday and that he just had to much discomfort to play against Kansas.
Willis Reed he’s not. Maybe there is more we don’t know, but if discomfort not inability to play was the reason Marshall didn’t go, it’s disappointing. Even if he could have played 15 minutes, it would have been a lift to the Tar Heels.
Marshall probably thought his teammates would pull out one more win without him and then he’d be back for the Final Four. Well, there is no Final Four and now Marshall, just a sophomore, could decide to turn pro. Is that really how he wanted his college career to end or would have giving it a go been more appropriate?
After the game Coach Williams was asked if Marshall was even remotely close to being able to go. “I thought he was yesterday. We let him run up and down the court and catch and pass a little bit. And I really got a little excited at that point. But I think that it got even sorer last night after just that little activity. We weren’t even on the court probably 25 minutes doing anything. At that point during practice I thought he had a chance to go. But last night, I got less confident, and then this morning it just didn’t feel right for him. You hate that for that kid. You hate it for our program, hate it for our team. But Kendall Marshall is all about winning and is all about team. And if you’ve ever watched him play, you realize that he’s one of those point guards that cares about his team maybe more than anybody I’ve ever seen. So you hate it for him.”
For more on the game, please click here.