UNC needs Miami, Virginia Tech and UVa to lose while the Heels win out.  I don’t think that is going to happen but you know this is the 2008 ACC season and everything else has so why not?  That means this week Georgia Tech and Clemson become favorable teams to pull for.  Duke is playing VT, do the best you can with pulling against VT in that one while not twisting yourself into a logical pretzel over whether being against one team implies you are really for the other one.

On the other side, Maryland can win the Atlantic if they beat FSU and BC loses to Wake.  Otherwise the MD-BC game next week will be a hot property.  I think. It’s all very confusing.

Miami 27 GT 19
Clemson 22 UVa 21
MD 30 FSU 20
Wake Forest 21 BC 18
VT 35 Duke 14
UNC 34 NCSU 20

Record Last Week: 2-3
Record This Season: 53-31

It has actually been awhile since I vehemently disagreed with Caulton Tudor but here ya go:

This is not 2009. It’s 2008. That’s why North Carolina coach Butch Davis should start Cameron Sexton at quarterback when the Tar Heels face N.C. State on Saturday at noon in Chapel Hill.

Whether Sexton is the best quarterback in the program isn’t really the issue at this point. His primary rival and early-season starter T.J. Yates may be the more complete player and the logical choice to direct what will be an ACC title contender in ‘09.

But Sexton, a long-suffering redshirt junior, deserves this start and for several reasons:

• The Heels would not be 7-3 overall and in contention for bigger things down the line without Sexton. Having been the team’s starting quarterback earlier in his career, Sexton could have transferred when Yates won the starting job in preseason. Most guys in the same situation would have. He stayed. He stood by Carolina. Now, the school should stay with him for at least a while against State.

• Sexton is undefeated at home this season. He wasn’t a factor in the Sept. 20 loss to Virginia Tech. He was plenty good enough in ensuing home games against Connecticut, Notre Dame, Boston College and Georgia Tech.

• The 16-13 overtime loss at Virginia on Oct. 18 was not Sexton’s fault. Davis and his offensive staff have to take that hit. The offensive calls  at Charlottesville came right out of Woody Hayes’ long-buried  playbook. Graham Harrell himself isn’t capable of throwing a touchdown pass when he’s under orders to get into field-goal position.

I am not sure how you logically argue that Sexton being the best QB available is not an issue.  It is the heart of the issue.  TJ Yates is a better passer and you are taking on a defense that is fairly porous against the pass so you decide.

As for the first reason swap the names Sexton and Yates out for the names Thomas and Lawson.  Does the logic follow?  Thomas could have left UNC at any point but he stayed and stepped up in a dire situation to help the Tar Heels win all but one game in basketball as the starter.  However when Lawson reasonably healthy does Thomas’ willingness to stick out three bad seasons give him a leg up on Lawson as the starter?  Of course not.  The same is true here.  Now, I know the distinction between the two QBs is cloudier than it was between the two PGs however Yates was the starter for a reason.  Yates is also a better passer in general and probably considered the better QB on the team.  Tudor is contending Sexton should be rewarded for staying at UNC but should Yates be punished for simply getting injured?

The second point is actually valid.  Sexton is undefeated at home and did manage all of those games fairly well.  I am sure that is a factor in the decision but by no means does it preclude the possibility that Yates might be just as successful or negate Yates as the better option.

Tudor also brings up the loss at UVa saying it was not his fault but rather falls on the coaches for bad play calling.  I do agree that UNC’s play calling in the first post-Tate game was suspect.  The absence of a 2nd big time playmaker at WR led to some interesting choices.  Sexton is not entirely absolved since he did throw two INTs.  There is also the matter of the Maryland game which Tudor neglects to mention.  Sexton shoulders blame for that loss on the basis of two turnovers, the final one an INT so bad, I cannot figure out who he intended the pass for.

I understand where Tudor is coming from.  His argument is that Sexton deserves a 2nd chance, really has had only one bad game that he can be totally blamed for and his commitment to the program should be rewarded with some grace after last week.  The problem with that is Butch Davis does not really have time to make people comfortable.  Davis has said more times than I can count that he will play the players who give the team it’s best chance to win the game.  That is exactly the approach he should take and issues of a player staying with the program or whether this guy or that is not to be blamed for a certain loss is all poppycock.  The only conclusion Tudor offered above that bears any relevance on the criteria set by Davis is Sexton’s home record which is unblemished.  Aside from that, whatever happens in practice will give the UNC head coach the information he needs to deploy the best option at QB for UNC on Saturday.

Jeff Goodman at Fox Sports has essentially dismissed the injury to Tyler Zeller as not being significant this season because minutes were going to be sparse anyway with Tyler Hansbrough and Deon Thompson starting followed by Ed Davis and Zeller.  I think that is a bit simplistic and does not account for pesky things like foul trouble or the fact that Zeller is seven feet tall and there ain’t many of those players around.  You also look at the quality of depth and having four quality big men opens up a pletheora of options in terms of keeping players fresh.  Roy’s whole plan for this season was based on having 10 quality guys and knowing that when Tar Heel starters were taking a break, guys who were nearly as good would be in the game, Zeller being one of them. Where depth is concerned, losing Zeller hurts but given how much experience the team returns and the makeup of the team being much the same as last season it is by no means a deal breaker.

Basically I see it this way.  This team is an overwhelming #1 on the basis of six players returning one of them a consensus NPOY.  From last season’s 36-3 squad only two players left, Quentin Thomas and Alex Stepheson.  Those roles can adequately be filled by Larry Drew and Ed Davis.  In the case of Stepheson, I think Davis is an upgrade in terms of being a greater factor on the offensive end.  The tradeoff with Thomas and Drew is probably even and with Bobby Frasor back there is plenty of depth in the backcourt.  Once Hansbrough and Marcus Ginyard return the team will be the same team that took the floor last season.  The differences will be an improved Thompson, Frasor back playing defense and setting the tone, an improving Will Graves and the rest of the usual suspects: Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green.  The team was loaded based on the returnees alone, the freshmen in many ways were icing on the cake augmenting the depth.

None of this is to say Zeller would not have played an important role at times this year.  There is great talent there and he will be a blast to watch next season when he will be the starting center.  As for this season Zeller was very much a nice to have, not a have to have.  That is assuming Hansbrough comes back and plays in top form the rest of the season.  Otherwise we may all be cursing that moment in the Kentucky game for years to come.

As for Zeller, this really sucks.  He was playing well despite the quiet stat line last night.  He also would have benefited tremendously from playing alongside the other Tyler and I was quite looking forward to see those two on the court together.  As it is he will watch and learn but hopefully be ready to go next season if he ends up sitting the rest of this one out.

Original post and updates after the jump.

UPDATE #4: Okay, now we have Gary Parrish quoting Zeller’s brother Luke, who plays for Notre Dame, saying that they were looking for a surgeon and he was likely out for the season.  Apparently Tyler thought he could splint it and since it was his left hand he’d be fine.  Still waiting on official word from UNC which could be late tonight since I doubt they release information without talking to Roy first and he will be in transit to CA this evening.

This really sucks for Tyler Zeller on so many levels.  You hate to see an injury especially one at a meaningless point in the game via a foul that probably should not have been committed.  Also add to this the fact Tyler was probably looking forward to being in Maui and playing against his brother Luke if UNC met Notre Dame in the championship game of the tournament.  Now he is going to be stuck in Chapel Hill, possibly having surgery on the wrist and missing what usually is a bonding trip for the team.

UPDATE #3: ESPN’s Andy Katz says UNC is still evaluating the injury calling it “serious” and that Zeller is out indefinitely.

North Carolina freshman forward Tyler Zeller suffered a “serious injury” to his left hand and wrist on a dunk attempt late in Tuesday night’s win over Kentucky, an injury that will keep him out of the Tar Heels’ lineup for the foreseeable future.

North Carolina spokesman Steve Kirschner said the school would have more information on the injury once team doctors examined Zeller later Wednesday afternoon in Chapel Hill. Kirschner said that Zeller would not likely join the team on its Wednesday evening flight to Santa Barbara, Calif., for its game against UC-Santa Barbara on Friday night, or the team’s three games next week at the Maui Invitational in Hawaii.

I am purely guessing but they are probably trying to decide if it needs surgery or not.  If it does he is done for the season.  If is a break that can heal in a cast and then get rehab he may yet play again this season.  If it takes 8-12 weeks for it to heal assuming there is no surgery, that is, at worst mid-February.  Also, this is not his shooting hand which means he could probably get by with his off hand not being at full strength such as when he is playing defense which may end up being his greater value.

UPDATE #2: Jeff Goodman is reporting Tyler Zeller is out for the season with a broken left wrist.

UPDATE: No official word yet but the rumor is the wrist is broken and Zeller is probably out for the season.  Please proceed with your favorite method of venting at this time.

–

In case you missed it, Tyler Zeller was fouled hard on a breakaway dunk attempt with 1:26 remaining in the game and landed on his left wrist.  Zeller was in obvious pain and taken immediately to the locker room.  Based on the way Roy addressed it and other comments from Woody Durham on the radio the wrist is believed to be broken.  Zeller was taken to UNC hospitals for X-rays to see if that is the case or not. We will wait and see what news comes from that.

Also, let’s go ahead and get this out of the way now because someone will be stupid enough ask why Zeller was still in the game.  The answer is all the starters were still in save Deon Thompson who fouled out.  Also, with Tyler Hansbrough and Mike Copeland out plus Thompson’s foul issue, Ed Davis and Zeller were the only true big men UNC had available.  Plus he is a freshman and could use the playing time.

For those who did not care to watch the whole thing let me sum up the events.

1. Arizona ties the game at 71 with 30 seconds left.

2. Inexpicably an Arizona player fouls a UAB player to stop the clock.

3. UAB misses the front end of a one-and-one.

4. Arizona comes down and misses a shot to win the game with about five seconds left

5. UAB gets the rebounds and rushes up court to try and get off a desperation.

6. Inexplicably(again) an Arizona player reaches out to foul the ball handler to once again try and stop the clock.

7. Since the Arizona player basically reached out and slapped the UAB player in the back it was called an intentional foul with less than a second left.

8. UAB hits one free thrown and then runs the clock out since they got the ball back.

Not once but twice an Arizona player fouls to stop the clock and send UAB to the line in a tied game. The fact UAB sucked at shooting free throws the first time gave Arizona a chance at redemption or at least see OT but instead they go off and do the same thing again.

Needless to say, it is going to be a long season in Tuscon.

Basically it went like this, UNC came out, did a lot of damage early with aggressive defense that earned them a huge lead then threw it into cruise control the rest of the way.  The defense showed great intensity for the first 10 minutes and by the time it was over UK had 28 turnovers.  Some of that was UK but some of that was also UNC playing great defense at every position.  On one hand it was good to see this team destroy a team with great defense as they did early on.  On the other hand there is still concern that this team is still not capable of playing defense of that nature for 40 minutes.  Based on Roy’s postgame comments, that is what he is looking for and really did not get it.

All you can say about the offense is it looks like it is missing the reigning NPOY.  87 points against Penn, 77 points in this one indicates that there is some production missing.  Hansbrough returning should cure a lot of ills for an offensive unit which seemed out of sync and choppy in general.  That being said, Deon Thompson has come light years since last season.  Thompson lead the team with 20 points while pulling nine boards but more than that, Thompson appears to have finally arrived.  When Hansbrough returns, Thompson will be a huge beneficiary since the former will draw a ton of attention.  Thompson was really the only bright spot on offense.  Wayne Ellington hit some threes but was 5-14 from the floor.  Danny Green only took five shots and seemed largely disengaged on the offensive end.  Ty Lawson did a great job distributing the basketball with nine assists but missed a ton of shots to the tune of 3-15.  Other than that WIll Graves and Ed Davis made contributions including two threes from Graves.  Overall not the best offensive effort of the season but there is plenty of time to get Hansbrough back and work out the kinks.

Anyway, the win is good.  Now eyes turn to Tyler Zeller and hoping that his left wrist is not serious injured but based on the comments from Roy and Woody Durham on the radio network, it does not sound promising.

“We let Tyler do dummy offense,” Williams said on the Monday night show, according to insidecarolina.com. “It’s the first time he’s done anything in three weeks. He did fast break drill No. 1, which is just run down there and shoot a layup and you run back. Then we did dummy offense, trying to make sure he still knows the plays. He dunked about 10 of them, and I took him out, because I said,’Tyler, it’s OK to lay it up.’ I think he was trying to show me that he’s OK. But that’s all we let him do.”

I am think he sees limited time versus UCSB on Friday night.

Live blogging tonight beginning around 8:30.

I think when UNC and Kentucky renewed this series they imagine it would pit two traditional powerhouses ranked in the top 25.  That has never really been the case since UNC has really been up during the past few seasons and UK down.  Still it is a nice game to have on the schedule since these two are #1 and #2 all time in college basketball wins.  I also like that UNC does not shy away from including a trip to Lexington every other season.  In this edition, UK comes to Chapel Hill hoping to avoid an 0-1 start after inexplicably losing to VMI.  UNC still missing two valuable cogs to the Roy Williams Engine of High Scoring Uptempo Basketball will be asking for Tyler Zeller and Ed Davis to grow up a little faster than maybe they expected while looking to Deon Thompson to be a force in the lane versus highly touted Patrick Patterson.

The real story of this game lies with the guards, particularly the trio of Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green.  Ellington and Lawson did not shoot well against Penn despite getting good looks and the junior point guard was not as aggressive versus the Quaker zone as Roy would probably like to see.  Green had a good game but if UNC can get these three firing on all cylinders while the frontline plays like it did on Saturday, the Heels can really roll in this one.  Having gong through one game without Hansbrough and Ginyard, the players sort of know how things look now so I expect that to not be an issue going forward.

Not to put too much on early season games, but it would be nice if the Heels could turn this one into a statement game and that statement would be:

See how good we can be without Hansbrough and Ginyard, we are going to be freaking scary when we get both of them back.

It is not a season breaker by any means but looking down the road to Duke struggling with Rhode Island, SEC West favorite Alabama losing to Mercer and a handful of other near upsets/upsets out there it would be nice to see an absolutely dominant performance from the Heels.  And by dominant I am not simply looking at the score but more in the execution on both ends.  UNC needs to come out and play at a high level all game, if for no other reason, than to illustrate whoever gave a #1 vote to UConn in the coaches poll is sorely mistaken.

Update: Forgot the prediction. UNC 95 UK 70

Nothing substantive beyond that.  Is it just further precaution?  Is the injury not healing? Did Roy not feel comfortable inserting him back into lineup with only one practice before the game?

I am think it is one and three but feel free to speculate.

UPDATE: ACC Now does their usual outstanding job of getting the goods.  It sounds like they are being conservative but also trying to get his conditioning in order before moving forward.  Based on that, it seems that they are trying to ramp him up to a full workload and see if the shin handles it or not.  So if I had to guess at this point I’d say he plays in Maui and they might even wait for the 2nd game since the first one is against Chaminade who they should beat despite what happened in 1981 to UVa.