An unfortunate injury at a devastating time could haunt top-seeded North Carolina.
Sophomore guard Kendall Marshall's status is in doubt for Friday's Sweet
16 matchup against 13th-seeded Ohio. He underwent surgery Monday
morning to repair a broken right wrist sustained in the victory over
eighth-seeded Creighton on Sunday. A screw was placed into the affected
scaphoid bone, and he reportedly experienced less pain Tuesday. Still,
North Carolina coach Roy Williams is preparing as if Marshall will not
see the court at the Edward Jones Dome.
If Marshall does not play, his loss will place the Tar Heels' hopes of
clinching their fourth Final Four berth under Williams in severe doubt.
The 6-foot-4, 195-pound Dumfries, Va., native averages 8.1 points and a
team-best 9.8 assists per game, which ranks second in the country behind
an average of 9.9 from Iona's Scott Machado. The bad news? There is a
gap in ball distribution for North Carolina behind Marshall: No other
active player averages more than 1.3 assists per game.
Such is life in this unforgiving month. Before Marshall's injury, North
Carolina seemed more than capable of continuing a dominance that
produced routs of 19 and 14 points against 16th-seeded Vermont and
Creighton in Greensboro, N.C. Now, advancement doesn't appear as
certain.
A closer look at the Midwest region:
North Carolina Tar Heels (1)
Next game: North Carolina vs. Ohio (13), Friday, 7:47 p.m. ET.
How they got here: def. No. 16 seed Vermont, 77-58; def. No. 8 seed Creighton, 87-73.
Potential show-stealer: Forward Tyler Zeller provides
an effective complement to Harrison Barnes. Zeller is second on his
team in scoring (16.4 points per game) and rebounding (9.4 per game). He
also combined for 28 points and 21 rebounds in the victories over
Vermont and Creighton.
Why they're Final Four-bound: North Carolina is still
one of the deepest teams in the country. The Tar Heels offer three
players who average double-figure scoring – Harrison Barnes (17.3 points
per game), Tyler Zeller (16.4) and John Henson (13.8) – and their size
will be an advantage in a potential regional final appearance against
Kansas. Coach Roy Williams entered this event with an NCAA tournament
winning percentage of .753, and he is no stranger to the challenges
involved with late-round situations.
Why they'll stumble: Kendall Marshall's wrist injury
could be devastating. If he doesn't play, North Carolina will be forced
to scramble. In that scenario, backcourt players must excel without
their floor leader. That could be difficult to do with so little time to
prepare.
Prediction: North Carolina will have little trouble
dispatching Ohio on Friday with or without Kendall Marshall. Yet, health
concerns will prevent the Tar Heels from reaching their third Final
Four in five seasons. This has the makings of the third season in which a
Roy Williams-coached North Carolina team falls in the Elite Eight.
Ohio Bobcats (13)
Next game: Ohio vs. North Carolina (1), Friday, 7:47 p.m. ET.
How they got here: def. No. 4 seed Michigan, 65-60; def. No. 12 seed South Florida, 62-56.
Potential show-stealer: Guard Walter Offutt was the
main reason why Ohio edged South Florida on Sunday. He went 4 of 4 from
3-point range and scored a game-high 21 points – two shy of his
season-high earned in a victory over Buffalo on Feb. 22. He is averaging
12 points per game, and he has scored in double figures in four of his
past five appearances.
Why they're Final Four-bound: Butler. VCU. Can Ohio
become the next mid-major fascination to advance to the Final Four? The
Bobcats displayed their shooting prowess against Michigan (51.2 percent
from the floor) and an ability to rally against South Florida (they
outscored the Bulls 41-29 in the second half). They have reason to
believe anything is possible after the two victories in Nashville.
Why they'll stumble: Eventually, Ohio will meet
reality. During the regular season, the Bobcats were the ninth-best
shooting team in the 12-member Mid-American Conference with a field-goal
percentage of .404. In addition to its sharp shooting against Michigan,
Ohio made 50 percent of its 3-point attempts against South Florida.
It's a lot to ask for those stellar numbers to continue this week.
Prediction: Midnight strikes Friday for this
Cinderella. Don't expect Ohio to repeat the hot shooting seen in
Nashville. In addition, the Bobcats won't catch North Carolina by
surprise after becoming the lowest-seeded team this season to advance to
the Sweet 16.
N.C. State Wolfpack (11)
Next game: N.C. State vs. Kansas (2), Friday, 10:17 p.m. ET.
How they got here: def. No. 6 seed San Diego State, 79-65; def. No. 3 seed Georgetown, 66-63.
Potential show-stealer: Forward Richard Howell is
often overlooked, but he scored a team-high 22 points on 10-of-12
shooting to lead N.C. State over San Diego State in the second round. He
also paces the Wolfpack with an average of 9.1 rebounds per game. His
strength in the paint area was evident in N.C. State's victory over
Georgetown when he gathered a game-high nine rebounds, including six on
the offensive end.
Why they're Final Four-bound: N.C. State has been
streaking for the past seven games, winning six during the stretch with
the lone loss coming by two points to North Carolina in the semifinals
of the ACC tournament. Forward C.J. Lesiie, who averages a team-high
14.6 points per game, provides a consistent scoring presence. And guard
Lorenzo Brown is an effective ball distributor, boasting a team-high
average of 6.4 assists per game. The Wolfpack are riding late-season
momentum, and they proved against vulnerable Georgetown in the Round of
32 that they are capable of springing an upset against a high seed.
Why they'll stumble: First-year coach Mark Gottfried
has done a commendable job in returning N.C. State to the NCAA
tournament for the first time since 2006. Still, March inexperience
could prove to be a major negative when playing a tested team like
Kansas. Few expected the Wolfpack to advance to their first Sweet 16
since 2005. But they must guard against letting the large stage
overwhelm them.
Prediction: N.C. State will take positives from two
victories in Columbus, Ohio, last week. But Kansas is too good with too
much NCAA tournament experience for the Wolfpack's ride to continue
beyond Friday. However, Mark Gottfried can use this Sweet 16 appearance
as a tool to build for the future.
Kansas Jayhawks (2)
Next game: Kansas vs. N.C. State (11), Friday, 10:17 p.m. ET.
How they got here: def. No. 15 seed Detroit, 65-50; def. No. 10 seed Purdue, 63-60.
Potential show-stealer: Thomas Robinson attracts
attention, but guard Tyshawn Taylor is the player who makes Kansas'
offense run. The erratic, but dynamic ball-handler leads the Jayhawks
with an average of 4.7 assists per game. Without him, Kansas would not
have won its eighth consecutive Big 12 regular-season title.
Why they're Final Four-bound: Kansas escaped a
mid-major trap (Detroit) and a big-conference scare (Purdue) in Omaha,
Neb., but it looks poised to advance to its first Final Four since 2008
because of Bill Self's skillful job this winter. This is far from the
most complete squad Self has led during his nine seasons in Lawrence.
But with Kendall Marshall's status in question for North Carolina,
Kansas arrives in St. Louis as the Midwest Region's favorite. Look for
Robinson to play stronger than he did in an 11-point, 13-rebound
performance against Purdue on Sunday.
Why they'll stumble: Purdue forward Robbie Hummel
almost beat Kansas with a hot touch from the outside, going 5 of 9 from
3-point range in scoring a game-high 26 points. The Jayhawks must defend
the perimeter and trust national player of the year candidate Thomas
Robinson to assert his strength in the paint area. If they don't,
another Final Four opportunity will elude Bill Self.
Prediction: Kansas has beat expectations all season,
and there is little reason to think the Jayhawks' consistency can't
continue. North Carolina will provide a difficult test in the Elite
Eight. But if Marshall does not play, Bill Self's team has the depth to
keep its season alive. A pro-Kansas crowd at the Edward Jones Dome also
should help the Jayhawks advance to their second Final Four under
Self.
