 With the Tar Heels off to their best start in almost a decade, it appears that they can’t be beaten. The depth of their club extends from junior Tyler Hansbrough to sophomore Tywon Lawson, with several key pieces in between. On Sunday the Tar Heels dominated the Rutgers Scarlet Knights by a score of 93-71. The victory put North Carolina at 9-0 on the season, and under coach Roy Williams the team remains secured in the #1 slot.
Perhaps it was the shocking defeat that the Tar Heels suffered last year during the tournament that has brought forth the necessary motivation to excel as they have. With 6 minutes left in their last tournament game, the Tar Heels had a 10-point lead but managed to blow the game in overtime and lose by a score of 96-84.
The team is on its best start since the 1997-1998 season, when they won their first 17 games in a row. On Sunday, the Tar Heels did face an unfortunate turn of events that may put their superstar Tyler Hansbrough on the shelf for a few days. With just 5:47 left in regulation, Hansbrough slipped and bumped his head off of a camera man’s leg. Hansbrough left with 20 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. While the most he may suffer is a mild concussion, there is no telling if Hansbrough will be ready to go on Wednesday when the Tar Heels face off against Nicholls State.
"I was pretty dizzy," stated Hansbrough roughly 20 minutes after the game. "I'm still a little dizzy."
While the team will no doubt miss their superstar forward even if he is benched for just one game, the depth of the Tar Heels can easily compensate for what they lose to injuries. Hansbrough is averaging roughly 20.2 points per game this year, but there are other Tar Heels that are putting on stunning performances as well. Sophomore guard Tywon Lawson is averaging close to 13 points each game along with 5 rebounds. The 5’11” guard is coming off of a career-best 26 points against Rutgers. Surprisingly, Lawson is also coming off of an injury to his ankle, but by his performance on Sunday it appears that he may be back to 100%.
With a 9-0 record, North Carolina has demonstrated nothing but dominance as the #1 ranked team in the country. Memphis, Kansas, Texas, and Georgetown appear to be the biggest threats, but it is highly unlikely that any of these teams prevent the Tar Heels from locking up a #1 ranking in the March tournament. By the looks of their schedule, it appears that their biggest challenge will not come until February when the Tar Heels face off against their arch nemesis, the Duke Blue Devils. Until then, North Carolina does not play another team that is currently ranked in the Top 10. It will be very interesting to see how head coach Roy Williams and the Tar Heels perform throughout the rest of the season.
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