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The Dagger

Tue Apr 07, 2009 12:33 am EDT

The moral of the story? Come back for your senior year

By MJD

At least, that's the silver lining that I'm hoping will come from this tournament that will be remembered for its never-ending chalk and blowouts.

I hope more college guys take a look at Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, and Danny Green and decide that they, too, want to put off the NBA for a year and try for a national championship. And this is just my personal preference, but it would be nice if, from time to time, these players didn't play for North Carolina. But beggars can't be choosers, I guess.

I hope for this for purely selfish reasons. I think this Carolina team proved that they were head-and-shoulders above anyone else this year, and one of the better college basketball teams in recent memory. And the fact that it's such a veteran team isn't a coincidence.

Hansbrough and Green are seniors, and Ellington and Lawson are juniors. There aren't too many upper-echelon teams in the country whose four best players are all upperclassmen.

I want to see more teams like that. I want to see more guys who decide they can wait for the NBA. Of course, I understand that not every talented player has that financial luxury, and I'm not not asking anyone to make the wrong decision for themselves and their family. I'm just hoping it starts a trend. I hope that Tyler Hansbrough makes it cool to stay in school.

The one entertaining thing about tonight's game, aside from just witnessing Carolina's dominance, was seeing guys like Lawson, Ellington, Green and Hansbrough celebrate their championship. It's never bad TV when you get to see someone achieve their dream. I hope more guys decide to stick around and give it a shot.

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54 Comments

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  1. John S
    1. Posted by John S Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:55 pm EDT

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    I agree, it'd be nice to see more players stick around for longer. Not only does it give them a chance to try at a championship again, but it does nothing but help their skills as well.
  2. Coach Isiah Thompson
    2. Posted by Coach Isiah Thompson Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:55 pm EDT

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    Rodney is making a comeback. Anyone interested?
  3. Lucky Star
    3. Posted by Lucky Star Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:57 pm EDT

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    He earned it..wtg tyler!!
  4. blueridgemnt0360
    4. Posted by blueridgemnt0360 Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:09 pm EDT

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    The title back on tobacco road where it belongs
  5. mschmidt647
    5. Posted by mschmidt647 Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:29 pm EDT

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    Remember when the clowns on this blog/roundtable all picked against North Carolina in the Semifinals? They've been rooting so hard against the best team in the country.... the moral of the story is, suck it MJD! Take your Carolina hate somewhere else!
  6. mschmidt647
    6. Posted by mschmidt647 Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:29 pm EDT

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    PS, the best this guy can do is "I hope more teams bring back senior classes like Carolina"? How about, "I was totally wrong and this was the best team of the past 5 years in all of college sports and I was completely wrong about anyone having a chance to upset them."
  7. Toji
    7. Posted by Toji Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:07 pm EDT

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    This was a very good team, but in no way was it better than the 2 Florida National Championship teams. Those Florida teams had 3 lottery picks, a very good point guard, & the most prolific 3 pt. shooter in tournament history. Plus, this was a down year for college basketball, talent-wise. Florida won its 2nd national championship in 1 of the most talent-rich seasons in the last 15 years of college basketball. This UNC team is closer to the last year's KU team or the '05 UNC team.
  8. Jay O
    8. Posted by Jay O Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:29 pm EDT

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    The only definition of a good season in college hoop is when UNC on the Men's and Tennessee on the Woman's side do not win championships. At least the UConn women will go undefeated and take the spotlight for a night.
    Florida's back to back champions would beat this team but even Roy Williams couldn't mess up this championship run. He took six years to match the Highly Overrated one, Mr. Smith. He will eventually pass him and Coach K and Bobby Knight. The loads of talent that board the blue express makes you wonder how Deano was only able to win 2 titles and have more all pro players and high school all Americans than anyone else. That's old news though. Now we'll have to listen of how great a coach good old Roy is but we all remember how his loaded Kansas teams never won and he choked up major fur balls year after year losing to much lesser teams.
    Izzo's a great coach. If he had that talent he'd go undefeated.
  9. topmac2001
    9. Posted by topmac2001 Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:17 pm EDT

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    Get over it Jay O the besrt team in the country won tonight and you are wrong Florida could not beat this UNC team on a bad night Florida won when the talent level was down they would get blown out just like all the other teams got blown out by this UNC team Noah from Florida is a NBA bust that entire Florida team is a bust in the NBA.
  10. Jay O
    10. Posted by Jay O Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:29 pm EDT

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    Hey BottomMac when did I say the best team didn't win. Learn how to read. It's also quite early to be calling players two years removed from college busts. I believe two of the busts you reference both start on their NBA teams.
  11. Lucky Star
    11. Posted by Lucky Star Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:57 pm EDT

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    Rofl oh yeah the 2 time Florida championships teams produced how many nba prospects? And how are they doing...ROFL, exactly. I think it would be a great game but Unc would still pull the win over either of the Florida teams, how could you match the starting 5 on Unc's roster, not to mention their bench.
  12. Clark F
    12. Posted by Clark F Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:02 pm EDT

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    Now that UNC are champions,I wouldn't be surprised Lawson and Ellington go to
    the NBA. Why not? Hansborough,Green and Frasor are all seniors. The only
    one that is probably staying is Zeller and a diaper dandy from Tampa Bay
    coming to UNC for next year.
  13. nvandy89
    13. Posted by nvandy89 Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:42 pm EDT

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    Hansborough will succeed at "making it cool to stay" if he does well in the pros. If not, then Al Horford is going to remain the only one in recent history to stay an extra year at his powerhouse and go on to play well early in his NCAA career.
  14. mschmidt647
    14. Posted by mschmidt647 Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:29 pm EDT

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    This UNC team would roll either of those Florida teams.
  15. Jester
    15. Posted by Jester Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:52 pm EDT

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    I think they should go to the NBA and say to hell with school. It is over rated anyway. Plus, they will certainly not be any smarter as a result. Believe me, I have intervierwed several people over the past 7 years from UNC and none of them were very bright. (I am in no way saying people from that school are stupid) I think I just had a few bad apples. They all had degrees and none of them had a clue about life and reality. Probably because their silver spoon lives which afforded them the opportunity to go the UNC failed to provide a little common sense and logical thinking along the way.
  16. nohuiam
    16. Posted by nohuiam Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:40 pm EDT

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    Silver spoon lives? It is a public institution run by the state. Talk about getting a clue about life and reality. There are pampered kids there, but there's a lot of hardworking kids from blue collar families there too.
  17. Mathias
    17. Posted by Mathias Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:21 pm EDT

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    What an amazing story. Only In Carolina!
  18. Norman P
    18. Posted by Norman P Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:41 pm EDT

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    lol! you guys are trying way too hard to find fault with the florida gators team that went back to back national champions! "they're a bust in the nba, they couldn't beat this unc team, wah wah wah!" that team was one of the greatest of all time, and you're going to have to admit it. this team is also great, and good for them to win the big dance. but be realistic, back to back isn't good enough for you? how many times has that happened to a group of guys?
    the moral of the story is a good one: come back for your senior year. the gators won it as sophomores, and they all returned for their junior years to win it again. i guess when you have two rings, you've pretty much done it all in college, so they went on to pro careers. but it's a similar story. good for the boys at unc, they accomplished a huge goal.
  19. dpbj01
    19. Posted by dpbj01 Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:47 pm EDT

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    coming back for his senior was never in doubt for cryler hansbrough. he is through with his basketball career because he wont have one in the nba. he wont even be drafted in the first round. he will make a team but playing as a power forward he will get the ball stuffed in his mouth everytime he shoots his shot put little whimp shot.
  20. heelfanatic
    20. Posted by heelfanatic Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:28 pm EDT

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    Champions. That is all that should be discussed when talking about this years edition of the machine that is UNC!!!!!!!!!! Florida won two nat.championships back to back. nothing said by anyone can diminish that. Just as this team has elevated themselves, none of this pointless banter matters, why....because their Champions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  21. Patricia K
    21. Posted by Patricia K Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:01 pm EDT

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    1.Regarding Florida----a very good team but not one for the ages---Probably should have been beaten by Georgetown in their first championship run and in the second, Butler got shafted at crucial times by the refs and Horford was allowed to get away with offensive fouls--look at the tape.
    2. great teams----very few--Most of Kareem's (Jabbar) teams because of his presence, Carolina 1982, Georgetown 1984, UNLV 1990, UCLA 1973 or North Carolina State 1973 or 1974 and Louisville 1980 for innovations in dunking and approaching the rim, Indiana 1975-1976(Scott May, their leading scorer, broke his arm before the 1975 tournament and they still only got beat by 2 in the regional finals) . It really doesn't have a lot to do with how many good pros come out of the team, guys get injured, get into drugs, have severe emotional or personal problems. A team has to be in a class by itself with what is out there at the time. Finally SanFrancisco 1955-56 (Bill Russell, K.C. Jones and crew).
    3. Hansborough---at the worst he will be a good rebounder, he's studied it as well as anyone. Guys who can rebound seem to have long careers in the NBA. By the way, he is a great guy, really. Modest, humble, unassuming, and doesn't seek the limelight. He was that way in high school also. The hardest working athlete I have ever seen or met personally. Just a nice guy. Its a shame most athletes weren't more like him------(from an old woman who was a Jerry Lucas fan and saw Jordan hit that shot in '82 from row 16 on the floor at mid court (I was rooting for Georgetown.)
  22. Rasetsu
    22. Posted by Rasetsu Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:16 pm EDT

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    NORTH CAROLINA ALL THE WAY BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    YYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    This makes Michael Jordan's Hall of Fame Enshrinement that much sweeter...
    GO TAR HEELS BASKETBALL!!!
  23. red
    23. Posted by red Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:41 pm EDT

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    #9 did u really say dean smith was over rated nc hater or not u r a moron 876 wins inventor of the 4 corners imust stop here iam just laughing to hard.
  24. heelfanatic
    24. Posted by heelfanatic Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:28 pm EDT

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    #9. you are a moron. deep down inside, you probably wish your team had a Dean E. Smith somewhere in your lackluster history.
  25. Bill S. Preston, Esq.
    25. Posted by Bill S. Preston, Esq. Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:23 pm EDT

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    I hope Tyler Hansbrough inspires more people to jump off of roofs.

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