ESPN Men's Basketball

These players stood out during the 2011-12 season. All year, they dazzled with noteworthy performances that demanded postseason recognition.

That’s why they’ve earned spots on the 2012 John R. Wooden Award All-American team. Here are the 10 players who made the squad:

Isaiah Canaan (Murray State) -- The junior guard put Murray State on the national stage with electrifying performances that resulted in a national ranking and NCAA tournament bid. His talent (19.2 ppg, 3.6 apg, 1.4 spg) was crucial during Murray State’s 23-0 start. Few knew Murray State prior to the start of the year, but Canaan’s game changed that.

Jae Crowder (Marquette) -- The Golden Eagles earned second-place honors in the Big East and ultimately reached the Sweet 16 with limited size because Crowder (17.4 ppg, 8.1 rpg), a 6-foot-6 forward, played big. He was a matchup nightmare in the Big East and beyond, a versatile forward on both ends of the floor. He recorded double-doubles in five of his last six games.

Anthony Davis (Kentucky) -- Davis (14.3 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 4.6 bpg) started the year as a promising freshman and could end it as a national champion. The first-year star’s defense has already made history (in January he broke Kentucky’s single-season record for blocks). But he impacts the game in other ways, too, and continues to add new wrinkles to his arsenal.

Marcus Denmon (Missouri) -- The senior guard led a Missouri squad that managed to challenge Kansas for the Big 12 title with a four-guard lineup. That assembly, led by Denmon (17.6 ppg, 5.1 apg), held its own against some of the top teams in the country for the majority of Frank Haith’s first season. Denmon scored 20 or more in 12 games.

Draymond Green (Michigan State) -- The 6-7 senior was arguably the most versatile player in America this season. Proof? He played power forward and point guard for the Spartans during their NCAA tournament run to the Sweet 16. The Big Ten Player of the Year averaged 16.1 ppg, 10.4 rpg and 3.6 apg this season. And he was a crucial leader for a Spartans squad that earned a 1-seed.

Kevin Jones (West Virginia) -- Jones’ off-the-chart numbers were masked by his team’s 9-9 Big East finish and second-round exit in the NCAA tournament against Gonzaga. But Jones (20.1 ppg, 11.1 rpg) was clearly one of the top players in America this season. He was the main reason that a freshman-heavy West Virginia roster still managed to earn an NCAA tournament berth.

Doug McDermott (Creighton) -- Entering his freshman season last year, McDermott was a redshirt candidate. This year, the 6-7 forward became an NBA prospect and national player of the year candidate. McDermott (23.2 ppg, 8.2 rpg) carried Creighton to the third round of the NCAA tournament.

Thomas Robinson (Kansas) -- Robinson (17.9 ppg, 11.8 rpg) overcame a tragic stretch last season --he lost his mother, grandfather and grandmother within one month -- and entered this year as one of the top players in the country. His offseason work ethic translated into an All-America season. And it fueled the Jayhawks’ run to their eighth consecutive Big 12 title and a Final Four slot.

Jared Sullinger (Ohio State) -- Sullinger passed on the NBA and returned to Ohio State for one reason: to win a national title. The big man lost weight and expanded his game in the offseason. The result? He averaged 17.6 ppg and 9.3 rpg this season and led the Buckeyes to the Final Four.

Tyler Zeller (North Carolina) -- The ACC Player of the Year finished his career with a stellar season (16.5 ppg, 9.3 rpg). He scored 20 points and grabbed 22 rebounds in a Sweet 16 win over Ohio. North Carolina didn’t reach New Orleans, but Zeller helped the Tar Heels keep those dreams alive.

Let’s try this again.

My first set of “bold” predictions didn’t exactly last through the first weekend of the NCAA tournament. But I’m not alone.

How many reconfigured their brackets after the Fab Melo news developed? Missouri losing to Norfolk State? I’d like to see a notarized “first” bracket as evidence that you picked that one.

Second time’s a charm though, right?

1. Kentucky will beat Indiana by 15 or more -- Vengeance is coming. On Dec. 10, Indiana defeated the Wildcats on a Christian Watford buzzer-beater. The shot stamped Indiana’s revival as “official.” But the Hoosiers aren’t playing that Kentucky team this weekend. The Wildcats have evolved. I think Indiana has matured, too. But Kentucky will make a statement in this matchup. Think “Scarface.” These players have had to watch that game, that shot, all season. They’ve lost only twice, but they’re reminded of the defeat in Bloomington often. I think we’ll see the most impressive effort from the Wildcats that we’ve watched all season. They’re not going to beat the Hoosiers. They’re going to crush them. Indiana gets full credit for the December win over Kentucky, but you can’t overlook the fact that Anthony Davis picked up early fouls and the Hoosiers surged past the Wildcats when the freshman of the year was on the bench. That was one of the few games in which Davis suffered from foul trouble. Won’t happen again. And Davis will be a constant force. And the Wildcats will avenge that earlier defeat with a “someone throw in the towel” assault of the Hoosiers.
2. Keith Appling will be the most valuable player for the Spartans in the Sweet 16 -- The sophomore guard scored 19 points and hit a crucial 3-pointer in the final minutes of Michigan State’s win over St. Louis. He’s a talented guard who will be called upon to navigate Louisville’s twisted zone (if the Cardinals use it) and help the Spartans fend off Florida’s 3-point attack or Marquette’s running game. The Spartans have never missed the Final Four as a No. 1 seed. This season won’t be any different. But Appling will emerge as Robin to Draymond Green’s Batman. Green will continue to excel, but he’ll face pressure on all sides. St. Louis stuffed the lane so well that Tom Izzo had to move Green to point. The Spartans need a Scottie Pippen right now to help them reach New Orleans. And after watching the Spartans in Columbus, I’m convinced Appling will enter New Orleans as a star.
3. Jordan Taylor hits a big shot to beat Syracuse -- Hard to peg this one. Both teams like to dictate the tempo. Wisconsin will work the shot clock and try to slow the game down. Syracuse is one of the best transition teams in the country. The Orange force turnovers with that stubborn, lengthy zone and they run. It’s a great contrast in styles by two programs who’ve found ways to force teams to play at their preferred pace. This will be a tug-of-war. A battle for 40 minutes. And at the end of the day, it’s going to come down to crucial plays in the final minutes because I expect a tight game. Taylor struggled at the start of the season as he tried to adjust to life without Jon Leuer. But he’s certainly looked like an All-America candidate recently. Taylor will play hero again against the Orange with a game-winning shot. It was easy to forget how good he was last season during this year’s trials. But Taylor has regained that old swagger. Look for the big shot against the Orange.
4. Thomas Robinson averages 28 points/12 rebounds against NC State/North Carolina -- I still have Kansas in New Orleans. The Jayhawks didn’t look great against Purdue in the round of 32, but going to St. Louis and the Edward Jones Dome will feel like home with the numerous Kansas fans that will flood that facility. But environment alone can’t affect this outcome. The Jayhawks will need the best Robinson can give to get past NC State (a Sweet 16 sleeper that could pull off the upset) and North Carolina, even if the latter doesn’t have Kendall Marshall. And I believe Robinson will put together a string of performances that will define his career at Kansas. He’ll average 28.0 points and 12 rebounds. He recorded only 16/13 and 11/13 in wins over Detroit and Purdue. That won’t get the job done in the Sweet 16. Robinson will step up and take the Jayhawks to New Orleans with the kind of outings that are expected from national player of the year candidates in March.
5. Xavier, not Baylor, will play Kentucky in the Elite Eight -- Baylor has the length and athleticism to cause matchup hell for Xavier. Perry Jones & Co. against Kenny Frease seems unfair. Brady Heslip is on fire from outside. But the Musketeers will do more than make this a game. They’ll be tougher than a Baylor Bears squad that’s failed to match more physical teams in multiple matchups this season. Jones has scored nine points combined in his team’s two NCAA tournament games. As impressive as Heslip was against Colorado (nine 3-pointers), it’s unlikely that he’ll match that output against Xavier. Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons will pressure Baylor on the perimeter. The Cincinnati-Xavier brawl has not defined the season for either squad. This is one of those games in which the personnel certainly favors the Bears. But Xavier will push Baylor to the brink and ultimately score a 10/3 upset. The health of Dezmine Wells’ toe, however, will certainly play a major role in this prediction.
6. Ohio won’t be represented in New Orleans -- One of the best storylines of the tournament unfolded over the weekend. Four Ohio schools (Xavier, Cincinnati, Ohio State and Ohio) reached the Sweet 16. But I don’t think we’ll see any of them in New Orleans. Even if Marshall can’t go, the Tar Heels have far too much athleticism and size for Ohio. I’m picking Cincinnati over Ohio State. I like the Yancy Gates-Jared Sullinger battle and the Bearcats’ athleticism on the perimeter. But I don’t think Cincy gets past Wisconsin, the team I’m picking to beat Syracuse. I think the Musketeers can defeat Baylor in the Sweet 16, but they’re not going to beat Kentucky. It’s a great accomplishment for one state to send four schools to the Sweet 16. But it won’t have any reps in New Orleans even though the numbers favor it right now. Sorry, Ohio.

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Count UNC sophomore Harrison Barnes as a little surprised -- in a definite tongue-in-cheek sort of way way -- that freshmen teammates Stilman White and James Michael McAdoo made Cosmopolitan’s online list of “The Hottest Guys of March Madness 2012.”

And that he got the shaft.

“I feel like I have a fresh face, but that’s all right,’’ UNC’s leading scorer deadpanned Thursday. “They don’t see the inner beauty.”

Then he laughed.

White, a freshman reserve, told The Burlington Times-News that he had gotten plenty of ribbing by his teammates for making the list, but he also saw the bright side: “I guess it never hurts to have girls think that about you,’’ he said.

White came in at No. 2 on the slideshow; McAdoo was No. 24 -- but joked that he deserved to be ranked higher.

"They might’ve robbed me, man,’’ McAdoo told The Times-News. “But I’m Top 25, so I’ll take it."

UNC senior Tyler Zeller, by the way, failed to make the list -- although little bro Cody (a freshman at Indiana) did.

Other ACC players included Florida State’s Luke Loucks and Deividas Dulkys, plus Duke freshman Austin Rivers.

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- To play John Henson, or not to play John Henson?

That will be the question facing North Carolina’s coaching staff this week as it prepares for the top-seeded Tar Heels’ opening-round game Friday in the NCAA tournament.

Tuesday afternoon, coach Roy Williams said the junior starting forward -- who sprained his left wrist the ACC quarterfinals and missed UNC’s next two games -- is improving.

However, “If I had to guess -- and this is merely a guess -- if the game were today he probably still would not play today,’’ Williams said. “But we’re being hopeful that he will by Friday.”

Williams said the team likely wouldn’t know Henson’s status until Thursday “at the earliest.”

Henson, the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, sprained his left wrist trying to break his fall after he was fouled by Maryland on Friday. He did not dress for Saturday’s semifinal win over NC State, and was available only for an “emergency situation” during Sunday’s title game (when the Tar Heels lost to Florida State).

Williams said Henson did suffer some swelling in the wrist over the weekend, but the swelling had receded some since then. He also said the player would be held out of live drills during Tuesday afternoon’s practice.

“I saw John just a few minutes ago, and we started to shake hands, and I said, ‘No, let’s shake with the other hand,’’’ Williams said. “And he said, ‘Oh, I can shake hands with you.’ So he’s improving.”

The situation is already drawing comparisons to 2009, when point guard Ty Lawson injured his toe prior to the regular-season finale against Duke, sat out the ACC tournament and then sat out the Tar Heels’ first-round tournament game (which was also played at Greensboro Coliseum, the site of UNC’s first game this weekend).

Asked if he would consider holding Henson out of Friday’s game, like he did with Lawson, Williams pointed out that Lawson almost didn’t play the second NCAA tournament game either.

Then he said: “Yes, I would answer that question with, but I think we’re way too early to think about that. Because Ty really couldn’t go the day before the first NCAA game [that] year. We’re not at that point with John. But for the most part, other than Tywon, we were pretty healthy at that time. But we’re not exactly like that right now.”

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

North Carolina did not practice Monday, but if the Tar Heels had played a game, John Henson would have it sat out because of his sprained left wrist, coach Roy Williams said during his Monday night radio show.

“I did not see John today,’’ Williams said. “He came and saw Chris [Hirth], our trainer, and Chris came and told me: We’ve got to wait until he can grip the ball, and he can catch the ball without any pain. And not just grip the ball … he’s got to be able to grip the ball by holding it where somebody can’t knock it loose. If we’d have had to play today, he would not have played today, either.”

Henson, UNC’s starting power forward and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, sprained his left wrist trying to break his fall after he was fouled in the ACC tournament quarterfinal game on Friday. He did not dress Saturday, and was available only for an “emergency situation” during Sunday’s title game (when the Tar Heels lost to Florida State).

Williams said it was not a tough decision to sit Henson, because the junior was not comfortable with how the injury felt.

“He said ‘Coach, if you want me to, I’ll try.’” Williams said. “I said, ‘No, John. No. 1, you’ve got to feel like you can be successful, and then I get to watch you warm up, and I get to determine whether I think you’ll be successful, also.’ And it never really got to that stage, because he didn’t feel comfortable even when I put him back into the game [Friday], the first pass he caught hurt. So I turned around and said ‘Let’s get him out of there,’ because you could tell that.

“He did get better from one day to the next. Yes, if we were playing for the national championship, he would have tried to play [Sunday]. If we had made the field goal at the end to give us the lead with five seconds to play, and they would have taken it down the court and had a play out of bounds with one second to play, and it would have been out of bounds underneath the basket, I would have put John in the game to put pressure on the ball out of bounds, just like he did against Washington [last season]. But that’s the only scenario he would have played.”

Asked if Henson will be able to play Friday, when the top-seeded Tar Heels open the NCAA tournament in Greensboro, Williams said: “I have no idea. You can say it’s a day by day thing, and that’s exactly what it is. If we had played today, he would not have played, and we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Williams and players will meet with the media before practice this afternoon, so there will likely be an update later today.

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

Members of the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee made a crucial mistake before allowing its 2012 bracket to be released on national television Sunday.

They didn’t run it by me first.

Given a chance to analyze the 68-team field, I could’ve easily pointed out the flaws and poor decisions that have already caused a stir throughout college basketball circles. Players have coaches, writers have editors, blackjack dealers have pit bosses.

If only the committee would’ve realized it needed someone like me. A supervisor, a don to make sure everything went smoothly.

Here are some things I would’ve changed about this year’s bracket if I were “King of the Committee.”

1. [+] Enlarge
   Jeremy Brevard/US PresswireCould Gregg Marshall lead his Wichita State team to the Sweet 16?
   I hate that Wichita State and Virginia Commonwealth are playing in the opening round. The fifth-seeded Shockers are the best mid-major team in the tournament and VCU is a fan favorite after reaching the Final Four last season. It’s a shame one of these schools will be out after just one game. No offense Shaka Smart and the No. 12 seed Rams, but I’m picking Wichita State in this one. I think Gregg Marshall’s squad will advance all the way to the Sweet 16.
2. Does West Virginia really deserve a No. 10 seed? The Mountaineers have lost eight of their last 12 games, and their only wins during that stretch were against DePaul, Providence, Pittsburgh and South Florida. I’m not saying Bob Huggins’ squad didn’t earn its bid. But this seemed a bit generous.
3. I’ve got to think that a more than a handful of people choked on their cheese puffs when committee chair Jeff Hathaway said during a live interview that Missouri was the fourth No. 2 seed behind Kansas, Duke and Ohio State. Seriously, at what point does the “eyeball factor” come into play? The Tigers are 30-4 and completely dominated a strong Baylor team in the championship game of the Big 12 tournament Saturday. Sure, Missouri’s non-conference strength of schedule was poor. But to imply Frank Haith’s squad would’ve been a No. 3 seed had it lost on Saturday is concerning.
4. Speaking of the eyeball factor, did no one on the committee watch Detroit annihilate Horizon League regular-season champion Valparaiso on its home court last week? This is a team with a McDonald’s All-American at point guard and a center (Eli Holman) who will make a living playing pro ball somewhere. The only reason Detroit has 13 losses is because Holman missed the first semester while on suspension. In terms of pure talent and potential, Detroit could be the best No. 15 seed in the history of the NCAA tournament. If No. 2 seed Kansas plays tight — remember Bucknell, Bradley, Northern Iowa and VCU? — an upset isn’t out of the question. If I’m Bill Self, I’m ticked right now.
5. I’m not sure I agree with the committee’s decisions regarding a few SEC teams. Alabama finished fifth in the league with a 9-7 record and has suspended its second-best player (Tony Mitchell) for the remainder of the season. The Crimson Tide lost all of their marquee conference games against Florida, Vanderbilt and Kentucky. I’m not sure they deserve a No. 9 seed. Florida has lost four of its last five games, but three of them were to Vanderbilt and Kentucky (twice). The Gators played an excellent non-conference schedule that included road games against Ohio State and Syracuse. A No. 7 seed seems too low.
6. Not many teams were as disappointed Sunday as Creighton, which received a No. 8 seed despite going 28-5 and winning the Missouri Valley Conference tournament. If they get by Alabama in the first round, a matchup with North Carolina awaits. And while it would be neat to see Doug McDermott face off against his former high school teammate (Tar Heels forward Harrison Barnes), Creighton is not athletic enough or good enough defensively to challenge Roy Williams’ squad.
7. I probably would’ve found a way to include Drexel in the field, although I can’t really argue with the committee’s “last four teams in.” Iona is the one that evokes some question marks, but its strength of schedule was much better and, selfishly, I’m looking forward to seeing Michael Glover, Scott Machado and MoMo Jones do their thing on a national stage.
8. The last thing I’d do if I were the “King of the Committee” is clock out early and take my underlings out for an adult beverage or four. Despite a few minor head-scratchers, the group did an excellent job with this season’s bracket. The committee members’ task is never easy, but this season things were likely even more difficult. There was so much parity in college basketball this season, so many teams outside of the top 10 with similar resumes and strengths and weaknesses. Producing a bracket that left little room for debate was a tough chore, but this year, the committee managed to pull it off. Maybe this group didn’t need a king after all.

ATLANTA -- North Carolina freshman P.J. Hairston was sure his shot was going in.

He got a good look. It felt good coming off his hand. It had a good line.

And although he said it was “the worst feeling in the world” when his game-tying 3-point attempt thudded off the back of the rim -- securing Florida State’s 85-82 victory in the ACC tournament championship Sunday at Philips Arena -- it didn’t take him long to regain his confidence.

“I feel like my shot is back,” the freshman said in the locker room about a half-hour later, as the Seminoles were still celebrating on the court. “And I’m going to be very dangerous over the next couple of weeks.”

The Tar Heels hope so. If they can take any solace in having their nine-game winning streak broken, it’s in the fact that it was Hairston, who hadn’t scored in double-figures since New Year’s Day, who helped fuel their comeback.

Trailing by 16 points in the first half to the team that had embarrassed them by 33 points in January, and still down by nine points at halftime, the Tar Heels said they were determined to flip their passive nature in the second half. Even though they weren't playing starting forward John Henson, who was in uniform but missed his second straight game because of a sprained left wrist, they wanted to prove again that they were tough enough to overcome adversity.

“At halftime, the coaches got into us a little bit,’’ said point guard Kendall Marshall, who finished with 15 points and nine assists. “They basically said, ‘We have a choice. We can pack our bags up, or we can go out there and play. We’re in the championship game as it is, so why not try to win it? And I think the players took that to heart.”

Hairston said he did.

When he checked in with 15:30 left, he said he was focused on playing with more intensity, more fortitude.

And with his team trailing by 11, he played with more accuracy, too, burying three 3-pointers in less than a three-minute span to cut his team's deficit to seven points.

It was a Hairston that hadn't been seen for months; as the slumping-to-that-point sharpshooter had buried only 7 of his 45 3-point attempts in regular-season ACC play, and was 1-for-5 in the league tournament.

But Sunday, “I was getting a rhythm, I was getting good passes for my shot,’’ Hairston said. “I was spotting up, Kendall was coming down the court, finding me in transition. And the 3s I hit were big for the team. And that’s all I wanted to do was help my team win this game.”

And he got his chance.

With 3.3 seconds left -- after FSU’s Deividas Dulkys buried two free throws to give the Seminoles an 85-82 cushion -- UNC set up a last pay, with Tyler Zeller (19 points, 12 rebounds) inbounding from the midcourt sideline.

Teammates Harrison Barnes (23 points, 7 rebounds), Reggie Bullock and Hairston were the options, and with the other two covered, Zeller passed to Hairston. The wing took two dribbles toward the arc, got some separation from FSU guard Luke Loucks, and launched.

“It was right on line, and when I let it go, I knew it was going in,’’ he said.

But even though it didn’t, it was an important game for Hairston, who finished with 13 points on 3-for-9 shooting (3-for-7 on 3-pointers). Because it renewed his belief that he can be a key factor in the NCAA tournament. And it reinforced the confidence of those around him.

“P.J. has such a pure stroke, that every time he shoots it, I think it’s going in,’’ Marshall said. “… When you have a player that can shoot the ball the way he can, you have faith in him. And to see him really shoot the ball today, that’s great for our team.”

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

ATLANTA – Florida State hasn’t looked at any of the film from its 33-point victory over North Carolina on Jan. 14.

“When you get big blowout wins like that, it’s probably not the best idea to go back and watch; you might get a sense of comfort, or forget that we have to play hard – or what got us that 33-point lead,’’ forward Bernard James said. “So we just put that one behind us, and chalked it up to Carolina not being ready.”

He knows the Tar Heels will be this time.

The Seminoles downright embarrassed the UNC two months ago, beating the Tar Heels on the boards, holding them to 37 percent shooting. The 90-57 rout marked the most lopsided loss of the Roy Williams era, and it was so irritating/befuddling/maddening that Williams and most of the team left the court early – leaving three walk-ons and two reserves to finish the game.

Since then, the Tar Heels have lost only once, to Duke on a buzzer-beater.

Since then, the Seminoles have lost three times, but won three games with last-second heroics.

"We can't necessarily worry about the games that we've played prior to this game coming up,’’ FSU coach Leonard Hamilton said. “Each game takes on a different personality and I'm sure the team that we played in Tallahassee will not be the team we play on Sunday."

UNC will be competing for its first ACC title since 2008; FSU will be vying for its first ACC title, period.

A few things to watch in the 1 p.m. EST showdown at Philips Arena:

WILL UNC’S JOHN HENSON PLAY?

The ACC Defensive Player of the Year sat out Saturday’s semifinal victory over NC State after spraining his left wrist during Friday’s quarterfinal win over Maryland.

His status will once again be a game-time decision – and his potential absence will hurt.

James, a former Air Force sergeant and all a member of the ACC’s All-Defense team, is a load for anyone to handle, and if Henson can’t go, James would probably match up with UNC’s James Michael McAdoo. The Tar Heels freshman has been more confident and aggressive lately, but got he into foul trouble during Saturday’s game against the Wolfpack.

3-POINTERS

One of the reasons FSU was so successful against UNC last time was Deividas Dulkys, who shot 8-for-10 from behind the 3-point arc and scored a career-high 32 points.

The Seminoles senior hasn’t approached anything close to that since (with 12 points being his high), but you get the point: UNC (which also lost to Duke at home when the Blue Devils shot 14-for-36 on 3s) can’t afford to let an opposing team get hot.

The Seminole to watch: Michael Snaer. He’s shooting better than 40 percent from 3-point land for the season, and buried two of those aforementioned game-winners this season.

THAT COMPETITIVE FLARE

One of the reasons UNC lost so badly – and looked so listless in doing so – in the last meeting, according to players, was that they bought into their own preseason No. 1 hype and didn’t compete as hard as necessary. That shouldn’t be a problem Sunday.

The last time UNC was looking for revenge was last weekend, when it went into Cameron Indoor Stadium and pasted the Blue Devils, building a 24-point lead by halftime en route to the ACC regular-season title.

FSU, though, has plenty of motivation, too. Lots of folks wrote the Seminoles off when they lost to two Ivy League schools, then opened the ACC season with a 20-point defeat at Clemson. Since then, they’ve beaten UNC and Duke, but winning the league tournament would prove that the conference is more than a two-team league.

“This has been our goal since the beginning of the season, and we want to accomplish it,’’ Dulkys said.

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

ATLANTA – According to North Carolina coach Roy Williams, star forward John Henson was feeling better Saturday after spraining his left wrist Friday.

But still not well enough to play during the Tar Heels' ACC tournament semifinal win over NC State.

And his status for Sunday’s championship game against Florida State will again be a game-time decision.

“He said today that he feels considerably better than he did yesterday,’’ Williams said after UNC’s 69-67 victory. “Now, is it going to improve at that same rate by tomorrow? I personally have my doubts, but we’ll just go with the same policy, the same procedure, tomorrow.”

Saturday, UNC’s procedure was to tape the wrist in the locker room once the team arrived at Philips Arena, and judge how Henson felt gripping a basketball, and trying to dribble it and catch it.

“If he had any pain or he felt uncomfortable, then we weren’t going to play him,’’ Williams said. “If he didn’t have pain or didn’t feel very uncomfortable, I was going to let him warm up, and then watch him as closely as I could and make the determination of whether he would be effective. And it didn’t get to that stage because John didn’t feel very comfortable.

“If it had been the Final Four, I think he probably would have played. But … that’s not Ol’ Roy stating anything about this tournament, that’s just a fact.”

Without Henson, freshman forward James Michael McAdoo started; he finished with 9 points but was in foul trouble most of the second half.

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

ATLANTA -- Out of the corner of his eye, North Carolina senior Justin Watts saw someone doing jumping jacks under the basket.

He didn’t know who it was, and with about three seconds left and his team leading NC State by two points Saturday, he didn’t really care: “All I knew was that I had to get there -- fast.”

So sprinting harder than several teammates had ever seen him sprint before, the 6-foot-5 athlete cut off NC State junior Scott Wood’s pass to an open DeShawn Painter, grabbed the ball, and threw it to the other end of the Phillips Arena court.

“JWatts probably made the biggest play of the game,’’ North Carolina coach Roy Williams said after his team survived one last desperation play to beat the Wolfpack 69-67; the Tar Heels advanced to their 31st ACC tournament title game, where they will play Florida State on Sunday.

It was probably the biggest play, and game, of Watts' career, too.

Many will credit UNC’s 13th straight victory over rival NC State to point guard Kendall Marshall’s 8-foot bank shot with 10.2 seconds left -- a controversial play that had Wolfpack fans (and coach Mark Gottfried) screaming “charge!” after the sophomore put a shoulder into State’s Alex Johnson on his drive toward the hoop.

But even Marshall gave the kudos to Watts, who played four different positions because forward John Henson (sprained wrist) was sidelined and so many others were in foul trouble.

“He does so many things that so many people might not notice, might not appreciate,’’ said Marshall, who finished with 12 points and 10 assists. “But hopefully … people can see how big he came up for us in this game.”

Indeed, when Marshall picked up his second foul, Watts -- a natural wing -- spent some time at point guard.

“I was just catching and pitching ahead; I wasn’t trying to do much,’’ said Watts, who had played only one other (short) stretch this season at the ‘1.’ “When you’ve got guys to throw it into like [Tyler] Zeller and Harrison [Barnes], they make you look a lot better than you are."

And when UNC freshman James Michael McAdoo (making his first career start with Henson sidelined) picked up his fourth foul, Watts found himself playing power forward and guarding 6-8 star forward C.J. Leslie.

“He’s taller than me, so I just tried to use my quickness to stay in front of him,’’ Watts said.

That became key with 8:35 left, when Watts slid in front of Leslie to draw Leslie’s fourth foul (the second of three infractions for which the Wolfpack sophomore was called in a 91-second span, resulting in his fouling out). It was another whistle that had Wolfpack fans screaming furiously.

“In terms of calls, I think the final [tally] was something like 23-19, so you can’t really complain that was lopsided,’’ Barnes (16 points), who drew the fifth foul on Leslie (22 points), said. “They were calling it pretty tight, but for good reason -- you don’t want to let UNC-NC State get out of hand.”

It was a frenetic battle, though, one that saw 15 lead changes, one coat-shuck (by Gottfried), and several rare possessions of zone defense by the Tar Heels.

Zeller led UNC with 23 points, but he too credited Watts for doing so many important things in the victory. The reserve made only 1 of his 4 shots, but also had four rebounds, an assist and three steals -- including that key, racing grab in the final seconds.

“He fills so many roles for us,” Williams said. “A tremendous leader, a tremendous young man, tremendous versatility. He’s been asked to do so many things this year … JWatts is not selfish. He cares about our team, and that’s an admirable quality to have. It’s a quality that’s going to be good for him the rest of his life.”

Asked why he’s so willing to fill so many roles, Watts, who tends to shun the spotlight, explained his reasoning: “I’ll do whatever it takes to help my team win.”

Perhaps that’s why, after the Wolfpack couldn’t convert on a desperation play with 1.2 seconds left, Watts grabbed the game ball -- the same one he had swiped not long before -- and briefly pressed it to his lips.

“I was kissing the ball because it bounced our way a couple of times,’’ he said. “I appreciate that ball.”

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

ATLANTA -- North Carolina forward John Henson, who sprained his left wrist on Friday, will not play in Saturday's ACC tournament semifinal against NC State, a team spokesman said about 25 minutes before tipoff.

The junior was injured with 14:59 left the first half of the top-seeded Tar Heels' quarterfinal win against Maryland, when he was fouled driving to the basket, and tried to brace his fall. Henson immediately starting shaking his wrist, and asked to come out of the game after he missed his second free throw.

After going to the locker room to have his wrist examined and re-taped, he re-entered the game with 8:06 left in the first half. But he lasted only 40 seconds, grimacing in pain when he tried to catch a hard pass from point guard Kendall Marshall.

Tests at halftime were negative, but the team said after the game that the ACC Defensive Player of the Year's status for Saturday would be a game-time decision

Freshman forward James Michael McAdoo, who tied his career high with 14 points against the Terrapins, is expected to start in place of Henson.

ATLANTA -- Heading into the second round of the ACC tournament, all the talk concerning North Carolina State and its NCAA tournament chances centered on beating Virginia.

Mission accomplished.

Or was it?

Now that NC State's 67-64 win over the Cavaliers is in the books, the Wolfpack can only sit and speculate on the fate of their tournament chances. They know their bubble didn't burst, but was their winning effort enough to persuade an NCAA tournament committee that was probably on the fence about NCSU?

"We deserve to play in the NCAA tournament," coach Mark Gottfried said following Friday's win. "Obviously, I'm not on the committee. We did what the committee asked us to do. We scheduled hard, tough. And quite frankly, walking into a new job and we weren't in the greatest position at that time either. We did what we were supposed to do."

Two wins in the ACC tournament will definitely help, but what could hurt is the fact that NC State entered Friday with an RPI of 59 and a strength of schedule of 31. Also, that four-game losing streak near the end of the season isn't too flattering.

However, NC State got some help when Miami won Thursday, giving the Wolfpack a sweep over a top-50 team. The win over Virginia was even bigger, as the Cavs entered the day 39th in the RPI.

"Everybody's talking about we don't have a key win, a signature win, against a top-50 RPI team," guard C.J. Williams said. "We did what everybody told us we needed to do: we beat Virginia. I feel like we should definitely be in the tournament."

Fellow guard Lorenzo Brown wasn't so matter-of-fact when asked about the Pack's chances at making the Big Dance, but he felt his team had done everything it could to push itself into the Big Dance.

"We've played our heart out. We're trying to prove ourselves to the committee," Brown said.

"We definitely needed this win. Hopefully, the guys that are running the [NCAA] committee will let us in the tournament."

From the way NC State has looked in Atlanta, this team has the makings of being pretty dangerous in the field of 68. NC State blew out Boston College and then shot 54 percent against the best defensive scoring team in the ACC. C.J. Leslie's grit offensively and defensively would make him a must-watch player in the tournament. And this team has shown tremendous resiliency at the end, countering that four-game losing streak with a four-game winning streak.

"A lot of people say we have a lot of talent. We do, but we also have a lot of heart and a lot of fight in ourselves and we just want to win each individual game," Williams said.

All this bubble talk would disappear if NC State did exactly what it set out to do this weekend: win the ACC tournament. (Sounds easy enough.) And this Wolfpack team believes it has what it takes to do it.

Top-seeded North Carolina, which swept NC State this season, is the next obstacle. Beating one of the nation's best would almost certainly lock the Wolfpack into the tournament, but Gottfried and his players are thinking beyond that. NC State has its mind made up on the NCAA tournament, so winning Saturday would just be the next step. Not the end.

"When we got on the plane the other day to come here, we came with the goal to win the tournament," he said. "That's why we came. The surest way to be an NCAA participant is to win your conference tournament and that's what we've come to do."

ATLANTA -- Earlier this week, former Georgia Tech point guard Craig Neal said he was happy that a player of Kendall Marshall’s magnitude was about to break his 24-year-old ACC record for assists in a season.

But after crushing Neal’s old mark of 303, North Carolina’s Marshall -- who now stands at 311 after his 13-point, 12-assist outing in his ACC quarterfinal win over Maryland on Friday -- said he doesn’t want anyone smashing his.

“Honestly, I think I’m going to be a little mad if anybody ever breaks mine,’’ the sophomore said, laughing.

After all, it was hard earned.

Marshall set the new mark with 15:31 left in the first half at Philips Arena, on a pass to forward Harrison Barnes. That gave the Tar Heels an early 14-8 lead, and Marshall contributed to all six of UNC’s buckets to that point (burying a 3-pointer on the only one he didn’t assist).

Coach Roy Williams congratulated his starting ballhandler after the game, picking on his six turnovers -- “he said he thinks it was four, I said it was eight” -- but making it clear how proud he was of his accomplishment.

Meanwhile, Marshall said he’d like to pad his assist total by about 50 before the season ends, just to make it more difficult for anyone to ever break. (The NCAA record, by the way, stands at 406.)

“This [ACC] record is probably the biggest one to me,’’ said Marshall, who passed Ed Cota a week ago to set the single-season mark at UNC. “There are a lot of great players that have come through the ACC. Some are great scorers, some are great passers. And just to be mentioned in the same breath as them, that means a lot.

“But at the same time, I’m humbled by it, because I realize that those players went on to do greater things. I want to be able to do that as well.”

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

ATLANTA -- North Carolina forward John Henson -- an All-ACC first-team selection and the league's defensive player of the year -- will be a game-time decision for the Tar Heels’ Saturday semifinal game in the ACC tournament because of a sprained left wrist.

“They don’t think it’s a break with John,” coach Roy Williams said after his team beat Maryland in the quarterfinals, 85-69, at Philips Arena. “It’s just he had trouble catching and gripping the basketball. It’s his left wrist; that’s the one he uses. That’s his dominant hand, even though he is right-handed.”

The junior was injured with 14:59 left in the first half Friday when he was fouled driving to the basket and tried to brace his fall. Henson immediately starting shaking his wrist, and he asked to come out of the game after he missed his second free throw.

After going to the locker room to have his wrist examined and retaped, he re-entered the game with 8:06 left in the first half. But he lasted only 40 seconds, grimacing in pain when he tried to catch a hard pass from point guard Kendall Marshall.

X-rays at halftime were negative.

“I was worried, but I was a little happier after the X-rays came back and they said it wasn’t broken,” said Henson, who entered the game averaging 14.2 points, plus a league-leading 10.3 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game.

Henson, who wore a brace on the same wrist for part of last season after injuring it, said that he plans to continue to ice the wrist and that he could play in the semis, depending how it feels Saturday.

But it wouldn’t be surprising for UNC to be cautious. Ranked No. 4 in the country, the Tar Heels are in contention for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, but they also want to be healthy when they get there.

“The ACC tournament’s a big deal, but we’re also preparing for next week, and you don’t want to put him in a game where he gets hurt and he can’t play all the way through the tournament,” senior forward Tyler Zeller said. “So you want to be cautious, but you want him to be able to play if he’s able to."

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

ATLANTA -- North Carolina has had to prepare for Terrell Stoglin the Scorer in the past.

For Friday’s ACC quarterfinal game against Maryland, the top-seeded Tar Heels also need to prepare for Stoglin the Rebounder. Stoglin the Assist Man. Stoglin the Teammate.

The ACC’s leading scorer -- playing with a chip on his shoulder after being left off the All-ACC first team -- did a little bit of everything during the eighth-seeded Terps’ 82-60 victory over ninth-seeded Wake Forest on Thursday.

He added seven rebounds and four assists to his team-high 25 points -- and he wants that trend to continue, when his team faces the top-seeded Tar Heels at Philips Arena.

“It goes back to an all-around game," Stoglin said. “I want to be a complete basketball player, and I’m working on it.”

Stoglin admits to being a bit annoyed when he earned second-team All-ACC honors, rather than first (three Tar Heels, by comparison, made the first team). But he said he’s used it for motivation. “I’ve always been overlooked, even when I was in high school," he said. “So I’m going to use to make myself better.”

A chat with coach Mark Turgeon on the plane ride to Atlanta helped, too. According to Stoglin, Turgeon told him it was time to grow up -- that he was about to be a junior, and he needed to be a better teammate.

“I wasn’t a bad teammate, but I can always be better," Stoglin said. “And he just wanted me to do the little things to help my teammates out, make sure everybody was on the same page.”

Those "little things" included passing more. Playing better help defense. Hitting the boards harder.

And, of course, continuing to score (he was 8-for-14 against the Demon Deacons).

All will be key against UNC, which already has beaten Maryland twice this season.

“I’ll do whatever I can do to help us win," Stoglin said. “Whatever it takes.”

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.