ESPN Men's Basketball

North Carolina coach Roy Williams said during his Monday night radio show that X-rays on Marcus Paige’s injured left shoulder were negative, and he is hopeful the point guard can play this weekend.

A few more notes from “Roy Williams Live”:

ZONING IN: Williams was not pleased with his team’s defense during Saturday’s win over UAB. So that has been a concentration over the last couple of days, as he tries to figure out which defenses this team plays -- and can play -- best.

“I’ve already practiced zone twice this year, and we’ve had years before where we never practice zone; we might play it in a game just to stand up there and look different and see if we can screw up the other team,’’ he said.

“But this team, if you think about it, if we go small, how are we going to handle the other team if they have two big guys? It’s difficult for J.P. Tokoto or P.J. [Hairston] , who would be the guy who would come in to play our, quote, 4 spot. So if you go zone, you have a chance to help each other inside a little more if they post you up. We probably are going to start changing defenses a little more like I used to do.”

CONDOLENCES: Williams said he was saddened to hear of the passing of Utah and Saint Louis coach Rick Majerus, who died of heart failure over the weekend.

“Rick and I go back a long way, being associates," Williams said. “... I loved him, he was awfully nice to me many, many times. We had fun together when we were together; he was a fun-loving guy. When I think of Rick Majerus, I think of a guy who loved ball -- let him coach a little ball, he’s really, really happy. He loved getting out on the court and trying to coach, and make his team better to coach against your team. He was one of the great tacticians that we’ve ever had. He was able to do unusual things, and get his guys to buy into it.

“He was a wonderful personality; he was a big-time personality. He was a funny guy. I walked into Mother’s Restaurant in New Orleans, and he’s sitting there, and I knew he would know the answer. I said, ‘Rick, I need some help, should I get the jambalaya, the et tu fe or the gumbo?’ He handed me a spoon and said, ‘Here, I have all three, go ahead and try.’ ... A wonderful personality, a great tactician and a guy who truly cared.”

CENTER BATTLE: Freshman Joel James made his first start Saturday, but Williams still doesn’t know who will get the nod at center next.

“Yeah, we’ve started Desmond [Hubert], we’ve started Brice [Johnson], we’ve started Joel. I have no idea who I’m going to start on Saturday," Williams said. “... No one has stepped forward and said, ‘This position is mine.’ And I don’t make those decisions, players do. If I want to play, I want to beat your butt out. It’s pretty simple: I want to play the guys who are playing the best, and no one has stepped forward yet.”

D-LEAGUE: The Phoenix Suns recently assigned first-round draft pick Kendall Marshall to the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA's Development League. Williams said it’s been a tough transition for the former UNC point guard.

“I’ve spoken to Kendall a couple of times, I’ve spoken to the people in Phoenix. They really still -- and I’m convinced they’re being serious -- have tremendous dreams and hopes for him," Williams said. “It’s just right now, it’s a tougher situation, and they want him to get more playing time on a professional level, instead of staying there and playing two or three minutes or not playing in a game.

“It’s a different path ... when you leave college early to go to the NBA, you would like for it to be smooth, to have some playing time immediately. But it hasn’t happened that way for Kendall, and it’s just something he’s got to fight through. I think he’s going to be there [in the D-League] for nine games, and hopefully it will help him.”

ESPN.com’s Chad Ford wrote last week that the 2013 NBA draft list might be the weakest in more than a decade (Insider Access required), thanks to a lack of top returning underclassmen and “a marginal freshman class.”

North Carolina won’t have four players go in the top 17, a la Harrison Barnes, Kendall Marshall, John Henson and Tyler Zeller last week. But one Tar Heel is already projected as a top-5 pick, and a couple of others dot his top 100.

Of course, this is an early list, and plenty of players will drop and fall over the next 11 months. But here’s where the Tar Heels currently rank on Ford’s 2013 top 100:

4. James Michael McAdoo, sophomore forward

25. P.J. Hairston, sophomore guard

41. Reggie Bullock, junior guard

UNC redshirt junior Leslie McDonald, who missed last season because of a torn ACL, currently ranks 148 on Ford’s list. And it’s interesting to note that McAdoo is currently the only ACC player projected in the top 20. NC State’s C.J. Leslie comes in at No. 21, followed by Duke’s Mason Plumlee at No. 24. Kentucky freshman Nerlens Noel currently holds the top spot.

Thoughts?

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – As he looked around the locker room after North Carolina’s loss to Kansas in the NCAA Regional finals last March, forward Desmond Hubert couldn’t help but grow a little anxious about all the talent the Tar Heels would lose to the NBA.

But after playing additional offseason pickup games with his teammates, putting on a few more pounds, and gaining confidence in his still-developing hook shot, “I’m a lot more excited now than nervous.”

Which, the Tar Heels hope, is a good sign. Hubert, who averaged 4.9 minutes in 25 games as a freshman, will likely need to play a much bigger role on UNC’s front line next season, considering the losses of ACC Player of the Year Tyler Zeller and ACC Defensive Player of the Year John Henson to the NBA draft. (Both are expected to be first-round picks next week, along with fellow starters Harrison Barnes and Kendall Marshall.)

Sophomore James Michael McAdoo, who came on strong late in the season, will start at one forward slot. Hubert, incoming freshmen Joel James and Brice Johnson, and also-sparingly used sophomore Jackson Simmons will be competing for the other starting spot -- as well as reserve minutes at both positions.

“I think some people are going to be surprised,’’ said Hubert, whose thin 6-foot-9 frame, expansive 7-3 wingspan, and Gumby-like defensive-mindedness have drawn plenty of comparisons to Henson.

“I know we’re going to be young, but we have a lot of talent. The freshmen coming in are really good. As soon as we start learning from each other, learning how to play together, to get rid of those early jitters and stuff like that, I think we’re going to be really good."

Hubert said he learned plenty of lessons from Zeller and Henson last season: timing, preparation, work ethic. But having to sit and watch wasn’t always easy, especially after averaging 16 points and 9 rebounds as a senior at New Egypt (N.J.) High.

“I remember playing a couple good minutes in one game [last season] … then not playing for two or three games in a row,’’ he said. “It was kind of hard. I guess that kind of hurt my confidence a little bit. But I had some great guys ahead of me, so at the end of the day … I couldn’t be mad or anything like that, because the guys ahead of me were just terrific guys.”

Plus, he said, he got to learn from those guys each day -- watching how Zeller sprinted down the court; emulating how Henson used his timing and reach to block and out-rebound bigger, broader opponents.

“When I first started practicing against them, it was really a one-sided match,’’ Hubert said. “And as the season started to go on, I feel like sometimes -- it didn’t happen many times -- but I could say there were a few times when I won out over Z or John. It didn’t happen very often, but it happened sometimes.”

Enough to take pride in, and build upon.

With Zeller and Henson gone, Hubert smiles and shakes his head at the fact that he’s now one of the “veterans” of the front line. But he’s working hard to set a good example.

By hitting the weight room often and eating up to six meals a day, he now weighs in at 220 pounds -- up from 193 when he first arrived in Chapel Hill last summer. A defensive specialist (he recorded 17 points and 37 rebounds, total, last season), he’s also been developing a go-to move: a right- and left-handed hook shot. Former Tar Heel forwards Rasheed Wallace, Marvin Williams and Deon Thompson have also taken him under their collective wing, offering tips and tricks and even more competition.

Now, Hubert is anxious about next season in a good way.

“When I first got here, I had no idea what I was in for, I had no idea what to expect at all,’’ he said. “… Now I feel like I’m in a position where I have to teach the freshmen that are coming in some of the things that John and Z taught me. I’ve got to be a major part of the team this year. It’s kind of different, but it’s a challenge I’m willing to accept. I’m kind of excited for it.”

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

ESPN Insider Jay Bilas on Monday ranked his 30 best players in the NBA draft, and four North Carolina players made his top 18.

Here's how Bilas rated them:

5. Harrison Barnes, North Carolina Tar Heels: In high school, I thought Barnes was super athletic and always made the right play. In college, I questioned his athleticism and his basketball IQ. Well, I am doubling down on Barnes because I think he will be a better pro than a college player. He is an outstanding jump shooter, really good at midrange and incredibly athletic with potential at both ends. Barnes is a thinker who is process-oriented, but with more time to work on his game, I like him better as a pro. And he was a heck of a college player, notwithstanding the super high expectations.

12. Tyler Zeller, North Carolina: Zeller has a skill that sets him apart from any big man in this draft, and the vast majority of big men in the NBA: He can really run the floor. Zeller's ability to change ends puts tremendous pressure on opposing big men. Zeller is a good post defender who breaks contact to get deflections and rebounds at a really high rate. He needs to better hold position down low, but he is strong and has a good frame. He has a nice touch, hits a trail jumper and knocks down his free throws.

14. John Henson, North Carolina: Henson was projected as a small forward coming out of high school, but it seems that power forward is his best spot. He has freaky length and can block shots and rebound, and his offensive game has improved to the point of being able to hit a face-up shot to 17 feet or so. He is unorthodox and does not carry a lot of bulk, but his length, shot-blocking ability and rebounding make him a very good prospect.

18. Kendall Marshall, North Carolina: Marshall is a left-hander with extraordinary vision, passing ability and leadership. He has good size but lacks foot speed and the ability to get by people off the dribble. Marshall is not a great shooter or scorer but is excellent in transition, and his teammates run because he will find them. He averaged almost 10 assists per game but did not score efficiently. He can hit a wide-open standstill jumper but is not a driver or penetrator. His defense is lacking, but he is able to use his size and is smart about playing off of quicker guards and using angles to cover up speed and quickness disadvantages. Marshall has decent straight-line speed but not quickness.

Bilas had also previously ranked Barnes as one of his top five players in this draft with star potential.

Thoughts?

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

North Carolina coach Roy Williams said last week the team didn't know that point guard Kendall Marshall had fractured his elbow (at the same time as he fractured his wrist) until after the season.

Well after, ESPN.com's Andy Katz reported Thursday:

Former North Carolina guard Kendall Marshall said he didn't know that he fractured his right elbow until six weeks ago despite the injury occurring on the same fall as his right hand injury against Creighton in the NCAA tournament. Marshall could not do contact drills at the Chicago NBA combine but he did shoot. He continued to say he wouldn't have been able to play in St. Louis but would have tried at the Final Four. UNC beat Ohio but lost to Kansas in the St. Louis regional. Marshall said he didn't want to hurt the team.

Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer reported in Friday's editions that Marshall is working his way back from what he jokingly calls his "funny bone" injury. His elbow did not require surgery, and even though he couldn't participate in contact drills, he was out to prove that he could shoot the ball better than he showed last season. (Although his best attribute is being a pass-first guy.)

“I know my strength is getting people involved and everybody at the next level will score. I don’t need to score 20 points at the next level,” Marshall said. “I feel like I can adjust to any situation. But if a team is looking for a point guard to score first, that could be tough.”

Marshall also said he never anticipated leaving college after only two seasons. Wrote Bonnell:

Circumstances pushed him out the door. This is widely considered a weak point-guard draft, which Marshall said was a factor in his decision; he might never be more marketable than in 2012. Then, fellow underclassmen Harrison Barnes and John Henson turned pro and the tide crested.

“It just seemed time,” Marshall explained. “I think I’m at my best with weapons all around me. Everybody was leaving. It wasn’t going to be the same.”

Marshall, Henson, Barnes and 7-footer Tyler Zeller are all expected to be top-20 picks.

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Last week, North Carolina senior Dexter Strickland was cleared to run. Soon, he thinks his doctor will allow him to jump and work on lateral movement.

By late August or early September, trainers are hoping he’ll be ready to return to the court and play basketball again.

And by the start of the season?

“I expect to play the point guard way more than I did last year,” he said Thursday, grinning as he met with the media.

Indeed, with last season’s Cousy Award winner, Kendall Marshall, preparing for the NBA draft and star prep ballhandler Marcus Paige not due to arrive on campus until later this month the onus is on Strickland, a combo guard, to take on more of a load at point guard next season.

But he has to get healthy first.

Last season, the New Jersey native was starting at shooting guard, backing up Marshall at point guard, and serving as the team’s top perimeter defender when his knee buckled on a drive to the basket January 19 at Virginia Tech. He tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on the play, forcing reconstructive surgery several weeks later and sidelining him for the season.

“It was horrible,’’ Strickland said. “I really don’t like to think about it, talk about it. It was horrible. As soon as I Euro-stepped, I just felt it shift; the pain was -- I can’t really explain it, it hurt me real bad.”

What hurt worse, though, was having to watch his team play from the sideline. First during the postseason, when the Tar Heels lost in the NCAA Regional finals with Marshall also benched by injury.

And now.

“The most difficult thing is just being injured -- watching guys playing pick-up and not being able to play with them, not being able to work on my game and get better, as far as jump shooting and different dribbling drills and stuff like that,’’ Strickland said. “That’s been the most frustrating: not being able to be in the gym as I used to be.”

Day by day, though, he’s getting closer to coming back, sweating in the weight room and rehabbing in the pool. He’s also been spending plenty of time watching film of point guards, “guys who are very good at what they do” like Ty Lawson, Chris Paul and Tony Parker.

“I still see myself as a combo guard,’’ said Strickland, who didn’t start playing point guard until his freshman year at UNC. “I think I’ll always be a slashing guard, so I think there’s more room to grow, and there’s never a time when I stop learning or stop developing my game as a 2-guard or a point guard. I need to focus on whatever it takes to help my team win.”

Which means getting healthy, ASAP. After all, the only other point guard on the roster besides Paige next season is sophomore Luke Davis, who sat out 2011-12 after transferring from Gardner-Webb.

That’s one of the reasons Strickland thinks the Tar Heels will be underestimated.

“I feel like we’re going to an underdog a little bit, being that we lost John [Henson], Harrison [Barnes], Kendall, Z [Tyler Zeller], who were really key to our success,’’ he said. “I think we have something to prove. I think everybody’s thinking we won’t be as talented, we won’t be able to accomplish the same goals that we accomplished last season. And I think that gives everybody more motivation to be better.”

And to heal?

Strickland says he knows he won’t be 100 percent when he is cleared to return to the floor in a couple of months, but he hopes his speed and instincts come back quickly. He has been told he is recovering fast and is “on track."

UNC opens practice Oct. 12.

“I’ve come a long way,’’ he said. “I still have a lot to do with the rehab, of course, but so far it’s been good.”

BRIEFLY: Shooting guard P.J. Hairston sprained his right shoulder in a pick-up game about three weeks ago, but is expected to start playing again this weekend.

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

Some Tar Heels hoops-related stories, notes and quotes from over the weekend:

TWO AWARDED SCHOLARSHIPS: North Carolina sophomores Luke Davis and Jackson Simmons will be on scholarship next season, according to InsideCarolina. Greg Barnes writes:

The scholarships for Davis and Simmons have been granted on a year-to-year basis and may not be available in future years, according to the school official.

The decision to grant the point guard and forward scholarships isn’t surprising, considering the early departures of John Henson, Harrison Barnes and Kendall Marshall to the NBA had left the Tar Heels with only 10 scholarships players for next season -- three under the NCAA limit. Davis and Simmons put them at 12.

As per NCAA transfer rules, the 6-foot Davis sat out last season after leaving Gardner-Webb for UNC. The Raleigh, N.C., native averaged 7.2 points and 4.2 assists his freshman season and is expected to add some depth to the point guard position behind freshman Marcus Paige and senior Dexter Strickland.

The 6-7 Simmons appeared in 23 games for the Tar Heels last season and recorded 15 points and 17 rebounds, total. The Webster, N.C., resident was also on scholarship in 2011-12.

ZELLER UNDERRATED? UNC 7-footer Tyler Zeller is earning a lot of high praise from scouts, writes Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, but still isn’t expected to be drafted until the 12-15 range. Why, Amico asks?

“Well, for one, this is a pretty deep draft with a lot of players who have high expectations,” said a Western Conference GM. “Also, I don’t think anyone really expects (Zeller) to change the course of your franchise. Most expect him to be a unique and talented center that could play an important role, though.”

Especially if he ends up in the right place.

“It’s all going to be about the right fit for him,” the GM said. “If he lands on a team that gives him an opportunity, I expect him to make some contributions. In his case, they’ll probably go unnoticed, but they’ll definitely be there.”

Also, NBA.com followed Zeller around on graduation day. He reflected on his career and moving on to the NBA. Here’s the video.

MARSHALL READY FOR COMBINE: After training at the IMG facility in Bradenton, Fla., for the past month, Marshall was scheduled to return home to Virginia on Sunday before leaving for the NBA draft combine in Chicago on Wednesday, David Fawcett of InsideNova.com reported over the weekend.

Wrote Fawcett:

Although Marshall has yet to face any full contact, Dennis Marshall said his son’s wrist is 100 percent as is his elbow. Marshall fractured his elbow and broke his wrist in North Carolina’s second-round win March 18 over Creighton in the NCAA Tournament.

Kendall Marshall will work out for five or six teams, his dad added, and will find out in about two weeks whether he has been invited to the draft. Marshall and Zeller, as well as Henson and Barnes, are all projected as top-20 picks.

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

The New Orleans Hornets were the big winners in the NBA draft lottery on Wednesday night, landing the top overall pick (which they will almost certainly use on Kentucky's Anthony Davis).

What does the new draft order mean for the quartet of North Carolina players expected to go in the first round? ESPN.com NBA draft analyst Chad Ford weighed in with a new mock draft, version 5.0 . Here's where he ranked the Tar Heels:

4. Harrison Barnes, Cleveland Cavaliers

Analysis: Thomas Robinson may be the best player left on the board, but he's not a great fit with Tristan Thompson. If both MKG and Beal are off the board, the choice will be between Harrison Barnes and Andre Drummond. Both fit needs and Drummond has crazy upside, but the Cavs loved Barnes at the No. 4 pick last year before he decided to go back to school. I think they'll roll the dice on him again this year.

9. John Henson, Detroit Pistons

Analysis: Greg Monroe has been a revelation in the middle for the Pistons, but they really need to pair him alongside an athletic shot-blocker. Although John Henson is painfully thin, he rebounds, blocks shots and defends multiple positions. It wouldn't be a perfect solution in Detroit, but the Pistons don't have a lot of other options here.

14. Tyler Zeller, Houston Rockets

Analysis: The Rockets' biggest need is in the middle and Zeller should be a solid option. Scouts don't think Zeller is going to be an All-Star someday, but he's big, he runs the floor very well and he has a great touch around the basket. Zeller should ultimately land somewhere between Picks 8 and 14.

17. Kendall Marshall, Dallas Mavericks

Analysis: With Jason Kidd 39 and a free agent and Rodrigue Beaubois more of a combo guard, Marshall would bring much of what Kidd brings to the table -- incredible court vision and size -- right away. He's not a great athlete or a great shooter, but he could keep Dirk and company happy.

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

Former North Carolina point guard Kendall Marshall didn’t just break his wrist during his team’s NCAA tournament victory over Creighton. He fractured his elbow, too, he revealed in an interview with the IMG Basketball Academy Blog:

“My wrist is almost 100 percent. What people didn’t know is that I also fractured my elbow. That’s been the toughest thing for me to deal with, still not being able to go full contact. Hopefully, I’ll be ready to go by the Combine.”

Marshall, the pass-first sophomore who went on to win the Cousy Award, had to watch from the bench in street clothes and a wrist splint as his team beat Ohio, then ultimately lost to Kansas in the NCAA regional finals. After the season, he joined fellow UNC underclassmen Harrison Barnes and John Henson in choosing to leave school early for the NBA draft. Teammate Tyler Zeller, who graduated earlier this month, is also expected to be a first-round draft pick.

When did Marshall know he would be a pro? He told the website:

"The end of my freshman year of college. I felt like I was pretty good, but people started asking me after my freshman year if I was coming back. I was like, 'Where would I go?' It didn’t even occur to me."

In anticipation of becoming a pro, Marshall is working out at IMG academies. In the interview, he also addressed meeting President Obama, the best advice he’s ever received and playing against Duke. He had this to say about Twitter haters:

"In season, I get anywhere from 15-25 tweets per day of just pure recklessness. Keeping it PG, it’s stuff like 'You suck' and 'You can’t shoot.' Now, it’s 'You’re overrated' and 'You’re not going to get drafted high.' Even some Carolina fans come at me sideways now because I left school early. Maybe one every couple days I’ll give them a sarcastic response. You have to be able to laugh because these people don’t understand that you’re human and not on a pedestal."

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- I caught up with North Carolina coach Roy Williams for a few minutes before he addressed fans at the Rams Club’s Triangle Tour stop on Tuesday night. A few notes:

COACHING TREE GROWS: Williams said he plans to hire a person with UNC ties to replace assistant coach Jerod Haase, who left earlier this month to become head coach at UAB. But it won’t be last season’s assistant strength and conditioning coach Jackie Manuel, who is now an assistant coach at UNC Greensboro under former Tar Heels guard Wes Miller. And it won’t be assistant video coordinator Bobby Frasor, Haase’s new director of basketball operations.

Williams thought it would be good for the former Tar Heels guards to gain more coaching experience outside of Chapel Hill.

“I asked Wes to take Jackie, and it was an easy sell. I asked Jerod to take Bobby, and that was an easy sell. Because I thought those were great spots for them to start their coaching career,’’ Williams said. “They were wonderful kids, but I wanted them to understand that not every place is like North Carolina.

“I think it was great for me that I was a high school coach for five years; I was an assistant coach for 10 and I had two practices for eight. I realize that somebody’s got to flip a switch to turn the lights on, somebody’s got to mop the floor; it doesn’t just happen magically. And when you coach at North Carolina, you think that all those things happen magically, and they don’t. Somebody has to do that.”

TEAM LIKELY SET: With three underclassmen leaving early for the NBA draft and ACC Player of the Year Tyler Zeller graduating, the Tar Heels lose four-fifths of the starting line-up that led UNC to the NCAA regional finals. A four-man freshmen class arrives in June, but it sounds like Williams doesn’t expect any late additions to next year’s team.

“We always keep our eyes and ears open; I’m never going to say that we wouldn’t be interested," he said. “But there’s nobody out there. There was all this stuff in the paper about one player, that we were doing all this stuff. I talked to the kid one time, period.

But, he added, "we’ll always keep our options open."

Although he didn’t give that player’s name, Williams was referring to his call to Connecticut forward Alex Oriakhi, who chose instead to transfer to Missouri. Oriakhi won’t have to sit out a season because the Huskies are barred from playing in next year’s NCAA tournament, and he would have added an experienced big body to a Tar Heels team that loses both starting forwards (Zeller and John Henson).

Williams told fans Tuesday night that sophomore forward James Michael McAdoo (who will slide into one of those starting positions) “has a chance to be a big-time, big-time player; he’s got to step his game up.”

Wing Reggie Bullock, he added, “will have to take his game to another level."

Meanwhile, “Dexter [Strickland] and Leslie [McDonald] have to come back in and be healthy, and then the freshman group we have coming in, they’ve got to show us that they’re strong players, as well.”

With so many veteran players on the perimeter and so many younger ones in the post, it will be key to see whether Williams opts to go with a smaller, guard-heavy line-up compared years past. Even he doesn't know -- yet.

“It will be interesting to see how my thought process goes over the summer,’’ he said.

MIGHT-HAVE-BEENS: Not surprisingly, it’s been a difficult few weeks for Williams, after his team -- which began the season ranked No. 1 and had national title goals -- lost to Kansas in the NCAA tournament in the Midwest Region final.

“It’s been really hard, because it was a great, great year with a sad, sad ending. … Our last regular-season game, when we played at Duke, I thought we were pretty doggone good. And I said on the bus, just to our coaching staff, that for me, if we played like that, then we have a chance to win the whole thing.

“Then the very next game, John gets hurt [sprained wrist] -- and John was never the same. And then the second game in the NCAA, Kendall [Marshall] gets hurt, and that’s about as unlucky as I’ve ever been, I guess, too.”

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

North Carolina forward John Henson, the two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year who is leaving school early for the NBA draft, will be represented by Jim Tanner of Washington, D.C.-based Williams & Connolly LLP, the firm announced Tuesday.

Tanner also represents former UNC forwards Marvin Williams and Brandan Wright, among others.

"When looking for representation, I wanted to find a group that fit with my goals and personality," Henson, a junior, said in a prepared statement. "Jim and the team at W&C had a very specific and unique plan for me, and that was important. Overall, I just felt comfortable with them, and that they truly cared about my career."

This month, sophomore point guard Kendall Marshall chose Octagon to represent him in the draft, while senior forward Tyler Zeller hired Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management.

Sophomore forward Harrison Barnes, meanwhile, will be represented by agent Jeff Wechsler, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.

All four starters -- who led the Tar Heels to the Midwest Regional Final in the NCAA tournament -- are projected as first-round draft picks.

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

In his latest NBA mock draft (version 3.0), ESPN Insider Chad Ford on Wednesday ranked North Carolina's quartet of players all in his top 15. For the full list, click here . But here's where he currently has the Tar Heels:

• 6. Harrison Barnes (to Cleveland Cavaliers)
• 9. Kendall Marshall (to Utah Jazz)
• 10. Tyler Zeller (to New Orleans Hornets)
• 15. John Henson (to Houston Rockets)

Thoughts, anyone?

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

North Carolina point guard Kendall Marshall, who opted to leave school early for the NBA draft, has chosen Octagon to represent him, his father told insidenova.com.

Meanwhile, senior forward Tyler Zeller has hired Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management as his agent, a UNC team spokesman said Wednesday.

Dennis Marshall told the website that the family chose Virginia-based Octagon because it is a local company that represents only about a dozen other NBA players.

“Their client list is comparable to Kendall’s personality,” Dennis Marshall told insidenova.com. “They are going to provide a lot of personal attention and be very smart about the process and Kendall’s career.”

Marshall said his son, the Bob Cousy award winner who missed UNC’s final two NCAA tournament games because of a fractured wrist, will finish classes in early May. Then he will train with Tim Grover in Chicago and John Lucas in Houston before attending the NBA pre-draft camp in Chicago in early June. The sophomore is currently projected as a lottery pick.

Zeller, the ACC Player of the Year, is also projected to go in the lottery. By choosing Schwartz and Excel, the senior 7-footer joins a firm that also represents former Tar Heel stars Jerry Stackhouse and Tyler Hansbrough -- as well as Zeller's older brother, Luke.

Junior forward John Henson, the two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year who also opted to leave early for the NBA, has not yet chosen an agent, his father Matt wrote in an email Wednesday -- but he expects that decision will be made in the next seven days. Sophomore wing Harrison Barnes also has not yet publicly named an agent.

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

Looking ahead at North Carolina’s point guard position in 2012-13:

Key losses: Starter Kendall Marshall (early entry, NBA draft); reserve Stilman White (two-year Mormon mission).

Returnees: Senior Dexter Strickland; sophomore Luke Davis.

Key addition: Freshman Marcus Paige.

Player to watch: If you had to pick a top “player to watch,” regardless of position for UNC, it would be Paige, the 6-foot-1 McDonald’s All-American from Iowa. With Marshall gone, he could become the first freshman Tar Heels ballhandler to start his first game since Bobby Frasor in 2005-06, and there will be a great big spotlight on how quickly he adapts.

In January, Williams called Paige “the best point guard in high school basketball this year.”

“He’s a lefty -- I like lefty point guards, I guess,’’ Williams said during his radio show. “He’s a good defender, good passer, good shooter. He understands the game. [A] 4.0 GPA student. His mother was a high school basketball coach, won a state championship. And his older sister plays on the basketball team at Wisconsin. He’s just really a team player and just a true, true point guard out there that’s going to be a big-time player.”

Question mark: How does Davis fit into the mix?

As we learned from White, who started two NCAA tournament games this season with Marshall and Strickland both sidelined by injuries, it’s key to have a third point guard on the roster as an insurance policy. But Davis, who averaged 7.2 points and 4.2 assists in 30 starts as a freshman at Gardner-Webb before opting to transfer, may be capable of adding more than that.

As per NCAA rules, he sat out last season, but gained familiarity with the offense by practicing with the team.

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.

North Carolina forward James Michael McAdoo is still thinking about whether to return for his sophomore season or jump to the NBA early -- but he will make his decision this week, his father said in a text message Monday morning.

"James Michael came home for the weekend, we are still processing information before James Michael makes a decision,'' Ronnie McAdoo said in the text message. "[James Michael's] decision to stay at UNC or enter the 2012 draft will be made this week."

McAdoo, a reserve forward, averaged 6.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 15.6 minutes this season. But he came on strong late, particularly when he started three postseason games (two in the ACC tournament, one in the NCAA tournament) in place of junior John Henson, who was sidelined by a sprained left wrist.

As he gained more and more confidence, McAdoo showed the athleticism that made him a McDonald's All-American -- the ability to steal balls out of the backcourt and finish on the other end, to spike putback jams.

He was also the Tar Heels’ leading scorer (15 points) when UNC lost to Kansas in the Midwest Regional final, and his late-season performances pushed him into the lottery of many mock drafts. ESPN’s Chad Ford currently lists him at as seventh in his top 100.

UNC starters Henson, Harrison Barnes and Kendall Marshall all announced last week that they were leaving early for the NBA. ACC Player of the Year Tyler Zeller is graduating. That means McAdoo's return would be particularly key, as he would be the Tar Heels' most experienced player (and go-to guy) in the post.

Last week, McAdoo's father said he expected his son to return to UNC next season -- but that it would ultimately be James Michael's decision. As per NCAA rules, players have until April 10 to decide whether to leave early for the NBA.

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.