The Marshall Watch: UNC Preparing To Play Without Talented Point Guard

(Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer)

While this subject will be completely exhausted between now and 7:47 tipoff on Friday night, as of RIGHT NOW, North Carolina is preparing "100 percent" to play without injured point guard Kendall Marshall.

We wonder how long it will be before head coach Roy Williams snaps at the one-millionth variation of the “will he play” question between now and then?  No doubt, the feisty Williams who tends to refer to himself in the third person is already weary of wrist-relaed questions having dealt with such an issue the past two weeks after John Henson sprained his wrist in the ACC tournament.

Today, Williams said he had "no idea" what factors will indicate whether Marshall can play, because he's in uncharted territory.

"If he comes running in here now and says, 'God, I can play!' I'll say, 'Well, let's talk about it,'" said Williams, already frustrated with the continued questioning about the nation's assist leader. "But he's in a frickin' cast and I cannot give you any answers. I've given everybody all the answers I can give, because I have said honestly, 'I do not know.'"

Williams said Marshall, who is averaging 9.7 assists per game, did go to classes Tuesday, meaning he would likely be able to fly with the team to St. Louis when it leaves Wednesday night.

Marshall's father, Dennis, told The Associated Press in a text message on Tuesday that his son was "doing much better" and experiencing less pain after surgery. He said his son was improving and had "slept through the night."

Asked if anyone else might be in the mix other than Stilman White and Justin Watts to play the point guard position, Williams said: "We're at our third and fourth options. If we have to go to our fifth frickin' option, we may as well put Z (7-footer Tyler Zeller) out there and see if we can draw the other big guy out and see what happens."