NCAA Basketball: Impact of UNC freshman Cole Anthony’s long-term absence
Potential loss of a blue blood and a star
Since Roy Williams arrived in Chapel Hill in 2003, North Carolina has won three NCAA championships and missed the NCAA Tournament just once (2010). But this Tar Heels team is in danger of missing out a decade later depending on what happens with how they do without Anthony.
It would be a tough blow for the sport to not have North Carolina and its star power for the Big Dance. Especially considering that it appears to be as wide-open a postseason in recent memory. Had things clicked early on, there’s no question that the Tar Heels would’ve been viewed as a real contender to win it all. Now, it’ll be viewed as a success just to even get the invite.
It also will sting to not have one of the best players in all of NCAA Basketball. Anthony was a must-see appointment television and is another five-star talent that we won’t be able to watch for a while. We’ve already been dealing with Memphis center James Wiseman and his imposed 12-game suspension from the NCAA, while N’Faly Dante is just coming back to play for Oregon. And then there’s Anthony Edwards, who’s averaging 20 ppg on a Georgia team that is off the radar.
ACC Basketball power rankings. dark. Next
It’s going to be a long month without Cole Anthony for fans of the Tar Heels and NCAA Basketball in general. It could very well be the last we see of the star guard before he goes off to the NBA. The remaining UNC players will have to come together and surpass new expectations in order to keep the team viable going forward. The upcoming games are going to give us a glimpse of life without their star and how they respond.