Injuries, especially to starters, always cause problems. Basketball is built around rhythm, and injuries force teams to reconfigure that rhythm, often with players either playing more minutes than they are used to or playing out of position due to a lack of depth at that position.
North Carolina’s latest injury is to Caleb Wilson. In their first game without him, the team played well enough to beat Pittsburgh and stay undefeated at home. Odds are Wilson will be back before the tournament, but the effects
could be long lasting and the fans will miss more opportunities to see Wilson do truly great things in what is probably his only season in Chapel Hill. This prompts us to ask where this injury ranks in the annals of Tar Heel lore, especially if he isn’t able to return for the NCAA tournament.
So what is the most impactful injury in North Carolina history?
In my opinion no injury in North Carolina history was greater than the one to Kendall Marshall in the 2012 NCAA tournament. Any North Carolina fan of the last 15 years knows the story: Marshall was going in for a layup when he was pushed to the ground by a Creighton player and broke his wrist. Due to knee injuries to Dexter Strickland and Leslie MacDonald, Marshall — who was second team all conference and lead the ACC in assists — was the one player UNC couldn’t afford to lose. The team had already lost John Henson for the ACC tournament and, as big of a loss as that was, they had players to compensate.
Instead, they had to turn to freshman Stillman White, who played admirably but just couldn’t make up for that loss as the Tar Heels went 1-1, barely beating Ohio in OT in the Sweet Sixteen before losing to Kansas in the Elite Eight. I honestly believe the Tar Heels win the National Championship that season with a healthy Kendall Marshall, as they had only lost to eventual champion Kentucky by one in Rupp Arena earlier in the season.
Obviously, the Wilson injury is hard to place right now, but what do you consider to be the most impactful injury in North Carolina history? Let us know in the comments below.
