The North Carolina Tar Heels will have to make sure they don't get caught looking ahead to their Elite Eight opponent when they take the court on Friday night. Their game against the No. 13 seed Ohio Bobcats may look easy upon first glance, but with Kendall Marshall's status still up in the air, this Sweet 16 matchup might not be as cut and dry as most think.
NCAA Tournament 2012, UNC Vs. Ohio: TV Schedule, Game Time And More
The North Carolina Tar Heels will play the Cinderella story Ohio Bobcats on Friday night in the Sweet 16 round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament.
Presswire
The Tar Heels likely won’t know the status of Marshall until close to game time, following Monday’s wrist surgery, meaning fans will likely be waiting right up until the game tips off at 7:47 p.m. as the first of a TBS doubleheader on Friday night.
North Carolina received a big spark when John Henson returned to the lineup following an injury absence when the Tar Heels defeated the Creighton Bluejays last weekend to get to this point as the forward had 13 points and 10 rebounds. The rest of the starters were all solid, but the bench will need to be a bit more active -- aside from P.J. Hairston, none of the non-starters played more than four minutes in the round of 32.
The Bobcats have pulled off a pair of upsets in the NCAA Tournament already, taking out the Michigan Wolverines and South Florida Bulls. D.J. Cooper will need to continue to hit big shots if Ohio's going to continue its Cinderella run, though, and someone other than he and Willie Offutt might need to start contributing on the offensive end as well.
For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stick around SB Nation’s NCAA Tournament hub. There you’ll find a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.
See More:
