Another injury blow for No. 1 Heels
What is it with top-ranked North Carolina and its big men named Tyler?
The Heels (2-0) remain without reigning National Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough and have now lost 6-foot-10 freshman Tyler Zeller for the remainder of the season after he underwent surgery this week.
Zeller suffered multiple fractures in his wrist when he landed on it late in the Tar Heels’ 77-58 win over Kentucky on Tuesday. He had started the first two games in place of Hansbrough and was injured when he missed a breakaway dunk and came down on his hand.
“I hate this for Tyler,” said head coach Roy Williams. “He’s such a great kid and he’s going to be a terrific player for us. It’s another big blow for our team, but it’s more adversity that we have to overcome together.”
Zeller scored 18 points in the opener against Penn, but he recorded just 2 points against the Wildcats.
UNC has a busy stretch upcoming, starting with a game Friday night at UC Santa Barbara – bet on it at WagerWeb.com. The Heels then play three games in the Maui Invitational beginning Monday. The Tar Heels return home to play UNC Asheville before playing Michigan State at Ford Field in Detroit in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
Coach Roy Williams said this week he did not know when Hansbrough – who has been out for three weeks because of a “stress reaction” in his right shin – would play again. Hansbrough hinted it could be Friday, while Williams said it could be in Maui.
If Hansbrough isn’t ready to return Friday, the Tar Heels could start freshman Ed Davis, who has averaged 9.5 points and 12 rebounds off the bench in his first two games.
Another option would be sliding 6-feet-6 Danny Green from small forward to power forward, and starting senior guard Bobby Frasor.
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