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Roy Williams’ guess on Kendall Marshall? ‘He will not play’

spt-120319-roy-williams

Mike Miller

North Carolina point guard Kendall Marshall tried to keep it light after his wrist surgery earlier Monday, giving some indication that perhaps he’ll be able to play in North Carolina’s Sweet 16 game Friday against Ohio.

Roy Williams isn’t nearly as optimistic.

The UNC coach had this to say on his weekly radio show Monday night: “My guess is -- purely a guess -- that he will not play. But we’re uncertain.”

He did say surgery to repair the fractured left scaphoid bone in Marshall’s right wrist – the sophomore is a lefty – went well, but that the decision on his status won’t come until much later in the week.

Earlier Monday, Marshall’s dad, Dennis, said playing in the Final Four is more likely than playing this weekend. But right now, everything’s a guessing game.

Marshall was injured during the second half of UNC’s win Sunday against Creighton when he was fouled by Ethan Wragge on an attempted layup. He did finish the game, but it was clear his wrist didn’t feel right.

“I didn’t want my team to worry about me,” Marshall said Sunday night. “So I tried to pop up as quick as possible and get to the free-throw line. I didn’t want to make a big deal about it. I just want to keep playing and find a way to win.”

Marshall is the Heels’ most important player, not only for his incredible passing skills – he averages 10 assists a game and has the fourth-highest single-season total in NCAA history – but because UNC doesn’t has a capable backup. Without him, it’d use either freshman Stilman White or senior Justin Watts, neither of whom are close to Marshall’s talent.

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