Lawson's status questionable for BC

Ty Lawson could return to the court for the first time in seven games Saturday - it'll just happen about 700 miles away. Lawson practiced lightly Wednesday and Thursday and could be a go for minimal minutes in Chestnut Hill, Mass., against Boston College.

"Ty yesterday in practice went up and down the court in three-on-zero and five-on-zero situations," coach Roy Williams said in his news conference Thursday. "Nothing where there was a defense. He did some shooting, and that was it."

Williams said he would try to give Lawson some practice time today in more game-like situations.

"If that goes well, we'll perhaps try to play him for a few minutes against Boston College," Williams said.

"But that decision will not be made until Saturday morning."

If he can't play, the Tar Heels will still be lead by the same steady hand in senior Quentin Thomas.

UNC is 5-1 in the ACC with Lawson available and has been 6-1 in the conference since his injury.

"The kids take ownership when I say, 'We're not going to have Ty, so you've got to play better,'" Williams said.

While some players might be tempted to make up for Lawson's absence by hoisting more shots, it's the all-around effort Williams has been pleased with.

"Guys have been willing to try to do more - and do more within the framework of what we want."

The Tar Heels might need more of that come Saturday. Deon Thompson could miss the Boston College game if his knee and back injuries continue to bother him.

"If he is not considerably better today and tomorrow than he was yesterday, I might just hold him out completely," Williams said Thursday.

Even Thomas can't escape the eyes of the trainers.

"Quentin Thomas, on the injury report it said, 'watch closely,'" Williams joked. "That's what the crap I do every day out there, is watch everybody closely. So I don't know what that means, but we've got to 'watch him closely.'"

Williams has maintained all along that the UNC can't drastically change its style of play because of an injury or two.

But the Lawson absence has given them time to get a lot of work done when they're forced to slow down.

"What we've tried to do is do a better job within our half-court offense," he said. "We have not one day failed to work on a half-court offense."

Practice has changed a little bit, too. Some of the injured players who can't run sprints ride exercise bikes for conditioning.

"Yesterday we didn't have enough bicycles," Williams said. "It felt like a M.A.S.H. unit out there."

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