Tar Heels face Penn in season opener

It's about time. The offseason is at an end.

No more guessing if Danny Green can handle his new role as a starter. No more wondering if the four rookies have what it takes to play for the No. 1 team in the nation.

And" at least for one night no more speculating if Tyler Hansbrough will be back in action.

When the ball is tipped Saturday at 4 p.m." answers will begin to form. The period of ""glorified practices"" is over — time to move on to the games that count.

""Everything changes now"" Green said Wednesday. Everything is serious now — it's the real thing.""

And while North Carolina's first opponent" Pennsylvania doesn't fit the bill of a typical upset candidate there are a number of things to look for during the game.

- UNC's rebounding edge

The Tar Heels dominated the boards like no other team last season. The '08 team finished the year averaging 11 more rebounds per game than its opponents.

The driving presence behind that edge was Hansbrough and his 10.2 rebounds per game. Now that the senior forward is out indefinitely UNC could have problems on the boards in the first few games.

At least that was the case in the Tar Heels exhibition win against UNC-Pembroke. The Tar Heels only managed seven more rebounds than UNC-P and the Braves actually logged four more offensive boards than North Carolina.

Now that the competition is improving a number of players — namely Green Deon Thompson and Tyler Zeller — will need to step up if the team plans to live up to early expectations.

- On-court leadership

Losing Hansbrough and fellow senior Marcus Ginyard doesn't just hurt UNC in the box score. With their absences the Tar Heels lose the team's calming presences on the court.

Ginyard was the most vocal Tar Heel throughout last year and always seemed to settle UNC down during the most unnerving moments.

And having Hansbrough down low provided a security blanket each time the team needed a bucket.

As the lone starting senior" that duty falls on Green.

""I'm expected to lead the team"" he said. Vocally and by example.""

Junior Wayne Ellington also said he plans to take on more of a leadership role this year and help the freshmen adapt to their first years in the NCAA.

- A more up-tempo attack

Without Hansbrough's presence in the paint" North Carolina's half-court offense most likely will take a hit these first few games.

Look for Roy Williams to combat the lack of a dominant offensive big man by playing more quickly.

A faster-paced game will allow UNC's guards to create more mismatches in the open court and at the same time let the big men get into a rhythm with easy buckets.

Without Hansbrough the Tar Heels' strength lies in their guard play and a more up-tempo style might suit Williams' personnel in the early going.



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