Danny Green News

Last year in Memphis, Roy Williams was describing what made Gonzaga such an effective opponent.

It was quite a different experience Saturday night for number 24 to be on the court hearing "Jump Around" as opposed to being on the bench showcasing his dance moves for the Smith Center crowd.

The ACC remains the best way to get to the NBA. With 54 of its former players currently playing in the NBA, the Atlantic Coast Conference has more alums in the professional league than any of the six major college basketball conferences.

By Brendan Bianowicz Staff REPORTER The college basketball season is now in full swing as many of the preseason tournaments are over.

When Michigan State's players walk into the Dean E. Smith Center on North Carolina's campus today, the Tar Heels and their fans won't have to say a word to remind them of UNC's dominance last season.

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North Carolina got some of what it needed most for its men's basketball team this week: practice.

Through six games and two ranked opponents, there are a few basic story lines that have developed so far.

N.C. State guard Javier Gonzalez drives the lane in a game at the RBC Center against Georgia State.

Ever wonder what it feels like to play in your first game in the NBA? Let Danny Green tell you about the 31 seconds he played at the end of the first quarter in Miami on Nov.

Once a rookie is drafted, he must participate in preseason workouts and is generally expected to fade into obscurity on the bench during the regular season.

No. 6/4 North Carolina will face North Carolina Central in its season-opener and Carolina's second game of the season.

Four-time All-America Tyler Hansbrough is gone, as are Ty Lawson, last season's ACC Player of the Year, and Wayne Ellington, the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player last spring.

This is the one piece of advice Marcus Ginyard wishes someone had given him before his freshman year at North Carolina: "Coach Williams is right 100 percent of the time, no matter what," Ginyard said.

For years, everything Duke and North Carolina achieved - the conference championships, Final Four trips and national titles - has been connected in a back-and-forth game of one-upmanship. These days the Tar Heels have the upper hand.

How important is a coach who can flat-out recruit in a program that has great tradition? The answer is ... very important.

Each week I'll talk about the sport I love, college basketball: &#8226 What does it say when North Carolina loses key players like Tyler Hansbrough, Wayne Ellington, Ty Lawson and Danny Green and still gets picked co-favorite in the ACC by the media.

ONE FANTASTIC RIDE: THE INSIDE STORY OF CAROLINA BASKETBALL'S 2009 CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON - Available from uncpress.unc.edu or wherever books are sold.

Roy Williams can't escape Dean Smith's presence. The legend's name is on the building.

Clemson will have a solid gauge on this year when Oliver Purnell and the Tigers travel to California for the 76 Classic.