NORTH CAROLINA'S star underclassmen decided they wouldn't put off their goal of playing in the NBA any longer.
The school said Thursday that Harrison Barnes, John Henson and Kendall Marshall will enter the draft, ending a 2-year run in which the Tar Heels made deep NCAA Tournament runs only to fall a game short of the Final Four each time.
The school didn't state whether the three planned to hire an agent in its release announcing the departures, though it appears they are in the draft to stay.
"It's a great day for three youngsters who are taking another step toward their ultimate goal of playing professional basketball," coach Roy Williams said in a statement. "On a very small stage, it's a sad day for me because I won't get to coach them again. All Tar Heel fans will miss them greatly, as well."
Barnes, a 6-8 sophomore, averaged about 17 points to lead the team. Henson, a 6-11 junior, averaged about 14 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks, and was a two-time ACC defensive player of the year. Both were all-ACC first-team picks.
Marshall, a 6-4 sophomore, won the Cousy Award presented to the nation's top college point guard earlier Thursday and set the ACC's single-season assists record.
Louisville coach Rick Pitino might win his second national championship, but he will not be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, a source told ESPNNewYork.com.
One of 12 finalists, Pitino has been informed he did not make the cut.
"He was very disappointed," the source told the website.
Pitino was among a class of nominees that includes Reggie Miller, Bernard King and Don Nelson. The inductees will be announced at the Final Four in New Orleans, and Nelson already has confirmed he will be among them.
* Tulsa announced that Kansas assistant basketball coach Danny Manning has agreed to become the Golden Hurricane coach. Manning takes over for Doug Wojcik, who was fired on March 11. He was 140-92 over seven seasons.
* Illinois introduced John Groce as its basketball coach. Groce led Ohio to this year's Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. He replaces Bruce Weber, who was 210-101 over nine seasons.
* Former Wake Forest and Xavier assistant Pat Kelsey was named Winthrop's basketball coach. He replaced Randy Peele, who was 77-81 over five seasons.
* Baylor women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey, whose team is in the Final Four, said she has been diagnosed with Bell's palsy, a form of facial paralysis. She said she first noticed a strange feeling in her tongue while in Des Moines for the NCAA regional last weekend. Things got worse Wednesday when the coach had what she described as a weird feeling in her mouth while eating, then saw in a mirror on her way to practice that her left eye was drooping and her smile was crooked. She is being treated with antiviral medication and oral steroids.
