Okay, this is thin gruel but such is the offseason when you do not have three guys testing the waters. According to Inside Carolina, Will Graves was asked by a UNC official about a rumor that he would not be returning next season. Graves responded by saying “was the first he heard of the comment he supposedly made.”
The Graves suspension was one of the many plot twists in the 2009 title run which I surmised may have been more roller coaster in nature that any other. Between this, the injuries and a couple of inexplicable losses, some of us were beginning to think this team was snake bit. It worked out in the end though I am sure Graves is kicking himself for being stupid enough to get suspended. Instead of being on the court and contributing to a title run, he was sitting beside the coaches. Sure he gets a ring but I imagine getting a ring when you were actually on the court helping the team is a little sweeter than getting one while suspended.
As for next season, Roy mentioned Graves by name when talking about life after Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington when that pair announced they were heading to the NBA. Unless Graves has other plans I expect he will be there, otherwise it would leave Roy holding two empty scholarships. Plus, if Graves can play well, he could be an X factor in shoring up the perimeter shooting that will be a huge question mark heading into 2009-10 season.
