Will Graves made a contested 3-pointer with 31 seconds left to give North Carolina a 76-74 win over Mississippi State on Saturday in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament. Graves put the Tar Heels up 74-72 with his fourth 3-pointer of the game. Barry Stewart tied it for the Bulldogs (24-12) on two free throws, but Larry Drew II answered with a layup on the other end to seal the victory.

• Tar Heels Hold Off William and Mary in NIT First Round, 80-72
• Lucas: Thanks For The Memories
• Photo Gallery
  
• Box Score
• Postgame Quotes
• Limited Number Of Team-Autographed Balls Remain For Sale

North Carolina will travel to Starkville to face Mississippi State in the second round of the NIT. The Bulldogs are the No. 1 seed while North Carolina is the No. 4 seed. The winner will play the winner of a game between NC State (six-seed) and UAB (two-seed). This will be Carolina's first-ever game in the state of Mississippi and just the second meeting between the two schools since 1929 (82 years). Carolina leads the all-time series, 4-0.

• Lucas: Thanks For The Memories
• Photo Gallery
  
• Box Score
• Postgame Quotes
• Limited Number Of Team-Autographed Balls Remain For Sale

Dexter Strickland hit the go-ahead free throws with 2:34 left and North Carolina held William & Mary scoreless for the final 5 minutes in the Tar Heels' 80-72 win in the first round of the NIT on Tuesday night.

• NIT Game Sold Out
• Lucas: A Senior's Perspective
• Tar Heels Host William & Mary Tuesday In NIT Opener
• Game Notes Vs. William And Mary (.pdf)
• Monday Audio: Roy Williams
• Watch Roy Williams' Pre-NIT Press Conference
• NIT Interactive Bracket

North Carolina will open its sixth appearance in the NIT in Carmichael Arena against William and Mary on Tuesday night. The Tar Heels are the No. 4 seed and William and Mary is the No. 5 seed. The Tribe is coached by former Tar Heel Tony Shaver. This is Roy Williams' first appearance in the NIT but overall, Carolina is 9-4 in the event, including winning the title in 1971. Carolina leads the all-time series with William and Mary, 17-3.

• Game Notes Vs. William And Mary (.pdf)
• Monday Audio: Roy Williams
• Watch Roy Williams' Pre-NIT Press Conference
• NIT Interactive Bracket

The University of North Carolina men's basketball team will play host to William and Mary on Tuesday, March 16, at 9:30 p.m. in Carmichael Arena in the opening round of the 2010 National Invitation Tournament.

• Lucas: Something's Not Right
• Box Score
• Photo Gallery
  

Derrick Favors had 18 points and nine rebounds to help Georgia Tech hold off North Carolina 62-58 in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament Thursday night.

Frank McGuire was a vocal critic. Dean Smith, his former assistant, wasn't much of a fan, either, even after the event was moved from N.C. State's Reynolds Coliseum in 1967.

• Fans Invited To Team Sendoff Thursday In Greensboro
• Jacobs: ACC Tournament A Chance For Redemption
• Wednesday Talking Points
• Tar Heels To Face No. 7 Seed Georgia Tech At 7 P.M. Thursday In ACC First Round
• ACC Tournament Bracket (.pdf)
• Send In Your Mailbag Questions
• Follow The Tar Heels On Twitter

It's awards season, so the Mailbag staff is here this week to discuss All-ACC voting and publish their ballots. Plus, your chance to be a part of the Tar Heel Sports Network's baseline-to-baseline coverage of the ACC Tournament.

• Lucas: UNC Basketball Mailbag
• Fans Invited To Team Sendoff Thursday In Greensboro
• Jacobs: ACC Tournament A Chance For Redemption
• Wednesday Talking Points
• Tar Heels To Face No. 7 Seed Georgia Tech At 7 P.M. Thursday In ACC First Round
• ACC Tournament Bracket (.pdf)
• Send In Your Mailbag Questions
• Follow The Tar Heels On Twitter

No. 10 seed North Carolina will begin the ACC Tournament on Thursday with its lowest seed ever and its earliest start ever. The Tar Heels will face seventh-seeded Georgia Tech, which swept the season series with Carolina this year. Carolina leads the series, 60-22, but has a 4-4 record against the Yellow Jackets in the ACC Tournament. Carolina has an 84-38 ACC Tournament record and is 32-13 in Greensboro, winning eight ACC Tournaments there.

• Tar Heels To Face No. 7 Seed Georgia Tech At 7 P.M. Thursday In ACC First Round
• ACC Tournament Bracket (.pdf)
• Send In Your Mailbag Questions
• Follow The Tar Heels On Twitter

With a few days to pause and take stock of a disappointing season, Marcus Ginyard now realizes he saw warning signs before Carolina ever played a game in the 2009-10 season. The lesson? This season's struggles may have begun even before January.

• Watch Monday's Roy Williams Pre-ACC Tournament Press Conference
• Tar Heels To Face No. 7 Seed Georgia Tech At 7 P.M. Thursday In ACC First Round
• ACC Tournament Bracket (.pdf)
• Send In Your Mailbag Questions
• Lucas: Reliving History
• Box Score
• Follow The Tar Heels On Twitter

Kyle Singler scored 19 of his 25 points in the decisive first half and No. 4 Duke routed North Carolina 82-50 on Saturday night. Freshman John Henson matched a season high with 14 points for the Tar Heels (16-15, 5-11).

• Lucas: UNC Basketball Notebook
• Watch UNC-Duke Coverage Live On ESPN360 Saturday Night
  
• Watch Senior Night Video
  
• Zeller Named Academic All-ACC Again
  

North Carolina will close out the regular season at No. 4 Duke. Duke can clinch at least a share of the league regular-season title and No. 1 overall seed with a win while North Carolina can get either the No. 9 or No. 10 seed in the ACC Tournament. With a win and a Virginia loss, Carolina would be the No. 9.

University of North Carolina sophomore Tyler Zeller has earned his second consecutive selection to the 2010 All-Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Men's Basketball Team, as announced today by Commissioner John Swofford.

• Watch Friday's Roy Williams Press Conference At 2 P.M.
  
• Watch UNC-Duke Coverage Live On ESPN360 Saturday Night
  
• Watch Senior Night Video
  
• Zeller Named Academic All-ACC Again
  
• THB.com Spotlight: All Smiles On Senior Night
  
• Lucas: Remember This
  
• Photo Gallery
  
• Box Score
  
• Postgame Quotes

Deon Thompson scored 14 points in his final home game to help North Carolina hold off Miami 69-62 on Tuesday night and become just the second team in NCAA history with 2,000 victories.

• Raycom Affiliates For Miami Game
• Submit Your Mailbag Question
• Tuesday Talking Points
• Miami Game Guide
• Limited Number Of Returned Tickets Available for Miami Game
• Follow The Tar Heels On Twitter

Tonight's a big night at the Smith Center, as it marks the final home game for Deon Thompson, Marcus Ginyard and four other seniors. This week's Mailbag has all the information about tonight's slightly different ceremonies, updates on tonight's jersey recognition and answers to plenty of other Tar Heel hoops questions.

• Submit Your Mailbag Question
• Lucas: Taking Charge(s)
• Box Score
• Limited Number Of Returned Tickets Available for Miami Game
• Follow The Tar Heels On Twitter
• Photo Gallery

Freshman Leslie McDonald scored a season-high 16 points and North Carolina snapped a three-game losing streak by beating Wake Forest 77-68 on Saturday. Will Graves had 13 points and Larry Drew II added 10 points for the Tar Heels.

• Tar Heels Fall to Seminoles, 77-67
• Watch Roy Williams' Press Conference Friday At 2 p.m.
• Lucas: Fatherly Advice
• Photo Gallery
  
• Box Score
• Postgame Quotes

Tyler Zeller is almost fully back to his normal level of conditioning, but Travis Wear's status is still uncertain for Saturday.

• Lucas: Fatherly Advice
• Photo Gallery
  
• Box Score
• Postgame Quotes

North Carolina was unable to bridge an early deficit and fell Wednesday to Florida State, 77-67. UNC rallied from down as much as 23 to get within nine, but the Seminoles held off the Tar Heels. Will Graves put in 21 points in the loss.

• Brownlow: UNC Basketball Notebook
• Tar Heels Fall to Seminoles, 77-67
• Watch Roy Williams' Press Conference Friday At 2 p.m.
• Lucas: Fatherly Advice
• Photo Gallery
  
• Box Score
• Postgame Quotes

North Carolina will try to win its second true road game this year at Wake Forest. Both teams are trying to snap losing streaks; Wake Forest has lost two in a row and Carolina has lost three straight and seven of eight. Wake Forest is Carolina's third straight opponent with a week off.

Imagine that you're a successful coach, a very successful coach, among the most successful in your profession. You've developed an approach to crafting and directing teams, honed over years and decades, that you know will work time and again. It's not just your approach, it's an approach whose basics you learned at the side of a master. A master, Dean Smith, who in his turn apprenticed under two other masters of the game, Frank McGuire and Phog Allen, following a trail of knowledge that leads directly to the creator of the game, Dr. James Naismith.