Maryland vs. North Carolina: Reaction, Grades and Latest on John Henson's Injury

Believe it or not, North Carolina isn’t sponsored by John Deer. The way that the Tar Heels have been mowing down everything in their path over the past month, though, you’d assume that they were. 

UNC lengthened their winning streak by blowing out the Maryland Terrapins 85-69 on Friday afternoon.

John Henson Injury Update

Explosive forward John Henson exited the game in the first half with a wrist injury.  He tried to come back in, but unbearable pain forced him back to the bench.  At first, he didn’t join the team returning to the court for the second half, but Adam Gold later tweeted that:

"

Henson back on the bench, left wrist wrapped in ice. #wsfunc #acctrny

— Adam Gold (@AGoldFan) March 9, 2012"

Near the end of the game, though, Henson removed from the tape from his wrist and even clapped for his team. 

CBS Sports' Knox Barden relayed this report allowing Tar Heel fans to breathe a sign of relief:

"

John Henson >> RT @ACCSports: RT @tarheelblog: ACC Network reporting X-rays negative.

— Knox Bardeen (@knoxbardeen) March 9, 2012"

North Carolina needs Henson, so they’re praying that his wrist heals by the Big Dance.  Roy Williams doesn’t care about the ACC tournament, so don’t expect to see him for the remainder of Championship Week.

Tweets of the Day

The official account of ACC Men’s Basketball kept fans up to speed on Kendall Marshall’s pursuit and breaking of the single-season conference assist record, tweeting:

"

Kendall Marshall has 5 assists on the day (on 6 UNC baskets), & has broken the ACC season record of 303 held by GT's Craig Neal #ACCTRNY

— ACC Men's Basketball (@accmbb) March 9, 2012"

But a handful of fans were more interested in shoes than stats, as one complained about Harrison Barnes’ choice of kicks, tweeting:

"

Harrison Barnes disrespectful. Wearing Kobe's knowing UNC sponsored by Jordan.

— Keys-On Parking (@AyyyeMrParker) March 9, 2012"

Grades for Tar Heels’ Key Players

Harrison Barnes: B 

Barnes didn’t have a great day shooting the ball, but he made up for it with his effort on the glass and defensive end.  He shot 6-of-13 from the field while adding seven boards and three steals.

Kendall Marshall: A

Marshall’s floor vision and passing ability is insane.  The floor general dished out 12 dimes and scored 13 points leading his team to a blowout victory.

Tyler Zeller: B+

Zeller’s performance was a key reason why the Tar Heels dominated.  His 14 points, seven boards and defensive presence helped make up for the loss of Henson.

Grades for Terrapins’ Key Players

Terrell Stoglin: A

Stoglin gave fans a reason to keep their hands off their remote, at least for some of the second half.  He finished with a whopping 30 points in the contest.

Alex Len: F

Len has the potential to develop into a first-round pick, but he sure didn’t show it against the Tar Heels.  The freshman didn’t score a point, going 0-of-4, and he only hauled in three boards.

Deciding Factor

Even with Henson’s absence, North Carolina’s big men absolutely owned Maryland’s.  The Terrapins' starting frontcourt didn’t score a single point until almost midway through the second half. 

On the flip side, Zeller and James Michael McAdoo both had big games offensively, combining for 28 points.

Game MVP

Kendall Marshall needed only five assists to break the single-season conference record, but he didn’t stop there.  On Friday, he showed once again why he’s the best floor general in all of college basketball.

What’s Next?

UNC will face off against the winner of NC State and Virginia in the next round of the ACC tournament.  Maryland, on the other hand, is headed to Ocean City for spring break—if they don’t make the NIT, of course.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

Follow @TheRealDDaniels