UNC Basketball: 3 Players Who Need to Come Up Big with Kendall Marshall Hurt

With no Kendall Marshall, North Carolina is going to have to step up its game if it wants to win the NCAA tournament this season.

Marshall is the catalyst for the Tar Heels. He runs the transition game for them and is great at finding the open man with his excellent court vision.

Without Marshall on the floor, North Carolina will have to find new ways to score. They do not have many players who can create their own shot outside of Harrison Barnes.

Harrison Barnes

His ability to create his own shot is why he needs to step up his game if the Tar Heels are going to advance. Barnes scored 17 points in their third-round win over Creighton, which is right on his average for the year. He shot 7-of-19 while grabbing five rebounds.

Barnes will have to be more aggressive from here on out. He failed to get to the free-throw line against Creighton and will need to drive to the paint to draw contact.

His shot has not been falling, which means he needs to be more aggressive and try to work for easy baskets. A player hitting a couple free throws can get a player like Barnes going and help get his shot in rhythm.

Reggie Bullock

Bullock is a player who benefits a lot from the play of Marshall. Bullock, along with Barnes, is the best three-point shooter on the team, shooting at 38 percent. However, Bullock gets most of his open looks after Marshall draws the defenders to him and passes the ball.

Bullock will need to work harder to find his open shots now. He will need to use the pick-and-roll to find his open three or drive to the hoop.

John Henson

This may seem mean, considering Henson is just coming back from an injured wrist and still put up a solid game for the Tar Heels. He had four blocks and grabbed 10 rebounds along with 13 points.

However, Henson will need to perform even better to keep his team alive.

With Marshall gone, it will be harder for the Tar Heels to score. Henson will need to be a defensive force in the paint to help keep the game low-scoring. He is the best defender on the floor for North Carolina, and he is the key to the defense.

The Tar Heels are in trouble without Marshall. They can stay in title contention, though, if their key players step up their game.