Harrison Barnes: Star Forward Must Carry UNC If Kendall Marshall Can't Go

It's anybody's guess as to whether the North Carolina Tar Heels will have star point guard Kendall Marshall against the No. 13 seed Ohio Bobcats on Friday night.

On Wednesday, it was reported by ESPN.com that Marshall had the cast removed from his surgically-repaired right wrist, which was then placed in a removable cast. There is still a chance that he will be able to play in Friday's game.

But the Tar Heels are planning on playing Friday's game as if they won't have Marshall, as well they should. It would be a great story if Marshall were able to play against Ohio, but asking him to play in a game mere days after having surgery to repair his fractured wrist is asking too much.

If Marshall isn't able to go, North Carolina will be forced to figure out a way to top the Bobcats without the one player who makes its offense click. No doubt Roy Williams will make a point of getting the ball to Tyler Zeller and John Henson, who are tall and talented enough to get around Ohio's bigs. They'll also give Carolina a significant advantage on the boards at both ends of the floor.

But the Tar Heels aren't beating the Bobcats if only Zeller and Henson show up to play. They're going to need somebody else to step up and carry the team.

That somebody would be you, Harrison Barnes.

Barnes is an interesting case study. He was the team's co-leading scorer last season and its leading scorer this season, but the loose consensus among fans and some pundits is that Barnes should be better than he's shown in his first two seasons at Chapel Hill.

This has a lot to do with how much Barnes was hyped before he even played a game for the Tar Heels, as he was being talked up as a potential top-five draft pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.

Credit where credit is due, Barnes has shown flashes of brilliance over the last two years. His 40-point game against Clemson last season comes to mind, and he was money in the second half of Carolina's loss to Duke in February. Occasions like those have made it abundantly clear that Barnes has it in him to be truly great.

But just as often as Barnes is great, he's just okay. He'll pitch in 12 to 15 points and a few rebounds and call it even. It's hard to notice when Barnes is this mediocre, as typically he's slacking in a given game because his teammates are doing so well.

Marshall is usually one of them, especially lately. Marshall turned into a double-double machine late in the season, and he didn't quit once the tournament started. The spotlight was on him, and he earned it.

If Marshall is held out of Friday's game, Barnes must do everything in his power to earn the spotlight for himself. The Tar Heels are going to need one of his flashes of brilliance, as one of those will surely A) give the Tar Heels a chance to win the game, and B) give the Tar Heels somebody to rally around in Marshall's absence.

Barnes has the ability to be that kind of player. What we're likely to find out on Friday is if he has the guts.