After their team was drubbed by eventual national champion Kansas in the Final Four, University of North Carolina basketball fans needed some good news, and yesterday they got some when everybody’s player of the year, Tyler Hansbrough, announced he would return to play as a senior. Rising juniors Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington, however, have declared for the NBA draft to pursue their dreams of playing the pro game.

When I was growing up in North Carolina, my dream was to play for the Tar Heels, setting up driveway dramas where I was the star hitting the last-second shot to win the game. Because I was vertically challenged with only the teeniest bit of talent, I had to settle for living in the players’ dorm and cheering them on from the stands while I was in Chapel Hill.

So for me, I identify more with the Hansbroughs and Tim Duncans of this world, guys who value the college experience, realizing that they only get one chance at these four years. Of course, many would say, “Hey, I bet if some magazine had thrown millions of bucks at you while you were in Journalism school, you’d taken the cash and left college far behind.” Probably, but if I had been a part of something special while in Chapel Hill, something I had aspired to be a part of while growing up, something that afforded me challenges and opportunities unique to college, and the promise of money would’ve still been waiting for me after my senior year, I would’ve wanted to stay through graduation.

That doesn’t mean I look down on players like Lawson and Ellington. They have different dreams and aspirations than I did and they have to do what’s best for themselves and their families. And the Tar Heel faithful should wish them well as they seek out a successful career on the hardwoods of the NBA.

Since way back on August 5, when the Steelers marched over the Saints in the Hall of Fame game, you football fans out there have had gridiron action to look forward to nearly every weekend. Now that the Giants have pulled the big Super Bowl upset over the no-longer-perfect Pats and another weekend’s upon us, where do you sports fans turn your attention? Yeah, I know, the Pro Bowl will be played in the land of leis tomorrow afternoon, but does that count? (I don’t think so.) Glancing through the “Sports on TV” section of USA Today, here are your options:

• Boxing: Welterweights rock ’em and sock ’em tonight in California.
• Bull riding: The PBR series bucks its way into Anaheim this weekend.
• Bowling: The PBA sets its pins up in El Paso tomorrow.
• Tennis: The United States will be volleying in Vienna in Davis Cup action against Austria today and tomorrow.
• Golf: Choose from the PGA European Tour in India (I think there’s somewhat of a geography problem there), the Champions (a.k.a. “seniors”) Tour in Boca, and the PGA Tour’s best playing alongside a gaggle of celebrity hackers at Pebble Beach.
• College basketball: Both the men and the women will tip it off in a number of TV games across the country this weekend, wrapping it all up tomorrow night with the Clemson men trying to put an end to their school’s amazing streak of futility (0-52) against North Carolina in Chapel Hill. With Tar Heel point guard Ty Lawson ailing, this may be the year for the Tigers.
• Pro basketball: ABC and ESPN will offer 11 consecutive hours of men in long shorts tomorrow.
• Motor sports: The NHRA’s Winternationals power up in Ponoma, Calif., while NASCAR’s 2008 season gets into gear tonight in Daytona with the Budweiser Shootout followed by pole qualifying tomorrow afternoon for next Sunday’s 500.
• Oh yeah, and there’s a hockey game on Sunday: Ducks and Wings (sounds kind of fowl).

But if you still need a taste of NFL action, skip the Pro Bowl and tune in tonight to the Gospel Music Channel, where you can catch Giants Super Bowl star receiver David Tyree and players from every team in the league singing together in a gospel choir.