When I first learned that I was going to be a Tar Heel, second to my expectations of receiving a world-class education were my expectations of rooting on a world-class men's college basketball team.
Although my book-learnin' has lived up to expectations, my hopes of rushing Franklin Street in a celebration of victory have diminished slowly over the course of the season.
I should have known. After a four-loss season and dominance in the NCAA tournament that culminated in a championship last year, I thought the next season—my first as an official Tar Heel—would be great. A relatively inexperienced bench and a string of injuries have dashed those hopes of basketball glory.
It was much to my surprise and delight that EA Sports was in the Pit promoting NCAA Basketball 10. Finally, a world where the 2009-10 team could beat up on lesser teams with superiority not known since...last year.
Alas, as I walked up to the EA Sports tent, and even then UNC was losing—a four-point deficit versus a simulated Michigan State.
Senior and EA Sports representative Spencer Erwin told me that the Tar Heels, ranked No. 5 in the game, had been set to preseason stats.
"I didn't want people to come out here and play UNC and be disappointed," Spencer said.
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