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March Madness: Major development in Tar Heels’ region

By Nick Delahanty

Mar 16, 2022; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Baylor Bears guard LJ Cryer (4) looks on during practice before the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at Dickies Arena. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 16, 2022; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Baylor Bears guard LJ Cryer (4) looks on during practice before the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at Dickies Arena. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports /
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How does this major March Madness injury update potentially affect the UNC basketball program and the East Region as a whole?

In preparation for the start of the annual NCAA Tournament, some major news was announced that could have an impact on the East Region as a whole.

While talking to reporters, Baylor head coach Scott Drew announced that LJ Cryer will be unavailable for the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament. The sophomore guard has been sidelined since February 16 due to a foot injury.

This is major news for one of the top teams in the country, as their leading scorer will not be available to play until at least the Sweet 16. Could his absence hinder Baylor’s attempt to make a deep postseason run?

You may think that Baylor is doomed, given that they are without one of their main contributors. However, since his absence, Drew and his team have actually played great basketball, winning five of the six games Cryer missed.

Related Story. ESPN analyst picks Tar Heels to pull off big upset. light

For the UNC basketball program, it’s possible that they could see Baylor in the second round of play on Saturday (of course, they have to take care of business against Marquette and Baylor has to win their opening-round game as well). Not having Cryer on the floor would be an advantage for the Tar Heels, but it doesn’t mean that this team should be overlooked by any means.

There’s no question that Baylor is a better team when Cryer is on the floor as their lead guard, but don’t sleep on the rest of this unit. They possess a lot of talent and come in with players with plenty of NCAA Tournament experience, something that is valuable to have when trying to make a deep run.

The question remains: can Baylor stay afloat while their leading scorer is sidelined, or will one of the teams they match up within the East Region get the better of them before Cryer can return?

For the UNC basketball program, they without a doubt hope they have the opportunity to potentially knock out the defending champions.

Next. Game time, TV channel for UNC's matchup with Baylor. dark

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