The UNC basketball program is fresh off a win over Marquette to open up their 2022 NCAA Tournament. UNC used a big first half to jump out to a double-digit lead and never really looked back.
The battle between the Tar Heels and Golden Eagles was the second in the past two seasons but there was a lot of turnover on the Marquette roster from their stunning upset in Chapel Hill in 2021. One player on that team, Dawson Garcia, transferred to UNC this offseason and played in a total of 16 games before stepping away. Dawson cited family medical issues as the reason why he left the program and returned home to Minnesota.
Following Thursday’s win, the Tar Heels met the media on Friday ahead of the Baylor game and the question of Garcia talking to the team was brought up. The answer?
When asked if they talked to Dawson Garcia before or after the Marquette game, the UNC players just laughed and didn't offer an answer. Clearly, no conversations happened. #UNC
— R.L. Bynum (@RL_Bynum) March 18, 2022
I don’t know the details behind this and will respect Garcia’s decision to step away for family reasons. It does appear unlikely he returns to the program for another year, however.