Now that the team banquet, the last major public appearance
together is over, UNC's players are beginning to reveal a bit - but not much - about
their future plans.
During an interview with WTVD earlier Tuesday, Sean May
backtracked considerably, talking about how the money is great, and so forth and
that his previous pledge to stay was an emotional reaction.
Raymond Felton says that he has made up his mind but won't
announce until sometime next week. Marvin Williams also says he has made
up his mind but also won't reveal his decision for a while.
There's always a chance that one of the three might find an
advantage in deciding to stay but not announcing it. Surely if you were
going to stay, there's no better place to announce it than at the banquet, and
if your mind's made up, why not?
But on the other hand, you sure would get a lot of love if
everyone else left and you stuck around.
Then again, there's Sean May, who pretty clearly
doesn't want to come back and diminish his future income if there's no one to
get the ball to him or to help break up triple teams.
The most interesting quote here is where May says he basically
b.s.'d the media all season to "keep them off his back." That's
not going to go over well with UNC fans who actually believed him.
- "I would love to come back for my fourth year, but if it's a situation where I don't feel comfortable and the rest of my teammates do leave, it's an option that I may look at."
Sean May - "When I find out some more information and sit down, talk and weigh my options, I'll relay the information to everybody
else." Sean May - "Part of my declaration all season was kind of to keep you guys off my
back. I've always thought to myself, 'I'm a four-year guy.' When I came to college I always felt that
way...Our team had great success this year. I had great success this year. It's just a situation that if I do decide to go to the NBA I feel that I am ready and I can play at that level. And if I come back I feel like we have an opportunity to what we did this year again."
Sean May - "I've made up my mind but I'm not going to tell you either way. It was difficult but I think it was best for me. It was something that I wanted. It's best for me. It's a decision that my mom and dad and Coach Williams asked me what I wanted to do."
Raymond Felton - "I think I do personally, but I choose to keep it private. I think I do have my mind made up, pretty much."
Marvin Williams
Oh yeah, a note to the A.P.'s Aaron Beard: a purge is when you are forced out. The word you were looking for is something more like exodus.