June 16 wasn't a good day for the rest of the ACC, but it was a banner date for the Tar Heels.

Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green joined all-time leading scorer Tyler Hansbrough and returned to North Carolina. The troika had tested the NBA draft process but, for various reasons, came back to Chapel Hill.

Lawson's decision wasn't as predictable as that of Ellington and Green. Prognosticators included Lawson in most mock drafts of the first round and there were reports of a "promise" made by the Denver Nuggets to Lawson that were apparently unfounded.

The elation should help heal what was labeled as a disappointing finish to the 2008-09 season.

Of course, at most schools, winning the ACC regular-season and tournament titles, setting a school record for victories and reaching the NCAA Final Four would seem to be the makings for a successful season.

Not when you dream the dreams that North Carolina does.

The 18-point whipping the Tar Heels took from Kansas -- the worst defeat they have had in coach Roy Williams' five seasons -- in the national semifinals sent them home frustrated for a second consecutive year in their goal of adding a fifth national championship to the school's trophy case.

A year ago, a late collapse in the regional final against Georgetown cost the Heels a trip to the Final Four.

This year, the Heels made it to the Final Four but seemed lost when they got there, falling behind by an astounding 28 points in the first half before staging a rally that cut the deficit against Kansas to four points. That's when the Jayhawks went back to their game and easily pulled away in an 84-66 victory.

The Heels, no doubt, believe they'll be back for more this season. Lawson's nagging ankle injury should be behind him by October. He'll be back driving the up-tempo game, and his career assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.5:1 makes his return critical to the Heels making another run.

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