SPARTANBURG, S.C.—Oh, how we missed this.
It had been a long 233 days without a real Carolina basketball game. And in one night, in a little less than two hours, the Tar Heels proceeded to remind us of virtually every single thing that makes this the best time of the year.
Start with the environment. Carolina made what most programs in the nation would consider a foolhardy choice to open the regular season at a possible NCAA Tournament contender, Wofford. The Terriers, of course, defeated Carolina in Chapel Hill last year. The school advertised the game as the "biggest sporting event in Spartanburg history.