by Eddy Landreth , The News & Observer

The Tar Heels (6-0), ranked No. 1 in the nation, will host UNC Asheville at 6:30 p.m. tonight in the Smith Center, marking the end of a road trip that began with a win in California and ended with the championship of the Maui Invitational.

Carolina showed its potential in Hawaii, just as the 2005 team did by blowing away the field in the same tournament before eventually winning Coach Roy Williams' first NCAA title.

This year's Tar Heels hammered an outstanding Notre Dame team 102-87 to win the Maui championship, and their improvement from a year ago was obvious. Of course, that is a scary notion to opponents, considering last season's UNC team overcame injuries that would have decimated normal clubs, yet lost just three games all season and went to the Final Four.

Here is how this season lays out: If Carolina can stop getting hurt; if Tywon Lawson and Tyler Hansbrough can remain healthy for the rest of the season, this team is going to be extraordinarily difficult to stop from winning another national title.

As hard as it may be for many people to believe, Hansbrough is better now than a year ago, when he was the consensus national player of the year. And this is true despite his missing some games and practices because of a "stress reaction" in a shin and, later, a sprained ankle.

Lawson is the player he has always been and more. He's matured, and he knows exactly what to do to make this team go at its full potential.

This kid has been the key all along, but immaturity and injuries held him back just enough the first two seasons to keep UNC from winning the title.

Every Tar Heel fan needs to pray Lawson stays healthy because there may not be a player in college basketball who can guard the guy. Go back to the summer before his freshman year; he went to Europe with a talented group of big men and wing players, and he ended up being MVP of the World Juniors Tournament as the United States won a gold medal. His coach for that team said then that in all likelihood Lawson would lead the Tar Heels to a national championship.

The combination of Ty and Tyler is beyond spectacular. Now that they have played together for a couple of years, they know one another's game and how to work with each other to maximize the effect for the team.

There is much more talent on this club, as well.

Danny Green is playing great basketball, and one can only hope he will continue to do so after Marcus Ginyard returns from foot surgery. Bobby Frasor will only get better if he can stay healthy, and Deon Thompson is probably the most improved player in America from a year ago. Wayne Ellington showed us all a year ago just how good he is when he helped Hansbrough put this team on their backs and carried it through the injuries.

The loss of Ty Zeller to a wrist injury was a blow. But the two freshmen who are still healthy and playing -- Ed Davis and Larry Drew II -- get better each night out and provide exactly what UNC needs from them in terms of depth and production.

It's hilarious to watch just how good Drew is going to be and then remember all the people who questioned his talent the last two years of his high-school career. Personally, my answer was always: If Williams likes him, I like him.

Williams is the best judge of talent in the college game, and he loved Drew and wanted him badly. Now, all those who could not understand why are starting to get it.

As for Davis, sometimes one has to lose to win. Williams lost out on another player and signed Davis instead. It was an exceptional tradeoff. From his demeanor and the way he blends with his teammates, it's obvious this kid has a great attitude, and he's longer than the Bridge to Nowhere in Alaska.

He blocks shots. He knows what to do with the ball when he gets it. He can even pass. And he has an immense amount of room to improve. That should concern opponents.

Tar Heel fans, though, should avoid worrying about how this season ends and, instead, enjoy every moment they get to watch this team play. There cannot be a club in the country more fun to watch.

The Tar Heels are only going to get better, too. Their defense is on its way finally to being what it can be, and if it arrives at full throttle in March, most everything else will take care of itself.

In the meantime, relish every time these kids race up and down the court, pass the ball to one another in an unselfish manner, make steals, hit three-point shots, or dunk or fill baskets in just about any way possible.

Teams of this nature do not come along every year in today's college basketball .

Eddy Landreth can be reached at chnsports@nando.com

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