Athletes have loooooong memories. Listen to this clip of Duke junior guard Gerald Henderson talking about North Carolina's 76-68 victory over Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium last season, and his mistake that contributed to the loss. You can hear how it is still stuck in all the wrong places.

But Henderson, now a Duke captain team, says he loves playing those games. "

"You live to play games where the season could be on the line. I would rather not do anything else in my life than play games like that."

Duke hosts Division II Lenoir-Rhyne tonight at 7 in its final exhibition before opening Nov. 10 at home against Presbyterian in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic (ESPNU, 7 p.m.).

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski talked about UNC forward Tyler Hansbrough, currently on the shelf with a stress reaction, going after the UNC and ACC scoring records. Krzyzewski talked about how the process was for J.J. Redick, the current ACC scoring record-holder, and how it might be for Hansbrough once he returns.

The clip is from Operation Basketball in Atlanta on Oct. 26, before Hansbrough got injured.

UNC All-American Tyler Hansbrough underwent a bone scan today, which revealed that the senior forward does not have stress fracture, the school announced.

The test confirmed he does stress reaction in his right shin — which is a precursor to a stress fracture — and is expected to be until at least mid-November.

What UNC basketball fans really have to sweat out in ‘08-’09 isn’t so much Tyler Hansbrough’s injury, or Marcus Ginyard’s injury, or Ty Lawson’s injury-in-waiting.

Instead, it’s that so many sportswriters and coaches are in total agreement that the Tar Heels are a lock to win the national championship. The last time so many experts were in such total agreement on a single subject, long-shot Syracuse beat Roy Williams’ Kansas team for the 2003 NCAA title in New Orleans.

North Carolina coach Roy Williams predicted on Sunday that freshman forward Tyler Zeller would surprise some people. Now, he might have the chance to do it sooner rather than later.

With returning National Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough sidelined indefinitely because of a stress reaction in his right shin, several young big men will have more opportunities to impress coaches in practice — and perhaps more minutes to impress in games, if Hansbrough is sidelined for a lengthy period.

North Carolina forward Tyler Hansbrough had missed only two career practices previous to Thursday. Now, he’ll miss an indefinite number more

The consensus National Player of the Year was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his right shin, coach Roy Williams announced in a statement, and the senior will be sidelined for an unknown period of time.

Reached Thursday night, Tyler’s father, Gene Hansbrough, said he was confident his son would heal soon.

“I think he’ll get well pretty quick,’’ said Gene Hansbrough, an orthopedic surgeon. “…These things happen, and he’ll be all right.”

Photo credit: SI.com

• 2007 list

The NBA season tips off tonight with 59 players from the ACC in the League, according to nba.com.

Twenty-nine of the 30 NBA teams have at least one former ACCer, Milwaukee is the lone team without one, and Golden State leads the way with four.

Duke has the most alumni (14) and Virginia Tech the least (0). The Blue Devils added undrafted rookie DeMarcus Nelson, who against all odds is Golden State's starting point guard.

UNC (11) is second but lost two players, guard Jeff McInnis and forward David Noel, while adding forward Jawad Williams (Cleveland).

The list and observations (special thanks to reader Mac McLean):

North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough and Virginia Tech's Angela Tincher have been named the best male and female athletes, respectively, in the ACC by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association.

CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina forward Tyler Hansbrough said he was surprised by all the attention his leap off a second-floor fraternity balcony into a pool received earlier this summer.

But then again, having another year to behave like a college kid was one of the reasons he opted to return to UNC, rather than leave early for the NBA.