Jeff Goodman is passing up watching UNC in person to see UK-Ole Miss on TV. (US Presswire)

North Carolina plays Boston College Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET. Usually, it's one of those games I circle on my calendar because it's an opportunity to drive and see one of the elite teams in the country. However, I'm not going. Instead, I'm staying home to watch Marshall Henderson face Kentucky. 

Truth be told, I just saw the Tar Heels get throttled over the weekend in Raleigh against NC State. Sure, they made it respectable in the second half, but it was a good old-fashioned butt-whipping. I'll see Roy Williams & Co. again in a few weeks over in Durham against Duke. I don't need to see North Carolina again. I don't want to see North Carolina again. I saw plenty on Saturday evening. 

"It's not a very good feeling right now," Roy Williams said after the loss. "We stunk." 

Marcus Paige isn't ready. He needed a year of apprenticeship under Kendall Marshall, but was thrust into action this season. James Michael McAdoo isn't ready. He needed to transition into being The Guy, not wind up being tossed into the role. There's no leadership, poor transition defense and no low-post threat. 

The Tar Heels lost four first-rounders: Harrison Barnes, Tyler Zeller, Kendall Marshall and John Henson. Zeller was a senior. Barnes remained in Chapel Hill a year longer than anyone expected -- and Henson also stuck around longer than most anticipated. The only departure that caught anyone by surprise was that of Marshall -- who was considered by many as a four-year guy. 

There was no big man ready to step in and give Williams the low-post presence he has relied on and needs. Desmond Hubert is a backup at a place like North Carolina and Joel James has a man's body, but he isn't ready. You know it's bad in Chapel Hill when you have Jackson Simmons trying to defend Richard Howell and C.J. Leslie. 

It's not just leadership, maturity, the lack of a go-to guy and a low-post threat that has North Carolina scrambling just to get into the NCAA tourney. 

There's also a lack of toughness with this year's squad. 

"You've got to be able to go in someone else's place and play well," Williams said. "Have toughness to you." 

If I was Roy Williams, I'd make sure to have my three most-talented players on the court as much as possible: McAdoo, Reggie Bullock and P.J. Hairston. 

Just two years ago, Carolina was brutal in the first half of the season -- but the Tar Heels flipped the switch around this time of year -- in Boston -- when Marshall was inserted into the starting lineup in place of Larry Drew II. This year there's virtually nothing Williams can do. It's going to take time. 

The Tar Heels will lose senior Dexter Strickland from this year's team -- and maybe McAdoo. Brice Johnson has the potential to be a terrific player once he adds weight, but there's no answer at the point guard spot if Paige doesn't develop. Nate Britt will come in next season, but it's unlikely he'll supplant Paige -- who needs to physically mature prior to his sophomore season. The Tar Heels also bring in a couple of frontcourt guys: Kennedy Meeks, who is a project big man, and Isaiah Hicks -- who has a chance to be an impact guy from Day 1 due to his combination of length and athleticism.

Let's face it: It's unlikely that the Tar Heels will return to the land of the elite next season. 

North Carolina is 13-6 and 3-3 in league play and fighting for its NCAA tourney life each game. It can ill-afford to slip up at Boston College. The Tar Heels have already lost to Texas, at Virginia and at home to a Miami team, which was missing Reggie Johnson. They need a win against the Eagles. 

Honestly, I won't be paying attention. Instead, I'll be watching the Marshall Henderson Show because it's far more entertaining.