If there is little or no penalty, my guess is they are back quickly. But if there is a post-season ban next year, I wonder how that may affect some current players (in addition to new recruits, obviously).
They'll have a few guys who will probably be on the fence about declaring for the draft. Most expect that Justin Jackson will leave, but guys like Kennedy Meeks, Isaiah Hicks, and maybe even Berry or Pinson could consider it if they have good years.
The question for guys like that is whether to go early and maybe be drafted lower, or to stick around and showcase your abilities as a starter on what should still be a good team (if everybody stays). If there is no chance to showcase in post-season, that would seem to tilt the decision more toward declaring.
I also wonder if a post-season ban might get some players thinking about transferring. If a guy like Nate Britt has been relegated to the bench, would he consider sitting out a season and playing his senior year somewhere else? Or maybe rushing his graduation and transferring as a grad student so he could play immediately? He's good enough that he could well play for pay in Europe. Which means he's good enough to start at a lot of fine schools. If I'm Britt, I might think about talking with Mark Few or Shaka Smart. They've both done well with transfers and usually make the NCAAT.
Another question that people seem too timid to tackle on the UNC boards is whether their current commits will sign before the NCAA ruling is handed down. I wouldn't. Would you? I mean if you are #30, you can certainly find another place on a good team in the spring if the hammer looks like it could affect your career.
