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CHAPEL HILL — For several years now, North Carolina basketball fans have probably wondered why two guys dressed as the Blues Brothers perform during a time out at every home game. Now it makes sense. This summer will be remembered as the one when the Tar Heels put the band back together.

Those certain of returning said they gave the water-testers some space without keeping their distance, and in the end, NBA draft candidates Wayne Ellington, Danny Green and Ty Lawson elected to withdraw their names from the pool and remain at UNC. As a result, it's not going to be hard for the media and general public to pick a national preseason No. 1 team.

"This team is going to be stacked and loaded all the way down the line," as backup center Deon Thompson put it Monday.

The spring and early summer had to be at least somewhat awkward for the Heels, who didn't know if their starting backcourt and sixth man would be in the fold or in the League. For a few weeks, the triumvirate bounced between pro workouts and the UNC campus, taking advantage of the NCAA rule that allows players one such dalliance during their college careers. The rest of the bunch had their curiosities but knew it might not be wise to ask The Question.

"I didn't try to persuade them to do anything," said center Tyler Hansbrough, who decided early on that he wouldn't put his name in the hopper.

The inevitable stress of the process became apparent. Lawson, who was not available for comment on Monday, lamented the message-board rants of alleged fans who were less than supportive of his draft exploration. Green's father suggested that coach Roy Williams could have been more helpful in the process. Green said the attention given that issue was excessive.

"I don't think there was anything that was broken," he said. "There was a misunderstanding or things that were said or put in the papers. The media might have blown it out of proportion a bit, but I talked to coach about it and we're fine."

The three said they talked during the pre-draft camp in Orlando, Fla., about their status and hinted they were leaning toward returning. They said they reached their conclusions independently and affirmed them in a meeting on June 18, one day before the NBA-imposed deadline for rescinding draft declarations.

"It was no big moment for us," Green said. "I'm sure it was a big moment for you (media) guys and everybody else."

Ellington, who was considered a borderline first-round pick, decided that wasn't good enough to merit the plunge. That seems sensible, but many candidates ignore the perils inherent in the difference between first-round selection, which comes with three years of guaranteed salary, and anything else, which offers no financial promises.

"I feel I can get a lot better and my stock can get a lot better," Ellington said. "The best thing for me to do would be to come back to Carolina."

Green believes he benefited from his initial decision to evaluate his prospects.

"I wasn't trying to find myself; I was trying to find out what the process was about," he said.

One guy who had made up his mind early in the game was the most acclaimed Tar Heel, Hansbrough, who said he contemplated entering the draft shortly after this past season ended.

If the Heels had won the NCAA title in his junior season, going pro would have been an easier call.

"One thing may have been a deciding factor," he said. "I felt if I came back to school, I was doing what I wanted to do. I wanted to be part of the team again. A lot of people look at it that you're hurting yourself by staying, but I always felt I could get a little better."

From a practical standpoint, Hansbrough said he wasn't ready to be evaluated by people who would see him under non-game conditions and in a limited setting.

"I know what I need to work on," he said. "Our coaches tell me that every day. And I trust our coaches."

The Heels said there was no massive team celebration at the news, but there was certainly happiness at the knowledge that nearly everybody of consequence would return. Much like Florida two years ago but unlike nearly every other college team the past 15 years, the Heels welcome back their top six scorers from a team that set a school record with 36 wins.

"Everybody was up in the air about what was going to happen, but now that everybody's assured they're going to be here, we're excited to be back on track and working again," forward Marcus Ginyard said.

Contact Rob Daniels at 373-7028 or rob.daniels @news-record.com