Lost in the hubbub over the state championship tournament in Norfolk has been the presence of No. 2-ranked North Carolina at the Old Dominion subregional. The Tar Heels 30-2 and seeded first in the New Orleans regional, are chasing their third consecutive appearance in the women’s Final Four. Few observers gave North Carolina a chance to climb this high when it lost two terrific seniors, Ivory Latta and Camille Little, from last year’s Final Four team. But this club, which opens tomorrow against Bucknell, may in fact be better than last year’s. It is deeper and more versatile while being no less athletic. Tar Heels coach Sylvia Hatchell, underrated as a tactician because of the lavish talent her teams possess, may have done her best work with this group.

Seniors Erlana Larkins and LaToya Pringle justifiably receive most of the credit for North Carolina’s success, but the key factor in this baby blue equation might be freshman point guard Cetera DeGraffenreid. Quick and creative, DeGraffenreid is more of a pure point guard than Latta, who always played with one finger on the trigger. Consequently, this UNC team is not only dangerous in transition but also capable in a half-court setting.

These Tar Heels are also motivated. Junior wing player Rashanda McCants said she remembers not only last year’s 6-point loss to Tennessee in the national semifinals but also the 2006 semifinal loss to Maryland.

“It just fires us up,” she said. “We’re so close and we’ve come so far. I think this year we know that we’ll take it all the way because we’ve fought so hard all year. We’ve proven ourselves. We know we’re a strong team. We know we can make it.”

They’ll have to be a strong team. North Carolina has drawn arguably the toughest assignment of any No. 1 seed. If it reaches the regional final – as indeed it should – UNC will have to face No. 2-seeded LSU in New Orleans.