North Carolina’s breath-taking win over Clemson Sunday yielded a subplot that could be important as the Tar Heels’ season unfolds.

UNC announced Sunday afternoon that Ty Lawson would miss his second straight game because of a sprained ankle.

Not long ago, Carolina fans would have dropped their heads in their khakis over news that Quentin Thomas would start.

Quentin Thomas?

Whew _ he could make turnovers faster than McDonald’s

When Carolina won at Clemson Jan. 6, he played eight minutes, had no points, no assists and three turnovers.

Thomas came into this season with 172 career assists and 106 turnovers, but he always looked too frenetic, too eager to force something at the wrong time. Despite Thomas' quickness, there was a reason the steady, scrappy Bobby Frasor ranked ahead of him on the depth chart.

When Lawson didn’t play against Ohio State, Carolina played Frasor for 29 minutes – even though he went 0-5 from the field. Thomas played just 12 minutes and had zero points, two assists and two turnovers.

Then Carolina’s season changed Dec. 27, in a 106-70 win over Nevada in Chapel Hill. A routine victory took on an ominous tone when Frasor suffered a season-ending ACL injury.

A backup point guard, in most college basketball systems, is like a backup catcher. Nice to have, but not essential.

But a second point guard is critical in Carolina’s pace. And with Frasor out, you almost expected Roy Williams to scour the intramural courts at Woollen Gym looking for a guard.

Thomas, shoved into a starting role, has not been great, but he has been good. And this could yield significant benefits as the season unfolds.

Thomas looks more confident on the court, as he showed in the final minutes against Clemson. He hit a driving layup to force the first overtime and converted two knee-knocker free throws to force the second. His six points, nine assists and five turnovers won’t have Carolina fans forgetting Phil Ford, but it continued a three-game run in which his confidence, and level of play, is rising.

When Lawson returns, Carolina will benefit from having a more capable backup.

In a way, this harkens back to Duke’s season in 1992. Point guard Bobby Hurley suffered a broken bone in his foot at midseason and Grant Hill shifted to point guard. Hill, then a 6-foot-8 sophomore, became a more confident ball-handler. Tony Lang became the starter at forward and emerged as a better, more physical player.

When Hurley returned, Hill shifted to a sixth-man role, allowing Lang to retain his starter status and for the versatile Hill to come off the bench.

Hill’s ability to handle the ball, and Lang’s heightened confidence, were critical against the withering pressure of Kentucky in the 1992 East Regional final. Without Hurley’s injury earlier in the season, It’s conceivable Duke would have lost to Kentucky and not won that national title.

Who knows how Carolina’s season will play out. The Tar Heels are fortunate to have beaten Florida State and Clemson in overtime.

But Thomas’ growth could be a real benefit for UNC, one that could be important when the real games begin in March.