The University of North Carolina held its men’s basketball awards ceremony Thursday evening. Coaches spoke and presented awards, fans stood and showed appreciation, and players sat and laughed heartily.

But the question on everybody’s mind – whether Tyler Hansbrough, Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson would enter the NBA Draft or stay in Chapel Hill for another season – remained unresolved.

Coach Roy Williams said that the players would make their decisions by April 27, but added, “We’re not finished with the process right now.”

Williams said that, by the end of Friday, he will have had contact with 18 NBA teams about his trio’s prospects. He said that the decision to keep them silent was made simply because none of them knew what to say except that they still needed to make up their minds.

Williams said that he has a decent feel for what the players will decide but came nowhere close to tipping his hand.

“I do know, and I’ll be the first not to tell you,” unofficial team spokesman Marcus Ginyard said. “No, I don’t know. I don’t want to know, honestly. I’m just hoping everybody comes back.”

Ginyard said that the team avoids discussing the situation, and that he’d rather find out like everyone else through the media.

“I’m not stressed about it,” Ginyard said. “Anxious, but whatever happens, happens.”

Regardless of Hansbrough, Ellington and Lawson’s decisions, Ginyard said that he’s excited about the incoming freshman class, headlined by forwards Tyler Zeller and Ed Davis and point guard Larry Drew – all expected to make an immediate impact.

“You just get excited about what they’re going to be able to do here, and how they’re going to be able to add to the team next year,” Ginyard said.

Back to the actual banquet:

The players and coaches sat in formalwear in front of a crowd which filled what is normally the lower level student section in the Smith Center. Woody Durham was the Master of Ceremonies, and he, along with Athletics Director Dick Baddour, recited the team’s accomplishments.

Next, the coaching staff gave speeches and presented team awards. Bobby Frasor received the Athletics Director Scholar-Athlete Award, Ginyard and Quentin Thomas were named co-captains by the players and staff and Hansbrough was voted team M.V.P.

After the awards ceremony, the crowd watched a video presentation that revisited all of the games of UNC’s season and provided a number of chuckles. Frasor starred in the video, introducing each new segment of the tape with humorous commentary.

Following the video, seniors Surry Wood and Thomas gave speeches. A highlight was when Wood recounted a story of when he and Thomas once mooned Duke’s DeMarcus Nelson.

Thomas’ words were both funny and poignant. Speaking to Hansbrough, Thomas said, “I’m happy I can tell my kids that I got to play with you.”

Besides the NBA questions, the team’s Final Four disappointment also underscored the proceedings.

“When the highlight came on,” Ginyard said, “Mike Copeland leaned over and he said to me, ‘Man, this hurts.’ I said, ‘I know.’ It hurts every time we have to hear ‘Kansas,’ it hurts every time we have to think about it, every time we see that Sports Illustrated … this team wanted to do more. But Woody’s been saying it the best: You can’t take anything away from this team that we accomplished – ACC regular season, tournament championship, making it to the Final Four … We had a great season.”

Williams, especially, tried to remind his players, the crowd, and maybe himself that “It’s about the journey. It’s not just about what happens at the end.”

Now, a banquet and an incomplete tournament run in the books, the question remains for three Tar Heel stars: What’s the next stop on the journey?