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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina point guard Ty Lawson says he plans to play in the Tar Heels' game against Gonzaga on Friday.

And coach Roy Williams is also optimistic the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year will play in the NCAA tournament's round of 16.

Lawson missed three straight games with a toe injury before helping the top-seeded Tar Heels rally past LSU to win Saturday's second-round game in the South Regional. He experienced some minor swelling in the troublesome right big toe afterward, but nothing like what followed the regular-season finale against Duke that forced him to the sideline.

He says he is walking on the toe better. He is constantly icing it and has kept a compression wrap on it to keep the swelling down.