This season, our basketball team has received a fair share of icy criticism—not unlike the recent weather in Chapel Hill—and deservedly so. They’ve been firefly-erratic, flashing brilliantly at times (Michigan State, NC State) and other times (read: most times) fading into the night.

I’m tempted to spew out another rant (there’s no shortage of material) at their poor play, but I think it’s more useful to take a brighter glimpse at the Tar Heels. As high and mighty as I may feel from the comfy confines of my couch, I’m rows away from bench, or even walk-on status. My harsh criticisms of help defense, shot selection, and poise echo loudly (and perhaps truly)—but only in the confines of my home.

It’s easier being the avalanche, pouring down relentlessly with the force of gravity, than it is to be a climber, trekking uphill against doubt, fear and the paralysis of expectation.

So for today at least, let’s halt the downward storm, and appreciate the climbers and some of their better treks this season.

Guard

PG- Larry Drew II

Against Michigan State, Larry Drew II demonstrated an artful ability to dissect defenses. Most notably, he had a gorgeous running bank shot that embodied relaxed confidence. Also, it’s important to note that Drew II is shooting 44% from 3 PT land. Although many of those trifectas have come in the final minutes, they show that his stroke has improved and will continue to improve, a la Ty Lawson.

PG/SG- Dexter Strickland

When Dexter goes to the hole, he really goes to the hole. Against Michigan State, he hit a huge trey at the halftime buzzer while also adding a few sprint-layups reminiscent of Lawson. In the 75-60 loss to Virginia, Strickland demonstrated his insane leaping ability, reaching his hand above the top of the square to swat away a Cavalier lay up. The play was (incorrectly) called goaltending, but it was still an exceptional display of effort and athleticism.

SG- Marcus Ginyard

Marcus played an outstanding defensive game against NC State. He continually bothered offensive players and looked quite comfortable in that role. Combine that with his smooth perimeter shooting from early this season, and Marcus has had some good moments this year as well.

SG- Leslie McDonald

Call me a purist, but this guy’s stroke just looks good.  I know that McDonald can make jump shots, and it will show soon enough.

Forward

SF- Will Graves

Graves has averaged 2.8 triples per game over the last ten games, at a percentage of just over 50! Graves is a fearless shooter, as evidenced by his second half explosion against Georgia Tech earlier this year.  If anyone has tried to step up and become a top scoring option, it’s been the Gravedigger.

SF- John Henson

We’ve all seen Henson’s arms swoop down from the sky like strings of spaghetti to send an opponent’s shot into the bleachers. However, when I think of Henson and his immense potential, I think of two plays in particular. Against NCSU, Henson beat his man off the dribble and drove beautifully to the hole, where he missed a layup. The second play I want to point out is a pull-up jump shot that he popped in the face of All-ACC forward Sylvan Landesberg of Virginia. 273 burgers from now, this guy’s going to be a scorer.

PF- Deon Thompson

Deon played a magnificent game against NCSU. He asserted himself in the post, and punished the Pack with a series of 10 foot jump shots.

PF- Travis Wear

Wear has had a solid, if unspectacular season. In the Heels’ blowout loss to Syracuse, T-Wear dropped 8 points (all on mid-range jump shots, if I remember correctly) in 10 minutes.

PF- David Wear

Wear showed a bit of range against Texas, draining two triples in a 103-90 loss. He’s got a pure jump shot, and a bright future for Carolina.

Center

C- Ed Davis

Ed demanded the ball in games against Michigan State and Virginia Tech. When he’s fighting for post position inside, he’s the best post-player in the ACC. Let’s hope we can see some more of that as the season goes on.

Coach

As hard as this season as has been, Roy Williams has never made excuses. He hasn’t taken the bait from callers on talk radio, and he hasn’t thrown anyone under the bus. He’s taken full responsibility for this team, and he has handled this losing about as well as anyone could.

Tags: potw

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 4th, 2010 at 8:38 pm and is filed under Basketball, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.