Rapid Reaction to Larry Drew Leaving

This picture is of a Tar Heel, not Larry Drew II

When I first saw the ESPN article this morning by Pat Forde reporting that Larry Drew was immediately leaving the Tar Heels I was floored.  I was in class so I wasn't able to consistently check up on the situation but by around 1:00 PM it became apparent that Drew was indeed bolting.  After watching Roy Williams' press conference and letting things sink in I've come to a couple conclusions concerning this whole mess.

1) Larry Drew Sr. was pulling the strings on this one
Look, it is highly possible that Drew II decided he was done with UNC when he was supplanted as the starter.  Still, he seemed to be taking his demotion well and was quietly playing some of the best basketball of his career.  Based on how surprised all his teammates seemed, I don't think he really detested being at UNC.  I think his father decided that Drew II needed to start and told him that to do so he needed to get out of Chapel Hill.  That brings me to my next point.

2) The timing does make sense, but only in the most selfish of ways
For the first 3 hours after the announcement I just couldn't understand the rationale for leaving now.  Drew would have to sit out a year whether he left now or at the end of the season and it wasn't like the Tar Heels were middling in mediocrity like last season.  Then I realized that at this moment Drew II's stock is about as high as its going to get this season.  He just had a great 3 game stretch and perhaps may have convinced some smaller D1 schools that he is a valuable asset.  My guess is that Daddy Drew recognized this and basically told his son that if he wanted to keep his dream of playing in the NBA alive he needed to get out and get out now.


3) If the rationale I just mentioned is true then UNC is well rid of Drew and his father
I supported Larry Drew much of last season and this season.  Even when it became apparent to me early on that Marshall needed to be the starter I still held off on bashing Drew and thought he could be a valuable asset at backup and with his significantly improved defense.  However, this move was remarkably selfish and demonstrated that he put the name on the back of the jersey ahead of the name on the front.  Perhaps he still will end up a decent player, but I'm happy he's no longer a Tar Heel.

4) With regards to recruiting I think people are blaming the wrong culprit
I've seen a lot of people on IC today that Roy Williams needs to stop recruiting from California.  True he has had 4 Cali boys transfer out of the program but I don't think being from California was the deciding factor.  Alex Stepheson handled his transfer gracefully and whether or not it was really due to a sick father it made sense.  UNC had Tyler Hansbrough and Deon Thompson returning in the frontcourt and had two high profile freshmen in the incoming class in Zeller and Ed Davis.  I think the Wears and Drew both can be attributed more to micromanaging parents rather than being from the golden state.  Admittedly, were I Coach Williams I may be a little less likely to pursue California recruits, but I would be way more cautious with regards to the player's parents.

5) The Case for UNC being better off without Drew II this season
Drew's departure opens the door for Kendall Marshall to take full reins of this team and be its leader.  Marshall will likely see 30+ minutes a game now and I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up leading the ACC in assists by the end of the season.  The Domino effect on the depth chart will also open up more minutes for both Leslie McDonald and Reggie Bullock, both of whom have showed promise in reserve roles.  Most players seemed to enjoy playing with Marshall more.  UNC's FG% and 3PT % is bound to improve.  The team seems to be very close and could use this incident as further motivation.  The whole team will be in Chapel Hill during the summer.  UNC didn't have backups who saw significant minutes behind Raymond and Tywon.  Did I mention Kendall MF'ing Marshall?

6) The Case for UNC being worse off without Drew II this season
Marshall is still not that great of a defender and may not be in good enough shape to handle 30+ minutes per game.  Dexter Strickland has improved playing off the ball this season but was ineffective at point guard last year (to be fair to Strickland he was playing PG for the first time).  Drew II sometimes seemed to spark UNC's defensive intensity and there could be a trickle down effect due to his departure.  IC trolls will begin to attack another player on the team now that Drew II is gone.

7) TJ Yates is the man
This seems to be out of nowhere but I just want to draw the contrast between how each handled his situation.  Both entered this academic year with many detractors and both seemed poised to be upended by younger, more promising prospects.  Yates ignored the critics, worked to improve and helped lead UNC through a season full of adversity, breaking school records along the way.  It ended with him leading a game tying drive in the Music City bowl which UNC would eventually win to secure its first bowl victory in a long time.  Drew spend the summer in California working with his father instead of in Chapel Hill getting used to playing with his teammates.  He was thoroughly mediocre throughout most of the season and eventually was replaced in the starting lineup by Marshall which ended with this whole debacle.  Lets put it this way.  When TJ Yates is out at a bar in Chapel Hill, most Tar Heel fans will want to buy him a beer.  Drew II will be lucky if he gets served by the bartender.  Larry Drew is no longer a Tar Heel.  I'm really not sure if he ever was.

The Streak Lives

I needed this one.

The X Factors

With the non-conference schedule coming to an end this Sunday against what should be little more than a stepping stone in St Francis, the shape of the 2010-2011 Tar Heel basketball team is coming into focus. Tyler Zeller is the go to scorer. John Henson is a presence in the paint and on the boards and seems to have figured out what does and does not work for him on offense. The point guard position remains an issue of constant debate, but neither Drew nor Marshall are going to score much more than 10 points in most games. Harrison Barnes has fallen short of his astronomical expectations, but can be expected to contribute between 10-16 points on most nights. However, through the first 14 games of the season, the X factors on this team have been the pair of sophomore guards, Dexter Strickland and Leslie McDonald.

Strickland has started at shooting guard all season and over the past month seems to have really elevated his offensive game. With respect to Drew ‘s much improved defense and Henson’s penchant for shot-blocking, Stickland has been the best defender all season. He is 6th in the ACC in steals with 1.62/game. In fact, one could argue that Strickland, who switched his jersey to #1, a number worn last season by Marcus Ginyard, has been a more effective lockdown defender than Ginyard was last season. Playing out of position last season, Strickland often seemed out of control and couldn’t consistently finish in transition despite his impressive speed. This season Strickland looks much more impressive in transition, pushing the ball on fast breaks and finishing consistently. He also has done a good job at the charity stripe shooting a respectable 72.9%. While not an outside shooter, he has knocked down 50% of his attempts from beyond the arc.

Strickland’s backup, Leslie McDonald has also shown marked improvement this season. McDonald is not the defensive pest that Strickland is on the defensive end of the ball nor is he as explosive in on the fast break. However, McDonald has done a pretty damn good Wayne Ellington impression (McDonald is now wearing #2, the number Ellington wore as a freshman) on several occasions this season. McDonald is the most assertive scorer on the team, one of the things that impressed me last season when he seemed at times the only player outside of Will Graves willing to confidently throw up a shot from beyond the arc. While not Ellington, I feel Wayne is best comparison for McDonald who some have compared to Danny Green (McDonald is shooting an impressive 43.2% from 3 point range). While McDonald has certainly disappeared at times this season, he has been an explosive scoring force off the bench who by his junior and senior seasons may be able to do an even better job of making it Wayne on a more consistent basis.


While, Strickland and McDonald’s complementary skill sets do sometimes make fans wish the two could be combined into one player (Lester StrickDonald?), the improvement of the two sophomores show just how silly it is for players to be declared busts or disappointments after their freshman season. The two will continue to improve over their four (or maybe three) years at Carolina and could be stars as upperclassmen. This year don’t be surprised if the Heels go as far as their pair of sophomore guards take them.