University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: Appreciating Jawad
November 13, 2003 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 13, 2003
By Adam Lucas
Here's the problem: Jawad Williams doesn't really do anything.
Not in a negative way. But Raymond Felton's got his dribbling thing, the way he makes the crowd start buzzing just by dribbling up the court at the start of a 3-on-2 Tar Heel fast break.
Rashad McCants has that sweet shooting stroke and the potential to dunk on someone at any minute. Sean May might toss in a hook shot or grab a tough rebound. Felton, McCants, and May are Carolina's primary star power.
But Jawad Williams, well, you don't really notice him that much. You just look up at the end of the game and he's played 26 minutes, made 7-of-13 field goals, hit 6 of his 7 free throws, and pulled down six rebounds. He doesn't have that one thing that's spectacular. There is no defining Jawad Williams move.
That's bad if you're putting together an ESPN highlight package. But great if you're a Carolina basketball fan.
Don't feel bad if Jawad sometimes slips your mind. No less an expert than Roy Williams had just one sentence to say about his junior leader--"Jawad made some shots."--in his postgame news conference after Carolina's 104-72 victory Thursday night over Team Nike.
It's nothing new. Everyone started forgetting about Jawad Williams, oh, about the first month of his freshman season. He had come in highly touted, a McDonald's All-American, but when he didn't jump over buildings for slam dunks or make ten straight three-pointers, he faded into the background of an 8-20 season. And, well, he didn't play all that well.
"When I watch tape of me as a freshman, I see someone who is trying to do too much," Williams says. "I see someone taking too much on his shoulders, shooting just about every time he gets the ball."
In other words, he played like a freshman. That's what freshmen do at North Carolina.
But at some point between those wandering rookie days and today, Jawad Williams has turned into a very effective basketball player. He's the type of player who may not be fully appreciated until he graduates. He's the type who when the team struggles after he graduates will cause everyone to wonder what's wrong with the Heels, and then you'll turn to your buddy and say, "Hey, maybe we miss Jawad."
In one sequence while the Tar Heels were sprinting out to a 17-2 lead over Team Nike, Williams did the following:
Carolina's win wasn't entirely positive--a short first-half stretch when four of five starters were on the bench and Nike took the lead showed just how depth-shy this team really is. The Heels didn't force many turnovers, and at one point public address announcer Kearney Andrews had to utter the words that will strike fear into the hearts of every Carolina fan this year: "That's the fourth foul on Raymond Felton."
But there was much more good than bad, and there was even an opportunity to hand out the first annual Tom Wideman Memorial Award. It goes to Team Nike's Jason Jennings, who somehow amassed five fouls in just two minutes of first half playing time, ultimately getting Nike head coach Bill Frieder tossed out of the game for receiving two quick technical fouls after questioning one of the numerous calls on Jennings.
Jennings's fifth and disqualifying foul came when he got tangled up with Jawad Williams, and it probably won't be the last opponent that the bulked-up Williams fouls out this year. The Cleveland native may not make it onto that many highlights this year.
But he doesn't have to. He'll just keep doing his thing.
Which is everything.
Adam Lucas is the publisher of Tar Heel Monthly and can be reached at alucas@tarheelmonthly.com. To subscribe to Tar Heel Monthly, click here.
