University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: Terry Another Summer Success Story?
November 4, 2004 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 4, 2004
by Adam Lucas, Tar Heel Monthly
CHAPEL HILL -- Summer success stories aren't unusual in Carolina basketball history.
There's Donald Williams, who went from averaging 4.3 minutes per game as a freshman to the Final Four MVP as a sophomore. There's Shammond Williams, who had more turnovers than assists as a freshman but became a valuable role player as a sophomore before evolving into one of the mainstays of the 1998 Final Four team. There's Vince Carter, who resisted some instructions as a rookie but started 29 games as a sophomore.
And then, hopefully, there's Reyshawn Terry.
He personified the phrase "beleaguered freshman" last year, sometimes getting visibly tense during his rare minutes of action. Reyshawn, was it a little overwhelming?
"No," he says. "It was a whole lot overwhelming. It took me a while, at least half the season, to get adjusted to how Coach Williams wanted us to play."
The numbers don't lie: Terry finished last year with 16 turnovers and just four assists, committing a turnover every 6.6 minutes of action. He made 13 of his 30 field goal attempts and scored 14 of his 40 points in one game (against Coastal Carolina). He did not score against ACC competition.
But at 6-foot-8, 214 pounds, he has the frame to be a legitimate ACC contributor. He's so athletic that when a quartet of current and former players were recently discussing the dunking abilities of the current Heels, the talk quickly turned to Terry. One former player pointed to the Sears Cup championship sign affixed to the bottom of the upper deck at the Smith Center. "Put the rim up there," he said, "and Reyshawn could get up there and dunk it."
That's the type of buzz he creates among his teammates, who see him thrive in the offseason pickup games that take place virtually every day. In that setting, he's a natural, flashing a solid midrange game and finishing authoritatively in the lane and on the fast break.
Now the challenge is to carry that success over into a more structured environment.
"There were so many plays thrown at me last year, so many options," he says. "In high school you don't have that many plays. You just go out there and hoop. You have to think to play on the college level."
He's gained a new ally in the quest to combine raw talent with savvy -- Rashad McCants. The junior from Asheville has become his fellow North Carolina native's biggest cheerleader.
"When he tries to use his talent and doesn't use his head, he gets in a big mixup," McCants says. "He's a super athlete. He can shoot, dribble, do everything. He gives you matchup problems all over the court. He just has to understand that it's alright to be good."
Exactly where he'd be good on this year's team isn't clear. The Tar Heels have plenty of talent on the wing. Jackie Manuel is a stalwart, Jawad Williams hopes to play facing the basket more frequently this year, and Marvin Williams also has the ability to play on the perimeter.
It's even possible that it may take another full summer before Terry elbows his way into the regular rotation. That doesn't seem to bother him.
"Last year, being a freshman, I was always wondering about every move I made on the court," he says. "Having that freshman year under my belt will help me a lot.
"I'll be a role player. I'll do whatever Coach wants me to do. I'm not looking for a designated spot. I'm willing and happy to do anything."
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.
