University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: Opportunity Knocks For Sophomore Posts
October 17, 2007 | Men's Basketball
Oct. 17, 2007
By Adam Lucas
Maybe it's natural to lump Alex Stepheson and Deon Thompson together. Both are from California, both are post players, both served in a backup role during their freshman seasons...and both are expected to play much more significant roles as sophomores.
Although they're usually lumped together, they actually have very few similarities. Thompson is the offensive dynamo, with a knack for putting the ball in the basket and some old-school post moves. Stepheson is the defender and rebounder, the player who pulled down a rebound every 2.89 minutes of action last year--a figure that was easily the best on the team.
On the court, their styles are different. But they have one similarity that bodes well for the 2007-08 season: when their Tar Heel teammates are asked about players ready for a breakout season, all of them mention either Stepheson, Thompson, or both.
Part of that is due to opportunity, of course. The loss of Reyshawn Terry and Brandan Wright means there are approximately 50 minutes available in the paint. Stepheson, Thompson, and Mike Copeland are the players who seem like the most natural fits in those roles.
But their teammates identify more than just opportunity as the reason for a potential breakout.
"Deon has improved drastically," Bobby Frasor says. "When he got here, he was almost 300 pounds. Now you can see muscle on him, and for that reason he's capable of playing more minutes. He's shooting better and he has great post moves."
"Alex is going to surprise a lot of people," Danny Green says. "After watching him play and the shape he's in, a lot of people are going to be surprised. He's a monster out there. He gets a lot of rebounds, he gets putbacks, and he dunks everything. He's so strong and he does a lot of things for our team. Everyone is looking at Deon to be that guy, but I see Alex being a big factor too."
The duo prepared for their pivotal seasons in different ways. Thompson went overseas with the United States U19 squad, where he played in an environment more raucous than any ACC arena--the world championship game in Nova Sad, Serbia, against the homestanding Serbs.
"The championship game was crazy," Thompson says. "We had 24,000 people booing our national anthem. It was amazing."
After returning to the States, Thompson spent some time at home in California. That meant he missed some of the regular pickup games in Chapel Hill, but he made up for it by becoming a frequent participant at the pickup sessions at UCLA.
He's also continued a dramatic remake of his body. After entering as a freshman at 260 pounds, he now weighs 235 and almost looks like a different person. Much of the credit goes to Tar Heel strength coach Jonas Sahratian, and Thompson also got a push from a former Carolina player who went through a similar transformation.
"Sean May talked to me during the season last year," Thompson says. "He said a lot of people talk about losing weight, but it's more about actions. He said he saw some similarities between the two of us in our body type and the way we play the game. Coming from a guy in the NBA and a guy who won a national championship here, that means a lot. I'm trying to be just like him and win a national championship."
Stepheson, meanwhile, didn't need a similar body transformation (although he has added about 10 pounds of muscle over the past year). Off the court, he's the typical laid-back California kid. On the hardwood, he's in constant motion, the player his teammates know to watch out for in pickup games because of his intensity.
"I'm fearless," he says. "I like getting into the middle of things and fighting for something."
Like most of the Tar Heels, Roy Williams asked Stepheson to work on his defense over the summer. But he also requested a more complete package of post moves. Stepheson has refined his game, adding a softer bank shot and beginning to use a hook shot.
He didn't need to work on rebounding; that same fearless attitude is the one that leads to his rebounding success. It's also the attitude that occasionally led to some foul trouble.
It sounds backwards, but it's possible that more minutes might actually lead to fewer fouls. Knowing he would see only spot duty, Stepheson sometimes felt compelled to try and do everything when he was on the court as a freshman. This year, the hope is that he'll find more of a rhythm and pace his contributions.
"I was in the wrong place at the wrong time on a lot of occasions last year," he says. "This year I'll know how to time things better."
That sounds logical. After all, for both Stepheson and Thompson, this is indeed their time.
Adam Lucas most recently collaborated on a behind-the-scenes look at Carolina Basketball with Wes Miller. The Road To Blue Heaven is available now. Lucas's other books on Carolina basketball include The Best Game Ever, which chronicles the 1957 national championship season, Going Home Again, which focuses on Roy Williams's return to Carolina, and Led By Their Dreams, a collaboration with Steve Kirschner and Matt Bowers on the 2005 championship team.
