University of North Carolina Athletics
Southern Cal Game Guide
March 23, 2007 | Men's Basketball
March 23, 2007
By Lauren Brownlow
The Basics
No. 1 seed Carolina (30-6) will face 5-seed Southern California (25-11) in the East Regional Semifinal Friday night. Carolina beat 9-seed Michigan State 81-67 last Saturday, and Southern California beat 4-seed Texas 87-68. Carolina is 7-1 all-time against Southern California. The Trojans have been eliminated by a North Carolina-based team in its last two NCAA Tournament appearances (UNC-Wilmington in 2002; Duke in 2001). Carolina will play in its 15th Sweet 16 in its last 23 NCAA Tournament appearances. Carolina has not lost in the Sweet 16 since 1992, either being eliminated in the first or second round or reaching the Final Four in all 12 appearances since.
Game Time: North Carolina vs. Southern California, 9:57 p.m.
Last Time: Carolina lost to Southern California 74-59 in Los Angeles on December 21, 2005. The Tar Heels actually led 35-30 at halftime, but the Trojans came out hot, shooting 16-of-28 (57.1%) in the second half. Carolina was held to 25% shooting in the second half.
David Noel led all scorers with 19 points and added seven rebounds, an assist, a steal, a block and six turnovers. Tyler Hansbrough had 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting and added a team-high eight rebounds. The Tar Heels shot just 12-of-23 from the free-throw line. Nick Young and Lodrick Stewart each had 18 points to lead the Trojans, while Gabe Pruitt had 16 points (5-of-8 shooting from the three-point line) and Ryan Francis had 12 points. Stewart shot 4-of-5 from the three-point line.
Radio Coverage: Tar Heel Sports Network coverage begins at 9 p.m.
Injury Report: Tyler Hansbrough will practice with a mask, but will likely play without it against Southern California on Friday night. Reyshawn Terry played last Saturday night despite suffering from migraines. He was diagnosed with strep throat on Monday and has not participated in practice all week. Whether or not he starts will likely be a game-time decision but he will likely play.
Storylines
Carolina's offense against USC's tricky defense: When Roy Williams was asked to explain USC's defense to the "defensively challenged," Williams was not quite sure how to explain it.
"They won't be concerned about the ball, some of them, and some of them will not be concerned about the guy they're guarding and they'll only be concerned about the ball. You're not going to run down there and see them stand up in a 2-3 zone and say, `Hey!' That's not going to happen. They're going to play off of some people; they're going to double Tyler; they're going to faceguard some people, then in the next possession they'll play everybody straight up. They're going to send people to the boards some times, other times they're going to send three people back," Coach Williams said.
USC held Texas, the nation's sixth-ranked offense averaging 81.7 points a game, to just 68 points. Kevin Durant was the victim of USC's defensive schemes, as Tim Floyd sent out freshman point guard Daniel Hackett out there with the duty of harassing Durant, who in turn led the Longhorns with 30 points but had to shoot 24 times to get there. Hackett literally did not let Durant out of his sight, faceguarding him and doing his best to deprive him of the ball.
"It's basically self-explanatory. They're looking at you in your face, not worrying about the ball and following you wherever you go. I only feel like it makes it tough because it's not something that you're used to seeing and it's unconventional," Marcus Ginyard said. "So far, the past two games we've been faced with things we're not used to seeing. It really comes down to being mentally tough and executing our game plan no matter what."
USC has faced off against three of the top 30 field-goal percentage teams in the country (Kansas, UCLA twice and Arizona twice) and in those five games, held the teams to a combined 41.9% shooting. USC held Kansas (which shoots 49.4%) to 38.1% shooting and in its first match-up with UCLA, held it to 38.6% shooting, and UCLA shoots 48% on the year. In USC's first game against Arizona, it held the Wildcats to 38.3% shooting, and Arizona has shot 47.8% on the year.
The Trojans have played 10 games against the top 50 scoring teams in the country and have held those teams to an average of 72.9 points per game. Long Beach State is tenth in the country in scoring offense at 80.5 points per game and the Trojans held it to 61 points and 29% shooting. Just last week, USC faced the No. 6 scoring team in the country (Texas, 81.7 points per game) and held it to just 68 points. The Trojans also held the Longhorns to just 37.5% shooting.
Carolina has played four teams that rank in the top 35 in the country in scoring defense, including two games against Duke for five games total. Carolina averaged 83.4 points in those five games and won all five of them, most recently scoring 81 on Michigan State, a team that ranked seventh in the country in scoring defense. The most points Michigan State had allowed all season was 73. USC ranks 81st in the country in scoring defense, allowing 65.0 points per game.
Carolina has also played seven games against the top 50 field-goal percentage defense teams in the country, including most recently shooting 48.1% against a Michigan State team that ranked seventh in the country and allowed just 38.4% shooting. Carolina has lost two of those seven games, but still shot 48% against a Maryland team ranked ninth in the country allowing just 38.9% shooting. USC is twelfth in the country in field-goal percentage defense, allowing 39%.
USC has played five games against the top five teams in the country in three-pointers per game and held those teams to a combined 32.7% from beyond the arc and an average of 9.8 three-pointers per game. Most recently, USC held Texas (21st in the country averaging 8.8 three-pointers a game) to just 7-of-28 shooting from beyond the arc. USC has played five games against the top 40 teams in three-point percentage and held them to a combined 32.6% from beyond the arc. Texas was ranked 31st in the country in three-point percentage at 38.9% and was held to just 25% in the second-round NCAA Tournament game by the Trojans.
"A guy goes down and sits in 2-3 zone, you can practice all day against that but you don't know what Tim (Floyd) is going to do. It's a challenge for our team but I don't mind that. I think it's important to get kids to be able to play basketball. So for us, we've tried to prepare for the things that we have seen Tim's teams in the past do; try to prepare them for unusual things, and then see how it happens when we go out there, and I am hopeful that we can do some things that bother other people at least most of the times they tell us we do, so it's not just us reacting to them," Coach Williams said.
Defending the athletic, sharp-shooting Trojans: USC shot a scorching 52.1% from the floor in the first half and 5-of-11 (45.5%) from the three-point line against Texas in its second-round NCAA Tournament win. After Texas fell behind 34-27 at halftime, it made a run to bring the score to 34-30 just 40 seconds into the second half. The Trojans responded with an offensive explosion, going on a 19-3 run that stretched the lead to 53-33 with 14 minutes to go.
Of the players seeing double-digit minutes, USC has five guards or guard-forward combos that are 6-4 or taller; in fact, no Trojan in the rotation is shorter than 6-4. Four of the nine members of the rotation are shooting 50% or higher from the field; only Daniel Hackett shoots lower than 40% from the field (39.8%).
If you play off of their guards on the perimeter anticipating a drive, USC has two members of its rotation that shoot more than 40% from the three-point line and four have made 20 or more three-pointers this season. In the postseason (including the Pac-10 Tournament), five USC players have hit four or more three-pointers and all but one are shooting more than 40% from beyond the arc. If you overplay on the perimeter, USC's guards are more than capable of putting the ball on the floor and driving to the basket.
"Gabe (Pruitt) can shoot the dickens out of it. (Lodrick) Stewart can shoot the dickens out of it. Nick (Young) can put the ball on the floor, take it to the basket and shoot it. They are averaging 40% for the year as a team. I don't know that we played anybody in the entire season that averaged 40% from the three-point line," Coach Williams said. "So when you have that athleticism and you can shoot it as well, it presents match-up problems for everybody because if you get up close to them and they drive it by you and if you stay back off of them they shoot it in the hole."
Carolina has played six games against the top 50 three-point percentage teams in the country and is 4-2 in those games. The Tar Heels have allowed just 37.7% from the three-point line in those games combined. USC ranks 16th in the country in three-point percentage, shooting 40% from beyond the arc. The highest-ranked team Carolina has faced in that category is Gonzaga, which is ranked 23rd and shooting 39.5% from the three-point line. Gonzaga shot 57.1% from beyond the arc in its win against Carolina in November.
Carolina had its problems against Michigan State defensively at times, but for the most part played a very complete game on that end of the floor, fighting through tough Michigan State screens, getting stops when it counted and playing smart defense. In the first 12:52 of the second half, Michigan State shot 8-of-19 from the field. After a Drew Neitzel lay-up with 8:08 to go, the Spartans would hit just one more field goal in their next 10 attempts. Neitzel shot 3-of-7 (all from the three-point line) from the field in the first 12:52 of the first half and 1-of-5 (0-of-2 from the three-point line) from the field in the final 8:08 after his lay-up. Though Michigan State isn't as explosive of an offensive team as Southern California can be, the Tar Heels played smart, disciplined defense in that stretch.
"We were just more aware defensively. Everybody was where they were supposed to be, everybody was aware of the ball screens, everybody was aware of the backdoors. Everybody knew what was going on, not just with their man. That was the biggest key is everybody being alert on defense. That's the easiest way to help somebody else defensively is just being alert to what's going on," Ginyard said.
Carolina has played 20 games against the top 50 field-goal percentage teams in the country and went 16-4 in those games. The Tar Heels have held those teams to 43.9% shooting. Most recently, the Tar Heels held Michigan State (47th in the country at 46.9%) to 37.3%. In the ACC Tournament, Carolina held Boston College (31st in the country at 47.8%) to 34.5% and Florida State (26th in the country at 48%) to 30.9%.
USC has played eight games against the top four teams in scoring defense and is 2-6 in those games. USC averaged 64.8 points per game against those teams, the most being 86 points in a double-overtime loss to Washington State, who ranks 16th in the country allowing just 59.5 points per game.
The Trojans have played just five games against three of the top 50 field-goal percentage defense teams in the country and have shot an excellent 47.7% combined against those teams. Most recently, USC shot 50% against an Arkansas team allowing just 41.1% from the field. USC has won just two of those five games, but both wins have come in the postseason.
At The Game
Listening to the Tar Heel Sports Network at the game: The in-stadium frequency in the Meadowlands will likely be on or around 92.7 FM.
Watching At Home
Turn down the sound: If you're watching at home while listening to the radio or over the computer via Carolina All-Access, there will inevitably be some delay. For the reason - and a possible solution - click here.
A full list of THSN affiliates can be found here.
CBS coverage: The game will be available on CBS.
Names To Know
Ty Lawson: With the way Ty Lawson has been playing lately, it's likely that Carolina's opponents would adopt the same nickname that his Carolina team has given him: "Dennis the Menace."
"I said it when I recruited him and I believe it right now that Tywon Lawson for me and for the way that for the way I want to play, all the abilities I've ever wanted in a point guard. He's a tough little nut. He's stepped up and made big plays. He's immature at times; he's childish at times. I call him Dennis the Menace and I'm Mr. Wilson," Coach Williams said. "In big games, he's played. He's been a winner everywhere he's gone. He's stepped up and made big plays. He's defending better now than he was three weeks ago. He's guarded some guys that are pretty doggone good in the last couple of weeks and really did a good job on them. His game has really developed in a lot of different areas."
Lawson has shown an ability recently to take control of games, pushing the ball from end to end and seemingly getting to the lane at will, making seemingly impossible shots over much bigger players.
"He's just so creative with the ball. He can do a lot of things when he gets in the lane. If you're a big guy, you can't block his shot because you don't know what he's going to do. Us big guys around here know the types of things he does, but when we get in a game they don't know what kind of English he's going to put on the ball or what kind of trickery he's going to use, so it's tough for them," Brandan Wright said.
Lawson finished the ACC Tournament with 35 assists and 7 turnovers, and has 15 assists to just three turnovers in the NCAA Tournament so far.
"Everything is coming to me on instinct; I'm not thinking too much like I was doing at the beginning of the year. I know where my shots are going to be at and where to get people open. In the beginning of the year, it was nerve-wracking. I didn't know what to do. Every time I made a mistake, I'm looking at Coach to see what his reaction is. Now, I'm going with the flow. If I make a mistake, Coach knows that I'll pick it up the next play or the next two plays. -TL
Lawson followed up a three-steal performance against Florida State in the ACC Tournament with a lockdown defense on Tyrese Rice, holding him to just 1-of-9 shooting the day after Rice scored 32 points against Miami. In the ACC Championship game, he earned defensive player of the game honors in large part due to his tiring defense on NC State's Engin Atsur. Lawson has at least one steal in his last seven games.
"Ty's defense is a little different. He's got great feet and he can guard anybody. Just look back through the ACC Tournament or the last part of the year, the point guards who were averaging a lot of points, they didn't have very many against Ty. He's real strong and he's a little fireplug out there. He's hard for people to get by," assistant coach Joe Holladay said. "Ty likes to do it a little different, where he looks like he's not working. He wants to give the impression to that guard that he's covering, `You're doing all this stuff and I'm not even sweating.' So he's got a little different approach but boy, can he guard when he needs to guard. We all think about how fast he is with the basketball, but when you watch that tape - you think he's done a pretty good job in the game when you're watching it live, but when you watch the tape you realize what a good job he's done."
In Carolina's first 11 of 14 ACC regular-season games, Lawson hit at least one-three pointer. He went through a bit of a drought starting with the Georgia Tech game, failing to make a three-pointer in the last two games of the ACC regular-season or in any of Carolina's three ACC Tournament games (0-of-9). That drought was ended in the NCAA Tournament, as Lawson has shot 5-of-7 from beyond the arc so far.
In the postseason so far (including the ACC Tournament), Lawson has averaged 13.8 points a game, 4.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.4 steals and just 1.4 turnovers. He has also shot 52.2% from the field and 38.5% from the three-point line. In the NCAA Tournament alone, Lawson has averaged 16.0 points a game, 4.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.5 turnovers. He has shot 55% from the field and 71.4% from the three-point line (5-of-7). Lawson has shot - and made - as many three-pointers in the NCAA Tournament so far as he has free throws.
Tyler Hansbrough: Hansbrough and "the mask" will likely go down in Tar Heel lore. First, how Hansbrough was forced to wear the mask and how he dealt struggled with the first version, then how he re-emerged triumphantly in the first round of the NCAA Tournament with a new version of the mask to score 21 points and pull down 10 rebounds against Eastern Kentucky. Then, Tar Heels in the future will speak of the moment Hansbrough shed the infamous mask early in the first half against Michigan State and proceeded to score 15 of his 19 first-half points and then add another 14 for good measure in the second half.
After averaging just 10.0 points per game in the ACC Tournament and shooting just 9-of-23 from the field, Hansbrough has bounced back well. On the strength of his 33-point performance against Michigan State, Hansbrough is averaging 27.0 points a game, 9.5 rebounds a game and 3.0 offensive rebounds a game in the NCAA Tournament. He is also shooting 19-of-28 (67.9%) from the field and 16-of-22 (72.7%) from the free-throw line. His free throw attempts were not constant in the ACC Tournament, as he went to the line just three times in Carolina's first two games and then 11 times in the ACC Championship game. The attempts have not been constant so far in the NCAA Tournament either, as he shot just five attempts in the Eastern Kentucky game and 17 in the Michigan State game. Hansbrough will need to be ready for either.
The implication in some recent press-conference questions seems to be that Hansbrough is a physical player and somehow brings the contact upon himself or at the very least invites and initiates it. While Coach Williams recognizes that Hansbrough likes to draw contact and finish a three-point play, he bristles at the notion that Hansbrough should somehow shoot fewer free throws.
"He doesn't mind the contact. He draws contact, and he doesn't mind it. He still tries to finish the play. Some guys shy away from contact and some guys get rid of it before the contact gets there. But I don't believe anyone would sit down with me and watch tape throughout the whole year and wouldn't think that he shouldn't shoot more free throws," Coach Williams said. "He is a physical player, but he's got great touch. A lot of times, people miss that. He's worked so hard that he has made himself more athletic than people imagined."
"Tyler's the greediest player I've ever coached. He not only wants to make the basket, he also wants to get fouled," assistant coach Joe Holladay said. "He wants three the old-fashioned way. He looks a little awkward, but he knows what he's doing. He's going to hold the ball long enough until he draws the contact and then he's going to release it."
Kevin Durant saw all kinds of defensive looks from Southern Cal - double-teams, faceguarding, the works. USC put 6-5 freshman point guard Daniel Hackett on Durant for quite a bit of the game, and though it appeared to be a mismatch Hackett was tall enough to hang with Durant and tenacious enough to bother him defensively. Though that will not likely be the case against Hansbrough, USC will have quite a few different defensive looks it will throw at Hansbrough, and it will attempt to frustrate Hansbrough as it did Durant.
Brandan Wright: Wright was held to just 1-of-5 shooting against Michigan State and three points. His one made field goal and his three points were his fewest of the season. His 20% shooting was also his lowest percentage of the year. Wright still pulled down seven rebounds, his most since the loss at Maryland, in just 23 minutes, his fewest since the win over Wake Forest on February 10th.
"I told him in the locker room that he'd be fine, and I really believe that. You go through, you find very few freshmen that are as consistent as Brandan Wright. Tiger Woods didn't win this weekend either and he had the lead after the first round. So it's human nature that you're not always as good as you would like to be. I hope he's the biggest worry I have," Coach Williams said.
Wright also struggled with foul trouble against Michigan State, getting four fouls for the first time since the loss at NC State and just the third time this season Wright has had four fouls called on him. He has had three or more fouls in just five games, and he has yet to foul out.
"I was frustrated, but I wasn't really all that frustrated because I'm not the type of player that's going to dwell on what's happened in the past. I let the game come to me and I don't try to force anything. I was fine because we were winning so everything was good," Wright said.
Over the course of the postseason, Wright has shot 60.4% from the field and averaged 12.6 points a game, 4.8 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 1.0 steals. He was named MVP of the ACC Tournament after averaging 15.7 points a game and shooting 68.8% from the field. In the two NCAA Tournament games so far, Wright is averaging 8.0 points a game and shooting 43.8% from the field. He is also averaging 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 2.0 steals.
Wright will need to help pick up the slack on both ends of the floor as USC is likely going to attempt to stop Hansbrough, but may not be able to stop both Wright and Hansbrough.
Wayne Ellington: After shooting 6-of-12 from the three-point line in the ACC Tournament and earning First Team All-Tournament honors, Ellington has shot 3-of-8 (37.5%) in the NCAA Tournament so far. Ellington shot just 1-of-4 from the field and 1-of-3 from the three-point line against Michigan State, marking just the second time all season Ellington has taken just one two-point shot. Ellington had made two three-pointers in each of the previous four postseason games.
In the two NCAA Tournament games, Ellington has six assists to three turnovers and also has two steals. Ellington has shot 47.6% from two-point range in the postseason and needs to continue driving to the basket, which he has begun to do very well. Since it is common knowledge that Carolina's strength lies in getting the ball down low, teams have often attempted to collapse down low defensively and force Carolina to beat them from the outside. As one of Carolina's most capable outside shooters with perhaps one of the best-looking jump shots, Ellington will need to force USC to respect the perimeter. Ellington will also be playing defense and trying to drive against tall, physical perimeter players and like the rest of the team, cannot have mental lapses on either end of the floor against the savvy USC backcourt.
Nick Young: Junior Nick Young was edged out in the Pac-10 Player of the Year voting by UCLA's Arron Afflalo, but barely. Young finished the regular-season ranked second in the conference in scoring, fifth in field-goal percentage and first in three-point percentage. He is averaging 17.6 points a game to lead the Trojans, shooting 52.7% from the field and 45.3% from beyond the arc. Young ranks second on the team in free throws attempted with 157 (4.4 a game) and leads the team in made free throws with 123, shooting 78.3% from the line. He ranks second behind Taj Gibson in rebounding with 4.6 a game. In the two NCAA Tournament games so far, he has shot 13-of-26 (50%) from the field and 3-of-7 (42.9%) from the three-point line, averaging 21.0 points a game and 7.0 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 1.0 blocks and 34.5 minutes a game.
At 6-6, Young is a tough match-up for most teams and if the Tar Heels are without Reyshawn Terry's lockdown defense, he could be a tough match-up for the Tar Heels as well. He is athletic, quick and an excellent shooter. In USC 25 wins, Young is shooting 56.3% from the field and 53.2% from the three-point line as opposed to 45.1% from the field and 30.3% from beyond the arc in USC's 11 losses. Young also averages 5.2 free-throw attempts in USC's wins but just 2.4 in its losses. He averages 18.9 points a game, 4.8 rebounds and 2.0 turnovers in USC wins as opposed to 14.5 points a game, 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 turnovers in its losses. He also averages 2.0 fouls in wins and 3.4 in losses.
Taj Gibson: The 6-9 freshman had quite a season, ending the regular-season in the top 10 of five categories of the Pac-10: 1st in field-goal percentage, 4th in rebounding, 3rd in blocked shots, 6th in offensive rebounds, and third in defensive rebounds. As of now, he is averaging 12.1 points a game and shooting 55.7% from the field. He leads the team in free throws attempted with 164 and ranks second in made free throws with 102. He also leads the team in rebounds and ranks 45th in the country with 8.6 a game and averages 2.7 offensive rebounds a game. He also leads the team in blocks by a large margin and ranks 63rd in the country with 1.8 a game.
In the NCAA Tournament so far, Gibson has shot 11-of-21 from the field (52.4%), 13-of-18 from the free-throw line (72.2%) and averaged 17.5 points a game, 11 rebounds (4.5 offensive rebounds), 1 assist, 1.5 steals, and 2.0 blocks in 30.5 minutes a game. He is averaging 2.9 fouls a game and has been whistled for just five total in the Tournament.
Gibson is shooting 59.5% from the field in USC's wins and 46.7% in its losses, in addition to averaging 5.0 free-throw attempts and shooting 64.5% from the line in USC wins and 3.6 attempts and 55% in its losses. Gibson has also averaged 13.2 points, 1.9 blocks, 2.7 fouls and 2.4 turnovers in USC wins and 9.6 points, 1.6 blocks, 3.4 fouls and 3.9 turnovers in USC losses. Gibson is by far USC's most effective post player on both ends of the court, and Carolina will need to go at Gibson early and often to get him into foul trouble and neutralize his contributions.
Lodrick Stewart: The 6-4 senior ended the regular-season ranked 14th in the Pac-10 in scoring, 3rd in three-point percentage and eighth in three-pointers made. As of now, he is averaging 13.8 points per game and shooting 46% from the field and 44% from behind the arc. Stewart holds the record for most three-pointers made at USC, and he made 4-of-5 on his way to 18 points against the Tar Heels in their last meeting. In the NCAA Tournament so far, he has shot 7-of-17 from the field (41.2%) 3-of-8 from the three-point line (37.5%) and is averaging 9.5 points a game in 31 minutes a game.
In USC's wins, Stewart has shot 48.3% from the field and 46.6% from the three-point line, averaging 2.2 made three-pointers a game. In USC's losses, Stewart has shot 41.4% from the field and 38% from the three-point line, averaging 1.7 made three-pointers a game.
Gabe Pruitt: The USC junior point guard missed 11 games in the first semester due to academic ineligibility, but as he found his stride again he has played very well for the Trojans. In the Pac-10 Tournament semifinal win against Washington State, Pruitt shot 7-of-9 from the field, 6-of-7 from the three-point line and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line on his way to a season-high 26 points.
Overall in postseason play, Pruitt has had at least two steals in four out of five games and at least one steal in all five games. He has also averaged 5.4 assists and just 1.4 turnovers. In the two NCAA Tournament games so far, Pruitt has averaged 6.0 assists and 2.0 turnovers, including an 8-asisst, 1-turnover performance in the second-round win against Texas.
In USC's wins, Pruitt has shot 45.1% from the field and 40% from the three-point line as opposed to 37.6% from the field and 30.4% from the three-point line in USC's losses. He also averages 4.6 assists and 1.6 turnovers in USC's wins and 3.7 assists to 2.3 turnovers in USC's losses.
Quotables
"I remember getting on that dadgum plane and people wanting me to smile and talk to them. I didn't want to smile at anybody. Just leave me alone, let me study my stat sheet, cry in my Coca-Cola and get the heck home." -Roy Williams on the loss to USC last year
"Hello Pete, you could have gotten all you wanted out of this press conference in five minutes if I didn't have fun with it. I only do that just so I don't hate coming in there. I have media duties for an hour and 45 minutes and we only get to practice 50 minutes. That's dumb as dirt. They expect me to go in there and smile at you guys. I'd rather go in there and say, `Let's go to Atlantic City. Guys, press conference over, let's go to Atlantic City.' You guys would leave and your articles would be just as good." -Roy Williams on the NCAA media duties and practice time
"I like to play around a lot. I play around with Coach and everybody, so that's why they call me `Dennis the Menace.' I played a couple of jokes on him, so that's why he calls himself `Dennis the Menace.' I say stuff and am sarcastic in practice or in the locker room. One day, all the water got cold in the shower and I said something about it and he got kind of mad. But it's all fun and games. The hot water ran out, and I was complaining about it all week, and then he got in there and he started yelling. I said, `Yeah, that's how I felt when I had to take cold showers.'" -Ty Lawson
"He does everything. He's really all over the place. He does enjoy throwing water on people. He'll just walk around and slap you on your arm or slap you on your bare back. He's just a little pest basically. You're listening to your headphones and he just wants to come around and pull them out of your ear. He's just bothersome. He's a little brother that you just want to kick in the face." -Marcus Ginyard on Ty Lawson
"When he was in high school I used to watch him play, and I'd say, `Tyler, you cannot dunk everything.' He'd say, `Why not?' I'd say, `You can't do that in college.' He shot about 70% in high school and he'd have four guys hanging on his arms. He's possessed when he gets the ball." -Assistant Coach Joe Holladay on Tyler Hansbrough
Lauren Brownlow is the managing editor of Tar Heel Monthly.
