University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: When Shots Aren't Falling
December 28, 2008 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Dec. 28, 2008
By Adam Lucas
Carolina's two designated sharpshooters, Wayne Ellington and Will Graves, combined to shoot a meager 4-for-13 from the field on Sunday against Rutgers. They combined to make just one three-pointer. Both players have seen a marked decrease in their three-point percentages this season--Graves hit 44.2 percent beyond the stripe last year and is making 32.0 percent this year; Ellington is a career 38.6 percent three-point shooter and is making 35.2 percent this season.
And yet, somehow, both players have found a way to make other contributions during Carolina's season-opening 12-game winning streak, a stretch that for the first time in history has included nothing but double-digit victories.
Graves is firmly entrenched in the rotation. The return of Marcus Ginyard against the Scarlet Knights will juggle that order somewhat, but Graves has shown absolutely no signs of falling out of the regular rotation.
The Greensboro native had an impressive week when the Tar Heels reassembled after Christmas. Back in April, when he had his player-coach meeting with Roy Williams, the head coach told him he needed to weigh 235 pounds to be an effective ACC player. For a player who checked in at 272 upon reporting to Chapel Hill, this was a daunting task.
Imagine his satisfaction, then, when he stepped on the weight room scale this weekend and saw these numbers flash before his eyes:
235.
OK, so it wasn't a flat 235. It was 235.82, and yes, in Carolina Basketball they weigh you down to the hundredth of a pound.
Williams spotted Graves on the scale but couldn't see the readout. "What'd you weigh in at, big fella? 270?" he barked.
"Come look, Coach," Graves replied.
Williams peered over Graves's shoulder and grinned. "Looks like you've only got .82 to go," he said.
What Graves has realized is that his coach was right.
"It felt great to reach that weight goal, because that's something I set individually with Coach," he said. "I see the weight change the most on defense. I can move my feet more quickly and I'm more active."
Not coincidentally, moving your feet on defense and being more active are two of the easiest ways to earn more playing time, and that's why Graves's role has grown from a five-minute-per-game zone-buster to a 12.3 minute-per-game valuable reserve.
Against Rutgers, he shot consecutive airballs for what he claimed was the first time in a game in his life, but he also contributed four rebounds and an assist.
Graves was his usual loquacious self in the postgame locker room. Across the room, Ellington seemed to be feeling the weight of his recent shooting struggles--he's 5-for-22 from the three-point line over his last five games--more heavily.
But here's the encouraging thing: even if it shows on his face in the postgame, he hasn't allowed it to filter onto the court even once. He hasn't hunted his shot. Hasn't shot his team out of games. Hasn't whined or tossed a towel on the bench.
Instead, he's done other things--like diving on a loose ball with eight minutes to play in a 20-point blowout, as he did against the Scarlet Knights. Or creating a steal and then hitting Danny Green for a dunk later in the second half.
You might not have noticed, because you've been too busy tracking his misses, but Wayne Ellington has become a much more complete basketball player than he was two years ago. Against Valparaiso, the most recent game for which the coaches' awards are available, he won the assist/turnover honors and the good plays recognition. He's no longer a liability on defense and has combined with Ty Lawson to form a much more active UNC backcourt. His assist/turnover ratio is over 2:1 for the first time in his Tar Heel career.
"As you get older, you start to understand the game more and realize there are a lot of ways to contribute in a basketball game," Ellington said. "You don't always have to be the leading scorer, but in order for your team to do well you have to contribute in some kind of way."
Once he realized Sunday was going to be another off shooting night from the perimeter, Ellington began to aggressively take the ball to the basket. His six free throw attempts were a season high and his most since last February in a win over Wake Forest. He's attempted more charity tosses in just two games of his Tar Heel career.
Keep an eye on the Philadelphia product, as more free throws usually equate to his better performances--his career high came in a 9-free throw game last year at Clemson, when you might remember his heroics. He's been in the gym constantly taking extra shots.
"It's funny," he said in a way that made you believe he didn't find it funny at all. "I don't really miss when I'm practicing and taking those extra shots."
Sooner or later, he'll make those shots in games. What's different is that, along with Graves, until that happens he's discovered ways to change the game without ever scoring a point.
Adam Lucas is the publisher of Tar Heel Monthly. He is also the author or co-author of four books on Carolina basketball.
