University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: Just One Of The (Big) Guys
February 19, 2009 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Feb. 18, 2009
By Adam Lucas
Ed Davis didn't see Tyler Hansbrough as the senior Tar Heel sliced to the basket early in the second half against NC State. Davis didn't see him after he gathered a loose ball in the corner opposite the Carolina bench, either.
No, Davis had seen Hansbrough long before then. Which is why, as soon as he picked up the rolling basketball 20 feet from the basket, he was able to whip a bullet pass to a cutting Hansbrough for an easy Tar Heel hoop and a 55-41 lead over the Wolfpack.
"I've always been a decent passer," Davis said. "It's just natural. It's a feel for the game. Sometimes I see guys get open before I get the ball. On that play, I saw what Tyler was going to do before I had the ball."
First, saying Davis is a "decent" passer is like saying Sidney Lowe's blazer was a little bit red. Second, let's pause for just a second and remember that Davis is a college freshman and already throws passes that make you wonder if maybe Brad Daugherty might have some company near the top of the ranks of the best-passing Carolina big men.
"Ed is a really good passing big guy," said Danny Green, who was the recipient of one of those passes on a first-half cut to the basket. "I think it's because he's a student of the game. He watches from the bench and sees what is open, and when he comes in the game he's going to find that opening. He's looking to find someone. And when I'm out there with him, I'm always aware that he can find me if I cut to the basket or float around the perimeter and get open."
Freshmen are supposed to be raw, colt-like on the court. Davis might run like a colt, but he understands the game like a seasoned veteran and shows the savvy you'd expect from the son of an NBA veteran. He knows how to tip the ball and keep it alive for an offensive rebound, and how to tip it to a teammate when he can't corral a rebound himself.
This is a little play, but it is an impressive one: after Ben McCauley backed him down midway through the first half, Davis blocked his shot, then tried to recover after McCauley had a follow opportunity. He knew he wouldn't be able to get the ball himself, so rather than reach and commit a foul, he saw Ty Lawson standing on the wing and punched the ball to his point guard.
That's a senior play being made by a freshman.
This is important, because there will be much talk in the days to come about Carolina's wealth of post players. Put Davis with Tyler Hansbrough, Deon Thompson and now Tyler Zeller, and it's unlikely any opponent will be able to match the height of the Tar Heel front line.
But what will make the difference against good teams is that the big guys aren't simply tall. They're basketball players.
Hansbrough has suddenly turned into Ed Cota, picking up four assists against State and seven over his last two games. Put those four assists on Wednesday with his 27 points, seven rebounds and two steals, and you have one of the most complete stat lines of his decorated UNC career.
"Tyler sees we're knocking down shots now," said Lawson. "It's a confidence or trust thing. Our freshman and sophomore years, we weren't knocking down shots when he kicked it out to us."
Carolina's quartet of big men on Wednesday: 6 assists and 1 turnover. NC State's point guard duo: 7 assists and 7 turnovers.
At some point in the next week, an opposing coaching staff will be watching film of this game, and they'll pause the tape. "Tyler Zeller is their fourth big guy," they'll say. And then they'll say something else unprintable.
Zeller played just eight minutes against the Pack, and was noticeably trying to get back into game flow. "I have to get to my spots half a second earlier," he said. "I have to get into the speed of the game. I could see what was happening, but by the time I got there it was too late."
The most important part of that sentence is that he saw what was happening. If a player can't see it, he'll never get it. Zeller sees it. And by the end of the month, he'll get it. That will make him fit perfectly with the multidimensional post crew. Thompson is perhaps the best true post defender, the one who was terrific against Clemson's Trevor Booker. Davis is the rebounder and shot-blocker. Zeller runs the court and can shoot from the outside. Hansbrough is, well, Hansbrough.
Most teams would be pleased to have just one of the four. The Tar Heels have the entire set.
"He's a `footer," Davis said of Zeller, meaning he's a seven-footer. "He can rebound, he can shoot, he can do everything."
Davis was asked what Zeller adds to the post rotation. He grinned, and then he said the words that make the rest of the ACC very nervous. "Hey," he said, "he's just another one of us."
Adam Lucas is the publisher of Tar Heel Monthly. He is also the author or co-author of four books on Carolina basketball.
