University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: White On Deck
March 22, 2012 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
March 22, 2012
By Adam Lucas
What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. As does Stilman White's cell phone.
On Carolina's post-Thanksgiving trip to Las Vegas, the Tar Heel point guard left his cell phone. On a different road trip, he left his photo ID between seats on the plane after the flight home. When the Tar Heels board the bus, White is the lone Tar Heel who has to physically show his photo ID to a manager before he is allowed to board.
"He is so wacko," Roy Williams said Thursday afternoon in St. Louis.
Friday evening, however, there's a legitimate chance that wacko could be Carolina's starting point guard in a regional semifinal game at the Edward Jones Dome. Kendall Marshall's wrist was the subject of intense scrutiny on Thursday, but he did not participate in Carolina's open practice. "If we were to jump ball right now, I would not play," Marshall said.
Of course, the Tar Heels don't have to tip off tonight. Instead, Marshall will likely be fitted for a less bulky brace this evening, then will have to evaluate his pain level and range of motion tomorrow before the 7:47 p.m. Eastern start against Ohio.
If he hasn't made significant improvement by then--"I have a strong, strong inclination he's not going to play," Williams said--the starting role is likely to fall to White, who has played double-figure minutes once in his Carolina career and has made one field goal in his last 15 games. His backup would likely be Justin Watts, meaning Carolina's two primary point guards--remember, Dexter Strickland should also be an option, but he suffered a torn ACL in January--would have a combined 24 assists this season. Marshall has a combined 21 assists in his two most recent games.
"J. Watts has played six or seven minutes at point guard in his entire college career," Williams said. "So, it's a pretty daunting task for both of them."
White admitted he's had some nervous moments this week. Like everyone else, he's been subjected to the constant queries about Marshall's wrist and how that might impact his minutes against Ohio. "It's been hectic," the Wilmington native said, "but I like the pressure. When you have a few butterflies, that helps you play better."
Getting more repetitions in practice also helps you play better, and White has worked the majority of the time with the first team during practice throughout the week. Having a few days to prepare has enabled him to gain some familiarity with members of the rotation with whom he hasn't shared much court time this season.
Williams demands constant communication from his point guard, so White's duties would go beyond simply bringing the ball up the court and making passes. On offense and, especially, on defense, he's expected to orchestrate everything that happens with his teammates.
"Talking-wise, John and `Z' are really good on defense," White said. "I don't even have to look back. I always know what's going on, because they are always talking, and that's the biggest thing Coach is always talking about. Communication is the main key when we're out there."
Williams admitted the Tar Heel offense would look different if White is in command. That's significant against a Bobcats squad that ranks fourth in the nation in steals per game (9.3) and sixth in the nation in turnover margin (+4.2). White has been very good this year in taking care of the basketball, and boasts a nearly 4:1 assist/turnover ratio. Earlier this season, the Tar Heels were +16 with White on the floor at home against Virginia, so he's played some valuable minutes. He has sneaky athleticism, as he showed off at Thursday's practice. And according to Marshall, White is better at challenging shots on the perimeter than Carolina's usual starting point guard.
But as you would expect from a freshman who has played limited minutes, he's not yet Marshall-esque in his ability to create easy baskets. Under Marshall's direction, the Tar Heel offense is more freewheeling, with more risks taken. If White is in command, it's likely to be more of a controlled--but still fast-paced--attack, with fewer long passes to the frontcourt.
"Kendall Marshall is the best point guard I've ever had in several areas," Williams said. "One is that after the other team scores, he can attack with the basketball and pitch ahead and we can lay it up while everybody else is still celebrating and hoping their girlfriend is watching them run back down the court. He can attack after you score better than anybody. He pitches ahead better than anybody I ever had."
The subject of those compliments, and of so much intense speculation this week, didn't seem especially concerned about the possible changes to the Carolina offense. It's unlikely that anyone will have any idea what his playing status might be until the hours, or possibly even the minutes, before tipoff. Keep in mind that the best case scenario is that Marshall will be playing in an NCAA Tournament game with a broken wrist--not exactly optimal conditions. Marshall believes his team can handle it.
"We have fought through a lot of adversity this year," he said. "Why should we stop now?"
Adam Lucas is the publisher of Tar Heel Monthly. He is also the author or co-author of six books on Carolina basketball, including the official chronicle of the first 100 years of Tar Heel hoops, A Century of Excellence, which is available now. Get real-time UNC sports updates from the THM staff on Twitter and Facebook.
