GoHeels Exclusive: Confidence Rising

By Pat James, GoHeels.com

About every day, Seventh Woods scrolls through his Twitter timeline and sees a video of his thunderous dunk that went viral during North Carolina's Bahamas trip in August.

He typically doesn't stop and watch the highlights. Instead, he goes about his day, knowing he's dunked before and he'll dunk again. But when asked during UNC's media day on Tuesday about his Bahamas slam, Woods didn't reminisce about how high he jumped nor how strong he finished. Mostly, he discussed how much he hurt.

Woods said he landed directly on his tailbone. Although he gathered himself, he played just two minutes in the Tar Heels' second exhibition game the next day. He continued experiencing pain for about two weeks.

Now fully healthy, Woods said he wouldn't have attempted the dunk had he known he'd get hurt. But maybe then, he wouldn't have been provided the reassurance he needed after being plagued by injuries through his first two seasons in Chapel Hill.

"A lot of people didn't expect me to be able to get up like that still," Woods said. "But if I'm healthy, I'm a different player."

Repeatedly over the last three years, Roy Williams has said no one has seen the same Woods he recruited out of Hammond School in Columbia, S.C. It was there Woods became an internet sensation; his Hoopmixtape from his ninth grade season currently has over 15 million views.

That video, among others, created as much hype about Woods as any recent UNC recruit. He never sought that attention. But it pushed him to improve and show he's more than a dunker.

"I can honestly say that every year I feel like I've gotten better," Woods said. "Looking back at myself in high school, I feel like I'm 10 times better a player and more well-rounded."

Injuries have hampered him, though.

Knee and ankle problems from his senior year of high school lingered into his freshman campaign with the Tar Heels. He entered last season feeling healthier. And in Carolina's seventh game, an 86-71 win over Michigan, he recorded four points and four assists in just eight minutes. The performance, he believes, might've been the best of his collegiate career.

A few days later, Woods was diagnosed with a broken bone in his right foot. He subsequently missed the next 17 games.

"For the first month, I was a complete wreck," he said. "There was no practicing, and I was in the weight room heavy. I didn't like that at first, but after a while, I just had to play the cards I was dealt. I found a different way to approach the game."

That included watching games and practices more closely and constantly studying film. Woods also spent a lot of time talking with Kendall Marshall, who Williams has often called one of the smartest basketball players he's ever coached. Since retiring from basketball last November, Marshall has been in Chapel Hill, working toward his undergraduate degree.

Because of all that, Woods said the game is slowing down for him as he enters his junior campaign finally 100 percent healthy. He's also growing more confident.

"This summer, I feel like there were days when I was the best player on the court, with the pros being here," Woods said. "My confidence level has exceeded the point that I thought it could this summer. I'm just trying to transfer that into the games and into practices."

So far, Woods feels like he has. And his teammates agree.

"You can see a difference," Kenny Williams said. "It's harder for him to build that confidence because he hasn't been on the floor as much, but he had this summer where he wasn't injured. You could see his confidence rising and he's believing in himself a lot more than he used to. It's shown in the way he's playing and the way he's attacking the game."

Roy Williams said he's also seen those developments. Finally, the Woods he recruited might be coming into his own.

"He's doing a much better job of pushing the pace, a much better job of taking the ball to the basket," Roy Williams said. "I'm pretty easy on point guards. Don't turn the sucker over and stay in front of the ball, and if you do those, I can work with you. So that's what he's got to focus on."

Woods said he is. He's also trying to keep progressing as a shooter and vocal leader. Those were the aspects of his game he placed an emphasis on this summer, during which set a goal of not only becoming the most improved player on the Tar Heels' roster, but in the ACC.

Winning the starting point guard job could put Woods on that trajectory. But even as the most experienced player at the position, he doesn't feel any pressure to succeed Joel Berry II.

"Somebody has to play, so why not let it be me?" Woods said. "I'm just really going out there and trying to play basketball. There's no pressure because the expectation I have for myself, that's the only thing that really matters."

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University of North Carolina Athletics

Players Mentioned

Joel Berry II

Kenny Williams

Seventh Woods

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