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If Drew meets expectations, UNC could repeat

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Jeff Martin

Updated Oct 19, 2009 3:06 AM ET
     
 

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.

The loudest cheers rained down on Ed Davis, Deon Thompson, Marcus Ginyard and then, a little later, coach Roy Williams. Sure, there was plenty of applause Friday night at North Carolina's "Late Night with Roy" at the Dean Dome for sophomore guard Larry Drew II, but the fans here — as they do everywhere else — prefer to draw out his last name, as if they were booing him.

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They weren't, and they won't, of course. But if Drew can simply be the Tar Heels' next point guard, the successor to Ty Lawson, he'll be treasured here. And he doesn't even have to be great. With UNC's loaded frontcourt (more on that in a moment) Drew can be simply competent and the Tar Heels might have a realistic shot at repeating as national champs. Seriously. After an episode of musical chairs, a pull-up contest, a period of time devoted to the women's basketball team, a fan T-shirt toss, the UNC mascot, Ramses, dropping from the ceiling and a series of dancing skits by the men, the Tar Heels finally commenced with a 20-minute scrimmage. Drew, a sophomore from Encino, Calif., made his entrance earlier in the night wearing a pair of black shades with his arms crossed. He had the Hollywood look, but is he ready to be a star — for real? Last year, in extremely limited duty, Drew handed out 74 assists and committed 45 turnovers. When Lawson was hurt late in the season, though, Drew's minutes increased, and he responded, finishing with 13 assists and just three turnovers in 72 minutes of ACC and NCAA Tournament action. And now, as the only experienced ballhandler on the team, the job appears to be his. "I'm going to let things come as they come," he said Thursday during media day. That certainly was the case in warm-ups, when one sequence perhaps explained how Drew plans to attack this season. Freshman Dexter Strickland and sophomore Justin Watts threw down monster dunks in succession, drawing gasps from the crowd. Drew was up next. Unaffected, he simply laid the ball off the backboard and into the hoop. It wasn't the flashiest two points, but it counts just the same. His play during the scrimmage was more of the same, although there was some considerable sizzle — in particular, when he spun at the foul line to lose a defender, elevated to the rim, absorbed contact and still finished — mixed in. Strickland, a sharp-looking 6-foot-3, 180-pound guard from St. Patrick's (N.J.), more than held his own, clearly trying to take the challenge to Drew. But the "veteran" remained steady, finding his streaking and mobile big man for easy baskets as they filled lanes on the break. If Drew can take care of the ball, initiate offense and find sophomore Davis, who is destined to be a star, freshman John Henson, who is long, rangy and capable of filling the void left when Davis likely departs for the NBA after this season, freshman twins David and Travis Wear, who are better (and bigger) than you think, and senior Thompson as much as possible, the Tar Heels will win big this season. He showed flashes Friday, but let's be honest — it was just a meaningless 20-minute scrimmage intended to serve as an appetizer for all fans in attendance. In that sense, it did the trick, but it also left most wanting to see more. Especially from Drew. Jeffrey Martin is a frequent contributor to FOXSports.com and also writes for the Houston Chronicle. He can be reached at reyheath@gmail.com.
Tagged: North Carolina, Houston

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