The Daily Tar Heel
Duke wednesday, february 10, 2010
BATTLE OF
BLUE BLOOD
Senior struggles gnawing at Ginyard
BY mike ehrlich
senior Writer
M arcus Ginyard sat hunched forward,
waiting for a trainer to wrap his sore
ankle. His eyes were cast downward, and his
chin rested in his hands.
Members of the media had already questioned
the fifth-year senior about his team’s sixth
loss in eight games, as well as his removal
from the starting lineup.
His answers were quiet and brief.
“It’s frustrating.”
“Coach is doing his job.”
Ginyard looked weary, and not
just because of 31 minutes on the
court at Virginia Tech.
This season has weighed heavily
on every Tar Heel, but perhaps on
none more than Ginyard.
He has turned the ball over,
struggled from the field and
might have lost a step defensive-
ly while nursing foot and ankle
injuries.
And the same guy who was
once upbeat and thoughtful in
post-game interviews has been
short and dismissive.
Asked in a recent news con-
ference what was bothering his
veteran leader, UNC coach Roy
Williams proposed another, per-
haps more telling, question.
“Physically or mentally?”
O ne play during that same
Virginia Tech game epito-
mized Ginyard’s struggles.
In one sequence, he had a dunk
blocked but then made a great
hustle play to steal the ball back —
only to throw it away again.
“Sometimes when things are
tough, you don’t get many fortunate
things to happen,” Williams said. “And
that’s what it’s been for him.”
Ginyard is shooting 43 percent
from the field this season, and he’s
averaging eight points per game.
But ACC play has been a disaster.
B e f o r e S u n d a y ’s g a m e a t
Maryland, Ginyard had shot just
dth/FILE
Nation’s highest-scoring trio powers Duke attack
BY David Reynolds an emotional high.
Sports Editor But while Scheyer is able to balance his on-
DURHAM — With shoulders slowly slid- court aggression with a sedentary personality
ing down the back of his chair, Duke’s Jon off it, the offense he runs has yet to mimic the
Scheyer sounded almost embarrassed when feng shui of its floor general.
answering a question on where he spent most Scheyer, guard Nolan Smith and forward
of his time off the basket- Kyle Singler provide nearly all of the offensive
ball court. firepower for Duke, combining for nearly 55
“Sleep,” the senior point points per game — the highest total of any
guard said, cracking a three teammates in the country.
smile. No one else on Duke scores more than seven
Scheyer then paused to points per game.
think what he would add “The way we have to set up our team is that
to that proclamation, but those three guys have to be put in prominent
ended up only justifying positions to score,” coach Mike Krzyzewski
his one-word summary. said. “If you have a team that has more bal-
“You know, lay around. ance, then you go to it. But this team has those
Jon Scheyer
has blossomed I don’ t go out much.” three guys.”
Scheyer said sheepishly, In addition to being the team’s leading
into the ACC’s
second-leading careful to elongate every scorer at 18.9 points per game, good enough
word. “It’s really exciting.” for second-best in the ACC, Scheyer doubles as
scorer this year. That relaxed version of the Blue Devils’ leading distributor.
Scheyer doesn’t match up During his first full season as Duke’s pri-
with the beast ACC observers know best — mary ball handler, he sports the conference’s
the one who grimaces on a drive to the basket, best assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.1 and has
slaps his hands on the floor on key defensive averaged 5.6 assists.
possessions and lets loose a loud scream during Smith also has flourished since moving off
The Lowdown on tonight’s game
No. 8 Duke Small
forward
at North Carolina
Smith Center, 9 p.m.
Broadcast: Raycom/ESPN
Radio: 1360 WCHL
Jon Scheyer was recently selected as
a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award
(nation’s top point guard), and with Power
Point guard
good reason. He’s averaging 18.9 forward
points per game and has a 3.1 assist-
to-turnover ratio. Larry Drew II,
meanwhile, has struggled in ACC play.
Edge: Jon Scheyer
Will Graves may be UNC’s most con-
sistent shooter, but his numbers have
Shooting been dwarfed by Nolan Smith. Smith is Center
guard
averaging almost twice as many points
and has drilled a remarkable 44 per-
cent of his three-point attempts.
Edge: Nolan Smith
UNC vs.
7
Best OF 100 Years
1974
UNC scores eight
points in 17
seconds to send
the game into
OT, where the Tar
Heels eventually
won 96-92.
Courtesy of UNC Athletic Communications
1981 Gene
Banks (20) had
25 points to lead
a 66-65 upset of
No. 11 UNC into
OT, giving Coach
K his first win in
8-for-35 (23 percent) from the field and 2-16 the series.
(12.5 percent) from beyond the arc in confer-
ence play. He was averaging 3.3 points.
In the two games before his brief subtrac-
tion from the starting lineup, he missed all
eight of his shots, including five 3-pointers.
“It’s been pretty rough on him right now,”
senior Deon Thompson said. “Just outside
expectations, his own expectations, trying to
reach those.”
There is no question that part of Ginyard’s
trouble has been physical.
But when his coach is wishing he’d majored
in psychology instead of health and physical
education, there might be a little more to it. Courtesy of UNC Athletic Communications
Granted, the old Ginyard is still there.
Behind the scenes, away from the court and
1995
the reporters, people still gravitate toward the
Duke’s Jeff Capel
fun-loving small forward. hit a 30-foot
“He’s a marvelous kid,” Williams said. heave to send
“When he walks in the room, you know what the game into
I do? I smile.” double OT, but
So what’s changed? Jerry Stackhouse
Surely it’s the losing. At no other point in his and UNC pulled
career has his team underachieved this much. it out, 102-100.
Maybe it’s a fifth year in Chapel Hill with-
out longtime friends and roommates Tyler
Hansbrough and Bobby Frasor.
But Williams is no psychologist, and most
fans and pundits aren’t, either. For them, all that
matters is what happens between the baselines.
“I get tired of worrying about somebody’s
psyche,” Williams said. “I mean, my God, play the
dadgum game. That’s what it boils down to.”
I f removing Ginyard from the starting
lineup was supposed to send him a mes-
sage, it might have gotten through. Courtesy of UNC Athletic Communications
At Maryland, Ginyard tied a season high with 1998 Duke
17 points on an aggressive 5-of-13 shooting. rallies from a
“You pick your head up and see that, hey, 17-point deficit
you’ve got eight more games, four more times to the Tar Heels
in this gym,” Ginyard said. “Why go through
in the second
the rest of that with your head down?”
It’s clear that at times this season, basketball half to earn
just ceased to be fun for Ginyard. But he says Coach K his
with a little perspective, he can escape from his 500th career win.
funk and lift his spirits.
Maybe his play will follow suit.
Contact the Sports Editor
at sports@unc.edu.
the ball to shooting guard. He boosted his scor- Courtesy of UNC Athletic Communications
ing average by just a shade under 10 points this
season to 18.1 thanks to more freedom to roam 2004
without the ball on the perimeter. Duke’s Chris
“All three of us work on scoring off each other Duhon made a
and getting great looks,” Smith said. “We’re at reverse layup
the point where we’re so comfortable out there with 6.5 seconds
that scoring sometimes comes easily.” left to lead the
Smith and Scheyer’s success have relegated Blue Devils to an
Singler, this year’s preseason ACC Player of the 83-81 win.
Year, to the third-leading scorer on his own
team. But with a team-leading 311 attempts,
he’s still Duke’s first option on offense.
The trio does most of its work from behind DTH File
the arc, where it has been devastating to oppo-
nents. The three have shot a combined 39 per- 2005 Marvin
cent on 352 attempts from three. Williams tipped
in a missed free
“You can’t stop them from getting their
shots,” UNC forward Will Graves said. “You just throw with 17
seconds left to
try to cut down their percentage down, scream
at them while they’re shooting.” rally UNC to an
Graves might want to hold off on that last epic 75-73 win in
part. On the court, Scheyer and Co. won’t be the Smith Center.
afraid to shout back.
Contact the Sports Editor
at sports@unc.edu. DTH File
Lance Thomas doesn’t give Duke
much in terms of scoring, but he’s a This figured to be a strength for UNC, but
physical presence on defense. Marcus an injured Tyler Zeller and disappointing
Bench production from its freshmen have dispelled
Ginyard’s play in recent weeks hasn’t
been great, but his 17-point outburst that notion. But Duke doesn’t get much
against Maryland showed he has production from its bench either. Singler,
more potential to be a factor tonight. Scheyer and Smith each average 35 minutes.
Edge: Marcus Ginyard Edge: North Carolina
Kyle Singler was named ACC pre- Though the Blue Devils recently took it on
season player of the year for a the chin in a blowout loss to Georgetown,
reason; he’s proven himself to be one Recent Play the Tar Heels are in a full tailspin, losing
six of their last seven games in ACC play.
of the conference’s premiere players
and can score from anywhere. Deon Duke also won in its last outing.
Thompson is no slouch offensively, Edge: Duke
but Singler is in a different class.
Edge: Kyle Singler
Confidence is at an all-time low in Chapel Hill.
It can’t get much worse for a team that went
Intangibles from the national championship to the ACC
Though Ed Davis and Miles Plumlee cellar. Well, maybe except for a lopsided loss
are not true centers (both are listed on its home court to its biggest rival.
at forward), they fall to this position
Edge: Duke
defensively. Davis holds a huge talent
advantage against Plumlee in both
scoring and rebounding, but Plumlee
will get rough down low.
The Bottom Line — Duke 81, North Carolina 71
Edge: Ed Davis Compiled by david Reynolds