Frasor Watches Heels Grow Without Lawson

WRALSportsFan

Frasor Watches Heels Grow Without Lawson

By Sam Rosenthal

Feb 19, 2008

comments

Bobby Frasor lounged in the interview room after North Carolina beat Virginia Tech, 92-53, last Saturday afternoon. He wore a Tar Heel hooded sweatshirt, zipped halfway up. Underneath, a plain white T-shirt underneath complemented his blue jeans and pair of Nikes. He clutched a ping-pong paddle in one hand.

Frasor seemed not the least bit concerned with the gaggle of reporters in the room. When you haven’t played since December 27, you know that you’ve become less newsworthy.

“It’s been different, to say the least, without practicing and the physical demands and the strain on your body,” Frasor told the two reporters who wanted to talk to him. “I just started getting in the weight room again, working on the strength in my left leg, because it’s 10 times bigger than my right leg right now.”

Such is the life for Frasor at this point in the Tar Heels’ season. While his teammates strive for a national title, he observes from the bench, cheers and plays post-game ping-pong.

The worst thing? For the past four games (and all but four minutes of a fifth), the team played without star point guard Ty Lawson. Had Frasor been healthy, this would have been his time to shine.

“It’s frustrating at times,” he said. “I think the Clemson game, when we weren’t playing well and we were losing, it really hurts then because you want to go in, and you know you could contribute and give something to this team.”

And at Clemson, and against Duke, and at Florida State and Virginia, it must have really hurt Frasor. There he sat, watching his team struggle against ACC competition, helpless to aid his team while reduced to its third-string point guard in important games.

But, with Thomas at the helm, the Tar Heels slowly started coalescing. Minute by minute, game by game, they looked more and more in sync on the court. Then, against Virginia Tech, a banged-up Carolina team walloped the Hokies and looked everything like the Final Four favorite that they are.

“When we’re playing well, like (against Virginia Tech),” Frasor said, “it’s pretty easy to watch from the sidelines.”

And when the Tar Heels play well, their point guard is usually the catalyst With Lawson in, Carolina pushed the tempo like a heavy metal song, running on every possession with relentless fervor. After he sprained his ankle, however, the Tar Heels became a much more half-court oriented team, and that originally presented some problems.

But over the past few games, under Thomas, the team gained chemistry with the man who first stepped into Frasor’s role, then Lawson’s.

“We miss Bobby, but I think we all realize that there’s nothing we can do, and some guys are stepping up,” junior star Tyler Hansbrough said.

And Frasor certainly approves of Thomas’ play. “Quentin’s doing well. He’s getting better and better each game,” he said. “He’s gotten more comfortable, and I think you’re really starting to see the Quentin we’ve seen in the summer league.”

Thomas has averaged 7.4 assists over the past five games. He twice rose to the rim for dunks against Virginia Tech, once after weaving through traffic like a New York taxi driver. His presence could be a major boost for UNC the rest of the season, as a starter or backup.

And he might never have found that prowess had Lawson stayed healthy.

“It’s definitely more comfortable, because I have a feel of where my teammates are going to be, and they have a feel of where I’m going to be and how I’m going to try and be aggressive and get in the lane,” Thomas said. “So it’s really helping.”

Besides Thomas, junior Marcus Ginyard was forced to play minutes at point guard with Lawson out.

According to Frasor, his friend and teammate began a bit awkwardly at the point, but has made progress. “During the Duke game, he was going the same speed the whole time,” Frasor said. “I was like, ‘Marcus, you need to change speeds so that defender doesn’t know what you’re going to do. It’s easy to pick you apart when you’re going one speed.’ He’s gotten better, he’s handling it better each game. He’s just got to work on the accuracy of his passes.”

Still, Ginyard eagerly awaits Lawson’s return.

"I’m tired of counting minutes until Ty gets back, I’ll tell you that,” he said.

But Ginyard must count minutes at least a little while longer, since Lawson is not expected to play Wednesday at N.C. State.

Playing without their primary point guard, though, the Tar Heels learned some things about themselves. In addition to Lawson and Frasor’s injuries, Carolina’s Deon Thompson (knee), Danny Green (flu) and Ginyard (toe) all saw limited minutes over the past couple games. Yet UNC persevered and, except for the Duke game, won. Against the Hokies, they won big.

“It’s definitely a blessing in disguise, because it’s helping our whole team – being able to play in crucial games,” Thomas said. “We’re getting a lot better chemistry.

Being out there a lot more with Tyler, that helps me, because I can ask Tyler how he likes to get the ball in certain situations, and on the defensive end. So it’s really going to help, and I think this team is really going to reach its peak as we get closer to the end of the season.

“A lot of games that we won this year that were close, I think last year – I’m not going to say that we would have lost – but it was 50/50. This year, we’re definitely pulling together and trying to stay in there through all this adversity.”

And because of that adversity, the Tar Heels figure to possess some weapons they might not have had if Lawson never went down. Thomas, Alex Stepheson, Will Graves and Mike Copeland have all seen increased playing time, which could be important in March.

The players seem to feel that they will return to full strength in the nick of time, and with a deep and game-tested a bench.

“It’s where you want to be,” Hansbrough said. “You want to be peaking at the end of the year. You don’t want to be really good at the beginning and just have a decline.

So I think with these guys getting healthy now, when they come back, it’s just going to be a boost for us.”

And if that happens, Frasor might not mind watching from the sidelines as much.

Most Recent Comments

To all you so-called Tarheel fans. What year did you graduate from Carolina? Or do you just like them because they are a good team? What band wagon will you jump on next if Carolina has a bad year? Are all of you this Gung-Ho for football season?
BigDog071205

Personally, I didn't go to UNC, But FYI jerky boy, I was Born there. First Diaper to hit my Posterior was Carolina Blue, been a fan since birth, and will be a fan til I die, So what I ask you does being a Graduate have to do with being a fan?

Another great piece of journalism!

http://www.wral.com/sports/story/2457525

Heels remember the tough loss last year at NC State. The message? State players, beware, because you smacked the proverbial hornets' nest last year.

Another spin on the story was that State won last year when no one thought they would. It would be just as legitimate to spin this so as to tell the Carolina players to beware, for they could lose this game.

I don't need to prove anything else. My point is proven. You Heel fans don't mind because it's in favor of your beloved Heels. But don't worry, you'll get yours -- tomorrow night in the RBC Center, baby!!!!

A certain NCSU player got hurt 25 years ago and it made that team better and they won the National Title-this might help UNC down the road!!

" However, what I did say is that there are normally articles BUILDING UP State's upcoming opponent"

LOL..and that just kills you, doesn't it? Cause then your team reads in and they get all scared. And then they don't play good. Then they lose.

Please...if you want to fixate about something, at least find something valid. You are complaining about words on a piece of paper that are not even about your team.

How did this post get so far off topic? I thought the article was about Bobby Frasor? I hope he gets well soon and has a great senior season and stays healthy!!

WRAL Sports Fan

WRALSportsFan