WRAL Sports Fan

North Carolina

Green's improvement obvious at UNC

By Ken Medlin

Jan 2, 2009

On a team that seems to have an endless supply of firepower, Danny Green may be Carolina's X-factor.

Green is playing the best basketball of his career this season, and he's a far cry from the freshman who looked lost at times three years ago.

"Danny each and every year has gotten more comfortable with what we wanted to do,” coach Roy Williams said. “Danny each and every year has gotten a better understanding of what truly is important to the game, and I think that's been the biggest thing."

Green is getting done at both ends of the court. In addition to a double-figure scoring average, he's also racking up a steal and a half and a block and a half per game.

He averaged 11.5 points per game last season and is averaging 12.8 now.

Last season, he had 46 blocks and 48 steals. This year, he already has 18 blocks and 20 steals.

Those numbers are a result of his new-found focus on defense.

“This year I think he has gambled less,” Williams said. “I think he's done a better job of focusing throughout the course of the whole game.”

“On this level you have to be focused the entire game because everybody has the same type of talent speed and strength,” Green said.

But nowhere is Green's improvement more obvious than his ball-handling. Green is handing out more assists while giving up fewer turnovers. He had 77 assists and 74 turnovers last year. This season, that ratio is 40 to 21.

And he's becoming a versatile force for a team with extremely lofty aspirations.

“I've been to the Final Four, I've been in the tournament in every possible situation,” he said. “So I've experienced a lot. The only thing I haven't experienced is the national championship.”