WRAL Sports Fan

North Carolina

UNC basketball assistant expects some attrition, says incoming freshmen will contribute

By Dane Huffman

Feb 4, 2009

Chapel Hill, N.C. — North Carolina coach Roy Williams called a timeout in the first half against Maryland Tuesday night, and assistant coach Steve Robinson knew it might be time to clear out of the way because the Tar Heels’ head coach wasn’t happy.

In fact, Robinson noticed that the UNC players weren’t exactly rushing off the court to hear what Williams had to say.

So while Carolina won 108-91 and bombed in 16 three-pointers, the coaches were still irked that the Tar Heels gave up 91 points.

The players, Robinson said in a talk Wednesday at the Raleigh Sports Club, weren’t as concerned.

“Players are like, ‘Hey, we won. Why is everybody upset?’” Robinson said. “But that’s the nature of today’s youth. You play so many games now.”

Robinson said the players have grown accustomed to their high school careers, where they play high school games in the winter and have a lengthy summer league schedule. In the summer, players often compete in two or three games in a day.

“That’s the big challenge, getting them to understand the importance of every play, every possession, in every game,” Robinson said.

Robinson, in a 40-minute discussion, talked at length about this year’s team and the future of the program. He spoke highly of Carolina’s recruiting class of five players who will arrive in the fall of 2009.

“We’ll need that because we could lose six to seven guys, some to graduation and some to the NBA,” Robinson said.

The seniors on UNC’s roster include Tyler Hansbrough, Danny Green, Bobby Frasor, Mike Copeland and Marcus Ginyard. Ginyard will ask the NCAA for a redshirt season and hopes to return next year. Juniors Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington considered jumping to the NBA after last season and may not return.

But the incoming class is a strong one and includes 6-10 John Henson, 6-9 twins David and Travis Wear, 6-3 point guard Dexter Strickland and 6-4 shooting guard Leslie McDonald.

Robinson said Hanson is “longer” than former UNC star Brandan Wright, who is now in the NBA.

“He’s an extremely talented young man,” Robinson said.

He pointed out that the Wear twins’ team in California “is the No. 1 team in the country” and the twins are well-schooled and ready to contribute.

He said McDonald is shooting better than 60 percent on 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and has hit at least two game-winning shots.

“He’s going to be a good scorer for us,” said Robinson, saying McDonald could play the small forward or wing guard position.

And he said Dexter Strickland has been injured but should be ready to contribute. He said between Strickland and current freshman Larry Drew, the Tar Heels’ should be solid at point guard next year if Lawson leaves for the NBA.

“We’re not really that concerned right now,” he said of point guard position next season.

Overall, he said, next year’s freshmen “will have to play a major role. We’ll have some guys leaving. But we’ll worry about that then.”

This year’s team, meanwhile, remains a strong one, although perhaps not as dominant as some expected before the season.

“We’re 20-2. That’s pretty good at this point in the year,” he said. “It’s not easy to have that success and it’s easy to not have that success. There is no guarantee.”

He didn’t address how Carolina will replace Ginyard, and said the Heels would have to wait and see if freshman Tyler Zeller can return this year from a broken wrist.

One Tar Heel mainstay Robinson said he doesn’t see around as much is former coach Dean Smith. Robinson said he loves catching up with Smith and Bill Guthridge about basketball tactics, but he doesn’t see Smith often.

“We don’t see Coach Smith quite as much now,” Robinson said. “He comes to practice some, he’s around. But it’s to the point that he does his own thing. Every once in a while he’ll come to practice.”