I believe Joel Berry...

[keysersosay#1]

Is one of the toughest guards I have seen play at Carolina. LOVE LOVE LOVE it when he Takes it RIGHT to the hoop. That long high floater off the backboard is a thing of beauty...and then he will nail a tough clutch 3 point shot. The Kid has no back off in his game

He also can play some serious defense..... Love this kid

 

[GoNtheDistance]

He's not getting the respect he deserves. He's putting up big time numbers while not taking half the shots others do that put up similar numbers.

 

[TARRRRRHEEEEEELS]

He also plays with an edge without being a d$ck! He's not backing down from anyone.

 

[bleeduncblue]

Silent assassin! This team is SO much fun to watch. And we're LONG from finished!!

 

[Heelicious]

I agree with all that. Another thing I like that maybe you don't see on tv. Anyone who thinks about talking junk to him... The junk yard dog barks at them whether it's providence bench or on the court after he daggers them.

 

[Grayhead]

His progression in Roy's system as a soph is outstanding. To me he is playing like a junior guard would. He will terrorize the acc next year

 

[Tru Blu Tar Heel]

Joel Berry is a DIRTY, NASTY, FILTHY, UGLY, JUNKYARD DOG! And it all begins for him on the defensive end. Absolutely LOVE his approach to the game!

 

[trestyles]

I don't understand why he not getting any nba love. He has had big games against some of these lotto pick guards

 

[gary-7]

I don't understand why he not getting any nba love. He has had big games against some of these lotto pick guards

Trust me, the Carolina NBA alums who played against and with him in the summer will tell you in no uncertain terms how good JB is. They know what we have.
Frankly, I'm glad he's still flying under the media hype radar --- less temptation to leave early.

 

[Archer2]

Generally, you have to be ultra quick to play in the NBA at his size. He's not quite as quick as they'd like. But he has very quick hands, the requisite strength, and is a solid shooter. He possesses all the other intangibles you could want. I hope we have him all four years.

 

[Spacegrass]

I don't understand why he not getting any nba love. He has had big games against some of these lotto pick guards

6'0 with a 6'3 wingspan is why.

Remember as good as Lawson was his Jr season? Only parlayed it into the 18th pick. NBA is a big man game so small guys tend to not get valued as highly as draft prospects.

 

[Steat]

I have not seen anyone shoot that short bank floater like Berry since John Roche of South Carolina.....

 

[BillyL]

It turns out that there was a lot of trash talking on the floor yesterday, and Providence started it during pre-game warmups. Joel, Brice and Isaiah shut them up in extremely fine fashion.

Mr. Berry is indeed a junkyard bulldog . .

 

[Louigi]

I have been telling everyone all year that Berry is our difference maker. He has the ability to really take over a game and I love watching his game develop this year.

 

[DSouthr]

I am not saying he is as good but I see a lot of Phil Ford traits in Joel's game. The grit he plays with jumps out at me, his looking to make the right play rather than the highlite reel play is a thing I really love. His swagger to me is a bit Phil like, even his shooting stroke reminds me of Phil a bit. The fact that he is plugged in to the game ON BOTH ENDS for every second he is on the court is a very Phil like trait. Kid is just a soph, can you imagine what he can be as a senior if he keeps on progressing like we have seen him do this season...SPECIAL kid and VERY SPECIAL player! Kid has no fear and that runner, yet another IMO Phil like trait.

 

[SeaHawk98]

Brice and Paige are great seniors, but this team would be sitting at home right now and would have many more loses without Berry. He will get that respect next year when he is the team's leader. Berry and Hicks are going to have monster years next year.

 

[Tom79]

It turns out that there was a lot of trash talking on the floor yesterday, and Providence started it during pre-game warmups. Joel, Brice and Isaiah shut them up in extremely fine fashion.

Mr. Berry is indeed a junkyard bulldog . .

Posted this on another thread but that talking junk found nylon...JBII down in the corner in front of the Friar bench for a 3 pt shot and someone yelled something, he makes tough shot and runs back on defense, pausing to give the cold stare at whomever it was....kid is a competitor and a winner.
I love this team.

 

[Spacegrass]

Brice and Berry need to continue to have a strong tourney. Remember in the Hansbrough years his frosh thru junior seasons he carried the team. But in 2009 Ellington and Lawson took the next step and down the latter half of the year those two carried the team and put them over the top. Marcus has had to largely carry the offensive load his first 3 years now 2 other guys have stepped up and look to put UNC over the top. Even better that it is our PG and PF because those are the 2 keys to Roy's offense.

 

[jah420]

I have not seen anyone shoot that short bank floater like Berry since John Roche of South Carolina.....

Ed Cota and the Cota Floatah say hi

 

[gary-7]

I am not saying he is as good but I see a lot of Phil Ford traits in Joel's game. The grit he plays with jumps out at me, his looking to make the right play rather than the highlite reel play is a thing I really love. His swagger to me is a bit Phil like, even his shooting stroke reminds me of Phil a bit. The fact that he is plugged in to the game ON BOTH ENDS for every second he is on the court is a very Phil like trait. Kid is just a soph, can you imagine what he can be as a senior if he keeps on progressing like we have seen him do this season...SPECIAL kid and VERY SPECIAL player! Kid has no fear and that runner, yet another IMO Phil like trait.

Dave, here's something I haven't had occasion to comment on, but because of our "team" system, many Carolina fans (and the media) don't always appreciate just how good some of our guys are. They see some of these players from other schools putting up bigger numbers and getting national pub for it. Even a guy with a green light like Marcus this year isn't gonna just jack up shots like Dunn or that little Guard from Ole Miss or even the dookie Guards.

I posted on here before what I heard directly from a participant in some of the summer pick-up games. Just like Phil in the summer before his freshman season, JB went thru the ritual of being dogged by the pros, but just like Phil, he still impressed them with his abilities. Well, this past summer, Berry was THE topic of conversation. This time JB did some dogging of his own. For example he and Ray went at it hard and let's just say our alums pronounced JB ready to assume the mantle. JB is thoroughly capable of averaging 20+ a game if that's what the system called for.

 

[Archer2]

It turns out that there was a lot of trash talking on the floor yesterday, and Providence started it during pre-game warmups. Joel, Brice and Isaiah shut them up in extremely fine fashion.

Mr. Berry is indeed a junkyard bulldog . .

ND was doing the same thing, Billy. And with the same result. Our team has developed a little edge to them, courtesy of JOel, Brice, and Theo.

 

[gary-7]

ND was doing the same thing, Billy. And with the same result. Our team has developed a little edge to them, courtesy of JOel, Brice, and Theo.

My favorite sidebar from the last ND game was when a frustrated Demetrius Jackson screamed at JB, the ref and anyone in earshot, "GET HIM OFF ME!!!"

 

[UNC Blue Hup]

He's the heart and soul of this team..no question

 

[Archer2]

He's becoming Phelps-like in his defense, one of the highest compliments I can pay a UNC PG. Our defense begins with his on the ball defense.

 

[TARRRRRHEEEEEELS]

How do we know about the trash talk? Just curious. Haha

 

[trestyles]

6'0 with a 6'3 wingspan is why.

Remember as good as Lawson was his Jr season? Only parlayed it into the 18th pick. NBA is a big man game so small guys tend to not get valued as highly as draft prospects.

Do you know jackson from ND measurables? By any chance?

When Joel ate his lunch, that's when I was like, he should be getting more nba love. Of course I want him to stay as long as possible.

 

[Archer2]

How do we know about the trash talk? Just curious. Haha

You could see it. Of course, there's always some of it going on, but some teams take it to a different level. This team seems to get fired up when it happens. We haven't really had an edgy team since Hans left.

 

[Spacegrass]

Do you know jackson from ND measurables? By any chance?

When Joel ate his lunch, that's when I was like, he should be getting more nba love. Of course I want him to stay as long as possible.

6'1 and 6'5 wingspan. Jackson's stock has dropped. He went from potential lottery pick to fringe 1st rounder.

 

[gary-7]

How do we know about the trash talk? Just curious. Haha

This time it was reported in some articles... but the players talk about it all the time off hand or to folks they know.

 

[TARRRRRHEEEEEELS]

This time it was reported in some articles... but the players talk about it all the time off hand or to folks they know.

From the Adam Lucas article on TarheelBlue.com:

"Bentil fouled out, by which point he had run out of words. Even his trash talk had turned complimentary. At one point, he barked, “Their bigs can’t guard me, only Theo can guard me!” Thanks…I guess?"

LMAO!

 

[Lewis&Miller]

Berry has been the glue for this team lately. There was a point early in the game when both Paige and Brice were visually frustrated by the physicality of Providence. Paige put his head in the chest of a Providence player on an inbounds play to get space, called attention to the ref. Brice was barking at the ref in the lane during foul shots. They adjusted to the play but it took half the game. Berry enters the game like the opponent is trying to take something that is his. Berry is ready tough.

Berry believes himself to be a tough guy(Brice made that statement). Berrys style is rubbing off on these guys. Carolina, under Roy, can only win the championship with an attack style point guard and Berry is the man. His level of play is vastly improved.

My trust is in Berry to lead this team to the finals. There is gonna be that game condition, where our half court offense is stymied, and the only cure is for Berry to beat his man to score or create open looks . He has had a sudden spurt in level of play and hope he continues because his individual playmaking will define how far this team goes.

 

[Carolinadude23]

I'll tell you all right now...Berry is our MVP! Yes BJ is who he is and we wouldn't be here without BJ no doubt! But it was expected of him! He's a Sr. and most of us have been waiting 4 years for BJ to play like this! And don't get me wrong BJ is a beast! And with his shooting ability and his mid range game and underrated passing he will be a great Pro and should be a top 10 pick IMO!

NOW let me get to Joel Berry!!! The kid is a stud! The kid is what we've needed since Lawson left school with his toughness!! And a side note here: HEY RIVALS HOW'S THAT STUPID ASS 4 STAR YOU PUT BY HIS NAME LOOKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW???? And he's just in his 2nd year? The ****ing kid won Mr. basketball 3 straight years in the state of Fla, but you put him at 4 star level???? LMFAO! Once again you guys don't know your asses from a whole in the ground! Bet if the kid had gone to Duke or Kensucky you wouldn't have had a 4 by his name!! Rivals you are so predictable it isn't even funny!! The kid was a 5 then and showing you dumb asses he's a 5 now!!

 

[Tom79]

You could see it. Of course, there's always some of it going on, but some teams take it to a different level. This team seems to get fired up when it happens. We haven't really had an edgy team since Hans left.

They sure seem to get fired up Archer. And the mind set appears, among the team members, to not respond. Just go out and play basketball.

 

[gary-7]

They sure seem to get fired up Archer. And the mind set appears, among the team members, to not respond. Just go out and play basketball.

Oh, sometimes they respond --- but only after an opponent gets too mouthy.
Get Theo started and he can talk with the best of em.
Brice yelled "Get the f*** outta my house!" when he made that big rejection vs Providence.
JB just gives em the cold dog stare.

 

[Tom79]

That's the look I from want from JBII for four more games.
Theo can go on...

 

[DSouthr]

Oh, sometimes they respond --- but only after an opponent gets too mouthy.
Get Theo started and he can talk with the best of em.
Brice yelled "Get the f*** outta my house!" when he made that big rejection vs Providence.
JB just gives em the cold dog stare.

OK, so I am gonna be the guy that goes there and says that...I am prepared for the flack but I was prepared for flack when I got on the Joel berry band wagon back when it was just a horse! LOL

We have had some GREAT guards at UNC, younger folks think in terms of that bar being Ray Felton, Ty lawson, kendal Marshal. We older folk think in terms of The JET, Jimmy Black, Easy Ed, and of course Mr UNC Phil Ford. Well, in a post yesterday I invoked the name Phil Ford in description of what I see in Joel.

And here is the boom, OTHER THAN PHIL, IMO Joel Berry has shown me more as a soph than any of that list of great PGs. And the truth is, he is IMO amazingly close to even Phil. WE have had longer, stronger, quicker, better ball handlers, better assist guys, maybe even better defenders. But to see such a level of all those items all wrapped up in a single kid named Joel Berry is special, very special. But there is a intangible within that kid that for me sets him apart. It is that extra thing I saw in George lynch, I saw it in Hansbough, and I saw it from this kid named Mike from Laney high school. It is a refuse to back down attitude, it is climb over that wall hell, I am gonna bust thru that darn thing.

There is not a bit of doubt in my mind that by the time he plays his last game for us he will be seen at very least at the same level as Ray, Ty, and Kendal and I honestly think he will be seen as better.

 

[TARRRRRHEEEEEELS]

Off topic but it would be awesome if Joel Berry would stop re-tweeting Joel Osteen on his twitter page. Dude isn't a preacher - he's a motivational speaker who only preaches "prosperity prosperity prosperity" and makes money off of religion..

 

[TARRRRRHEEEEEELS]

OK, so I am gonna be the guy that goes there and says that...I am prepared for the flack but I was prepared for flack when I got on the Joel berry band wagon back when it was just a horse! LOL

We have had some GREAT guards at UNC, younger folks think in terms of that bar being Ray Felton, Ty lawson, kendal Marshal. We older folk think in terms of The JET, Jimmy Black, Easy Ed, and of course Mr UNC Phil Ford. Well, in a post yesterday I invoked the name Phil Ford in description of what I see in Joel.

And here is the boom, OTHER THAN PHIL, IMO Joel Berry has shown me more as a soph than any of that list of great PGs. And the truth is, he is IMO amazingly close to even Phil. WE have had longer, stronger, quicker, better ball handlers, better assist guys, maybe even better defenders. But to see such a level of all those items all wrapped up in a single kid named Joel Berry is special, very special. But there is a intangible within that kid that for me sets him apart. It is that extra thing I saw in George lynch, I saw it in Hansbough, and I saw it from this kid named Mike from Laney high school. It is a refuse to back down attitude, it is climb over that wall hell, I am gonna bust thru that darn thing.

There is not a bit of doubt in my mind that by the time he plays his last game for us he will be seen at very least at the same level as Ray, Ty, and Kendal and I honestly think he will be seen as better.

PG's ranked - In my opinion:

1. Ty Lawson - Unbelievably fast, strong and developed a nice 3-point jumper!
2. Kendall Marshall - Absolutely sick vision. Made up for lack of scoring by getting his
teammates the easiest buckets ever.
3. Joel Berry - Doing a great job and has the least to work with.
4. Ray Ray - Loved him but then Ty came along and then Kendall with the 16 assist game..

 

[viking131]

Off topic but it would be awesome if Joel Berry would stop re-tweeting Joel Osteen on his twitter page. Dude isn't a preacher - he's a motivational speaker who only preaches "prosperity prosperity prosperity" and makes money off of religion..

Agree, and I agree some more... Now bk to the topic

 

[Steat]

Ed Cota and the Cota Floatah say hi

One thing I'm not is a homer. Cota was good, but he was not as good as John Roche. I don't know how far you go back, but go to You Tube for your history lesson. John Roche invented the floater. I hated the guy, but his floater was unstoppable. During the Roche era, South Carolina gave the Heels headaches.