POLL: With Berry Out, Who Will Be In the Starting Lineup?

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Including the exhibition game, this could be for 4 or 5 games, at current prognosis.

The poll only allows 10 options, so I have trimmed the roster to fit by leaving out the guys I think least likely to start but then having an "other" option in case you disagree.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

I figure most of us will agree on most starters. But based on conversations in various threads, I expect some disagreement on these pairs of potential starters:

Cam or Kenny
Jalek or Seventh

But there could be other surprises.

 

[DSouthr]

Honestly, I do not expect this to be the popular opinion but I think I would have 7th at the point, he has a year of experience under his belt and I would start Jalek beside 7th, let our inexperienced freshman learn beside a kid that has some PG experience with us. A bit of a duo PG deal that Roy loves and yeah, I do believe 7th can play the point even if some of my buds disagree.

From there I have been consistent in saying Theo, Luke, and Brooks/Huff, maybe looking more like Brooks than Huff at this early stage.

 

[gary-7]

I figure most of us will agree on most starters. But based on conversations in various threads, I expect some disagreement on these pairs of potential starters:

Cam or Kenny
Jalek or Seventh

But there could be other surprises.

Don't know about polls and such, but if what has happened thus far in practice/Memphis is any indication of whom would be starting vs UNI, well, it was HIGHLY likely to have been JB/KW/TP/LM/GB with CJ getting "starter's minutes" off the bench (which is honestly what I've thought would happen all along).

With JB out I HOPE it's simply Jalek taking his spot. That being said I wouldn't put it past Roy to try and start 7th because of experience --- the caveat there being I haven't heard anything out of practice to indicate 7th's decision-making has improved enough to warrant that.

JB being out could cause a ripple I suppose, but I'd personally like to see continuity into his not-too-distant return by simply handing Jalek the keys for a few weeks until big bro gets home to drive the hot-rod...

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Somewhat to my surprise, Coach Radar is starting Seventh over Jalek.

So far.

 

[FranktheHeel]

Don't know about polls and such, but if what has happened thus far in practice/Memphis is any indication of whom would be starting vs UNI, well, it was HIGHLY likely to have been JB/KW/TP/LM/GB with CJ getting "starter's minutes" off the bench (which is honestly what I've thought would happen all along).

With JB out I HOPE it's simply Jalek taking his spot. That being said I wouldn't put it past Roy to try and start 7th because of experience --- the caveat there being I haven't heard anything out of practice to indicate 7th's decision-making has improved enough to warrant that.

JB being out could cause a ripple I suppose, but I'd personally like to see continuity into his not-too-distant return by simply handing Jalek the keys for a few weeks until big bro gets home to drive the hot-rod...

Just from a first time of thinking it through and hearing Kenny is back and healthy and started in the scrimmage I would say the lineup would now be
Seventh, Kenny, Theo, Luke, Garrison.

So, if Roy decides to start Woods at PG which I can see, I feel like the main question is does he still feel that he has enough scoring with a lineup of Seventh, Kenny, Theo, Luke, Garrison, if not does he decide to slide Cam in for Kenny there?

I would say so, leading him to decide to add Cam into the starting lineup providing more of a balanced attacked and a big scoring threat in the absence of Joel, having a good amount of plays for Cam where he can get his share.

I'm thinking that in this scenario I would change my lineup to Seventh, Theo, Cam, Luke, Garrison with Felton, Kenny and B-Rob all getting an increase in minutes off the bench.

As you bring up Gary, another possibility is now starting Felton at the point. Having Felton at the point, who does have great playmaking and scoring abilities would this lead Roy to now feel more comfortable having Kenny at the two due to his perimeter defensive abilities and experience from last year. This may better compliment Jalek who hasn't totally bought in on the defensive end yet and still learning the offense. This would lead him to bring in Cam off the bench where he will still get starter minutes and can provide a Big Bang for us which I do like. This is also very intriguing because I think we all would love to see what Felton can do for us when having the ball in his hands and create plays for others.

I'm gonna go with these two possibilities:
Seventh at PG: Seventh, Cam, Theo, Luke, Garrison
Felton at PG: Felton, Williams, Theo, Luke, Garrison (with Cam still getting starter minutes)

It's time for everyone to step up for JB, he did it for all of you last year!!!

 

[gary-7]

Just from a first time of thinking it through and hearing Kenny is back and healthy and started in the scrimmage I would say the lineup would now be
Seventh, Kenny, Theo, Luke, Garrison.

So, if Roy decides to start Woods at PG which I can see, I feel like the main question is does he still feel that he has enough scoring with a lineup of Seventh, Kenny, Theo, Luke, Garrison, if not does he decide to slide Cam in for Kenny there?

I would say so, leading him to decide to add Cam into the starting lineup providing more of a balanced attacked and a big scoring threat in the absence of Joel, having a good amount of plays for Cam where he can get his share.

I'm thinking that in this scenario I would change my lineup to Seventh, Theo, Cam, Luke, Garrison with Felton, Kenny and B-Rob all getting an increase in minutes off the bench.

As you bring up Gary, another possibility is now starting Felton at the point. Having Felton at the point, who does have great playmaking and scoring abilities would this lead Roy to now feel more comfortable having Kenny at the two due to his perimeter defensive abilities and experience from last year. This may better compliment Jalek who hasn't totally bought in on the defensive end yet and still learning the offense. This would lead him to bring in Cam off the bench where he will still get starter minutes and can provide a Big Bang for us which I do like. This is also very intriguing because I think we all would love to see what Felton can do for us when having the ball in his hands and create plays for others.

I'm gonna go with these two possibilities:
Seventh at PG: Seventh, Cam, Theo, Luke, Garrison
Felton at PG: Felton, Williams, Theo, Luke, Garrison (with Cam still getting starter minutes)

It's time for everyone to step up for JB, he did it for all of you last year!!!

Well... I said it wouldn't surprise me to see him go with 7th, but.............

 

[TPFKAPFS]

7th will start and so will KW and Brooks. JF will not be rewarded until he proves his chops on D and KW will not lose his spot to injury! Brooks is ready now, but he will rotate with Huff. JF and CJ will both receive starter minutes and BRob will get a ton as well. By ACC time and with JB back we will be that much stronger!

I have claimed from day 1: JB, KW, TP, LM, and Brooks. I will now slide JB's primary backup into his spot.
7th, KW, TP, LM, Brooks!

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

So, if Roy decides to start Woods at PG which I can see, I feel like the main question is does he still feel that he has enough scoring with a lineup of Seventh, Kenny, Theo, Luke, Garrison, if not does he decide to slide Cam in for Kenny there?

I would say so, leading him to decide to add Cam into the starting lineup providing more of a balanced attacked and a big scoring threat in the absence of Joel, having a good amount of plays for Cam where he can get his share.

I'm gonna go with these two possibilities:
Seventh at PG: Seventh, Cam, Theo, Luke, Garrison
Felton at PG: Felton, Williams, Theo, Luke, Garrison (with Cam still getting starter minutes)

Good reasoning.

Of course I already thought Cam would start, so I don't need to slide him in for Kenny. But your other point - that when Jalek is at PG is a good time to have Kenny on the floor instead of Cam makes good sense, too.

So I agree with your alternate lineups - except that I think we'll see more Huff than most people expect. Probably won't start ahead of Luke or Garrison, but I think Roy will give him every chance to earn minutes. We need more than one of our freshman bigs to pan out.

 

[dadika13]

With JB out I HOPE it's simply Jalek taking his spot. That being said I wouldn't put it past Roy to try and start 7th because of experience --- the caveat there being I haven't heard anything out of practice to indicate 7th's decision-making has improved enough to warrant that.

This is what I hope also, but I don't think Roy will do that. I think he goes with 7th.

One other thing, I think if he goes with Jalek it would help with recruiting. Something he can point to with future guys.

 

[JuleZ '02 HEEL]

Am I voting for "my starting lineup" as in the thread title or what I think Roy will actually do, as the poll question seems to indicate?

'Cause I might roll the dice and see how Jalek handles the reins in those early games, but I fully expect Roy to start Seventh. Because Roy.

 

[heels05champs]

If we start a backcourt of SW and KW with TP on the wing, where the heck is the scoring gonna come from? I can see Roy doing this but it won't go well and subs will be made quickly.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Am I voting for "my starting lineup" as in the thread title or what I think Roy will actually do, as the poll question seems to indicate?

'Cause I might roll the dice and see how Jalek handles the reins in those early games, but I fully expect Roy to start Seventh. Because Roy.

Sorry about that. My intention was for you to pick who you think will actually start.

I'll change the title to be more clear. Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[heelmanwilm]

Knowing coach’s tendencies i would be SHOCKED If woods isnt given the opportunity. Even if roy thinks felton is better he will use the opportunity of early season meaningless games to give woods a chance to prove himself. Cause roy is loyal like that. Inevitably though it will be impossible imo to keep felton behind woods.

 

[dadika13]

I can't wait for the first couple "HOLY #*$*" moments from the guys on here who haven't been lucky enough to see Jalek play yet.

This kid can absolutely ball and makes a play or two every game that is just unreal.

 

[WhitePhantoms]

If we start a backcourt of SW and KW with TP on the wing, where the heck is the scoring gonna come from? I can see Roy doing this but it won't go well and subs will be made quickly.

From them. Have a little faith.

 

[gary-7]

I can't wait for the first couple "HOLY #*$*" moments from the guys on here who haven't been lucky enough to see Jalek play yet.

This kid can absolutely ball and makes a play or two every game that is just unreal.

Indeed.

He's got the tools and instincts to be the next great PG. If he gets his head right and Ds up, duck!

 

[gary-7]

I can't wait for the first couple "HOLY #*$*" moments from the guys on here who haven't been lucky enough to see Jalek play yet.

This kid can absolutely ball and makes a play or two every game that is just unreal.

At the risk of stirring something up on here I'll add something to my previous response:
My reverence for Roy notwithstanding, I'll assert without any reservation that the BEST course --- both for this team and the future --- is for this season to be a torch-passing from JB to Jalek as we pursue another Final Four, i.e., Jalek's #1 job should be JB's main backup... to help us win this season and prepare to take the keys to the Ferarri next season... and of course getting some minutes at the 2 as well (how much fun will it be watching Joel and Jalek running together in transition and switching on and off the ball seamlessly?).

I know the Berry injury forces 7th back into PG minutes but honestly I hope they are relatively minimal. I like the kid but Point is ultmately a dead horse for him to be successful here. The sooner 7th can concentrate on the 2 the better.

Things change obviously but I feel fairly confident in saying Little Felton didn't come here to be OAD (that has never been the word around the program) --- he wants that jersey up there with Uncle Ray's and he wants to lead this team. However, after a second year?... well, all bets are off.

Bottom line, while I won't be surprised, I'll be disappointed if #5 isn't running Point from the tip on November 10.

 

[heels05champs]

From them. Have a little faith.

Uh... What have you seen in the past to give you confidence? My opinion is based on watching every single game that they have played at Carolina.

 

[WhitePhantoms]

Uh... What have you seen in the past to give you confidence? My opinion is based on watching every single game that they have played at Carolina.

Uh... They showed flashes last year?

Time and time again players have made huge jumps between their freshman and sophomore seasons. If you think last year is all Seventh can offer then you're fooling yourself. He's one of the biggest reasons we came back and beat Tennessee last year. Kenny can shoot the ball and has repeatedly shown to make the best play for the team. I believe it was the Wake Forest game, he had an open 3 and instead of pulling it he tossed it down low to Isaiah for an easy lay up. I believe it was the most recent Pinson interview that was posted on IC. He talks about people being able to get into the paint and he mentions Kenny taking it to the basket. I imagine he's talking KWill because KJ wont be playing this year. Also going off the Blue and White game from Late Night he's looking for his shot.

 

[bax4444]

Id go with Jalek , cam, Theo, Brooks, and Luke.

I still am not getting where people are saying Kenny should start, even more so coming off injury. Cam brings from what I've seen a lot more to the table..

If Roy does what I think he might and starts seventh, Theo, and Kenny, I agree with what another poster says.. where In the world will the offense come from? But I'm afraid that's exactly the lineup Roy will roll out there to start with.

 

[heels05champs]

Uh... They showed flashes last year?

Time and time again players have made huge jumps between their freshman and sophomore seasons. If you think last year is all Seventh can offer then you're fooling yourself. He's one of the biggest reasons we came back and beat Tennessee last year. Kenny can shoot the ball and has repeatedly shown to make the best play for the team. I believe it was the Wake Forest game, he had an open 3 and instead of pulling it he tossed it down low to Isaiah for an easy lay up. I believe it was the most recent Pinson interview that was posted on IC. He talks about people being able to get into the paint and he mentions Kenny taking it to the basket. I imagine he's talking KWill because KJ wont be playing this year. Also going off the Blue and White game from Late Night he's looking for his shot.

KW is a junior now. I think we know what we're gonna get from him. Give me Kenny's 3 point shooting percentages since being at UNC.... I'll hang up and listen.

As for Theo, he is one of my favorite players but being a go-to scorer is not his game.

Seventh at point... it's just not his ideal position. He needs to be a combo like Dex primarily playing the off guard position.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

KW is a junior now. I think we know what we're gonna get from him. Give me Kenny's 3 point shooting percentages since being at UNC.... I'll hang up and listen.

As for Theo, he is one of my favorite players but being a go-to scorer is not his game.

Seventh at point... it's just not his ideal position. He needs to be a combo like Dex primarily playing the off guard position.

I really don't know what to expect from Kenny, after so long a time being limited. He needs to give us the D and safe ball handling he showed last season plus a lot better shooting. Otherwise he's not only unlikely to start, he will see his minutes decline. Can he do that? I really don't know. But because of his injury, I don't rate his chances very high.

Theo did a good job correcting 2 of his 3 problems last year - and did so despite injury. The 3rd problem, of course, is scoring. I give him a favorable rating for successfully addressing that last problem this year. One reason is that I think he'll be driving more, and driving successfully this year. With the outside shooters we have, drive and kick is a serious threat. So teams won't be able to collapse on a good passer like Theo without Cam, Joel or Luke getting open looks. I think that translates into Theo scoring more on drives. If he also boosts his outside shooting percentage, he could be a 1st round draft pick.

Seventh is harder to peg. Most of us expect him to turn the corner this season. But what does that mean, exactly? And will he turn the corner at PG or SG, as a shooter or a defensive stopper and presser?

 

[DSouthr]

I really don't know what to expect from Kenny, after so long a time being limited. He needs to give us the D and safe ball handling he showed last season plus a lot better shooting. Otherwise he's not only unlikely to start, he will see his minutes decline. Can he do that? I really don't know. But because of his injury, I don't rate his chances very high.

Theo did a good job correcting 2 of his 3 problems last year - and did so despite injury. The 3rd problem, of course, is scoring. I give him a favorable rating for successfully addressing that last problem this year. One reason is that I think he'll be driving more, and driving successfully this year. With the outside shooters we have, drive and kick is a serious threat. So teams won't be able to collapse on a good passer like Theo without Cam, Joel or Luke getting open looks. I think that translates into Theo scoring more on drives. If he also boosts his outside shooting percentage, he could be a 1st round draft pick.

Seventh is harder to peg. Most of us expect him to turn the corner this season. But what does that mean, exactly? And will he turn the corner at PG or SG, as a shooter or a defensive stopper and presser?

7th turn the corner question, really good question. To me more than anything else it means the game slowing down and the kid not rushing things, as Roy told Ty, slow down to go faster. He took the higher than needed risk passes, tone that down and make the good pass, they all do not need to be high lite reel specials.

Second, and I think this constitutes a lot of that soph improvement we see in many players, it is a better understanding of what he is supposed to do by instinct rather than having to think thru his movements. The reps that Roy has them do in practice along with the game and film study but the off season they are able to really get that comfortable confident feel with that frosh season under their belts.

And I think another aspect of 7th turning the corner is that he will feel more vested in the team as opposed to being an outsider that doesn't play a lot. This is a problem for a lot of kids, especially if they don't get a lot of PT, while they are part of the team they are not key figures most of the time they are more bit players that do not feel that same level of ownership that the regular rotations guys do. Its hard, kid goes from the man in high school that most everything went thru to being lucky to get 5mins in a game it is hard to stay as vested. But continued bonding with team mates in the off season figuring out your upper classman practice partners. Those things really secure your ownership in the team, that vesting of being real part of this.

So when I talk in terms of 7th turning the corner, I am talking about these aspects that combine with S/C work that build confidence that wanes during frosh seasons. I am not looking for the kid to become a knock down jump shooter, do expect him to be a decent jump shooter but 7th is an athletic slasher scorer and extremely competitive. Telling ya now, 7th will become a lock down defender and fun to watch on the offensive end. Folks are sleeping on the kid, you will see...

 

[Tom79]

So very glad a few of our posters are not our coach.

 

[dadika13]

So very glad a few of our posters are not our coach.

It's opinions man and I think this thread is phenomenal right now with a ton of really well informed ones.

Some prefer 7th, some more Kenny, some say give the keys to Jalek while JB is out. All solid options and none of them are "wrong".

Personally, I'm with you Gary, Jalek is the guy I want to get the experience for when it's his next season. Throw the kid into the fire and see what he can do. Luckily it won't be an ACC schedule yet but Michigan, Stanford, and a few others will give him a challenge.

Love this discussion.

 

[TPFKAPFS]

I concur because I would not like to support the team many on here seem to want. I love the fact that loyalty and sacrifice still mean something at UNC! I am perfectly willing to trade the "perfect" lineup for one that shows that Roy keeps his word! AND I don't remember a great deal of losing to show the system doesn't work! What team have you all been watching for the last 50 years? I've been watching the team I describe!

7th will never be a pro 2, but he could be one of the new breed of scoring pgs! KW showed he deserved to start and only injury stopped him last year; vast amounts of history say he will get another chance. TP will score more for obvious reasons like: more shooters, more experience, his showing at the finish of last year, etc.

Lastly, It never matters who starts at UNC! It matters who gets the most minutes and who finishes! Roy may sometimes start someone to experiment (pre-season) OR because they earned it (KW) OR because their backup plays better from the bench (TP in the past) OR because they fit a situation/practice well/injury issues (CJ/JF this season) OR because they would check out from the team if they were on the bench (WithDrew!) He does what is BEST for the team's long-term success and I love it!

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Berry's absence opens up the entire 40 minutes at PG - the 30+ Joel would have played plus the remainder that presumably would already have been handled by Seventh or Jalek.

Which is to say that even if Jalek starts - as a few here are adamant he should - Seventh could still play 15-20 minutes at point.

Some also speculated that Joel might have played some at SG, so guys competing for time there may also be given more chances.

My question is: with 40 minutes at PG, does anyone else get time at point? And if so, which player gets that time? I have no idea if Kenny, BRob or Andrew have PG chops, but this could be a good opportunity to take a look.

Last season, on a 40 minutes basis, Kenny gave us 3.6 assists against 1.9 TOs, while Brandon gave us 4.0 assists against 2.0 TOs.

My only experience with Andrew is the scrimmage, but he looked capable and savvy in that setting.

 

[bax4444]

I concur because I would not like to support the team many on here seem to want. I love the fact that loyalty and sacrifice still mean something at UNC! I am perfectly willing to trade the "perfect" lineup for one that shows that Roy keeps his word! AND I don't remember a great deal of losing to show the system doesn't work! What team have you all been watching for the last 50 years? I've been watching the team I describe!

7th will never be a pro 2, but he could be one of the new breed of scoring pgs! KW showed he deserved to start and only injury stopped him last year; vast amounts of history say he will get another chance. TP will score more for obvious reasons like: more shooters, more experience, his showing at the finish of last year, etc.

Lastly, It never matters who starts at UNC! It matters who gets the most minutes and who finishes! Roy may sometimes start someone to experiment (pre-season) OR because they earned it (KW) OR because their backup plays better from the bench (TP in the past) OR because they fit a situation/practice well/injury issues (CJ/JF this season) OR because they would check out from the team if they were on the bench (WithDrew!) He does what is BEST for the team's long-term success and I love it!

You say KW "deserved" the start. Why? If Theo hadn't been hurt last year KW never would've started. We won a national championship without KW even being available.

Look, I am not putting him down and from what I've seen he can be a very solid role player on this team. I'm just having a very hard time grasping how some here are so high on him and acting as if he's clearly our best option at the 2 spot. A 2 at unc should be a threat, if not shooting then by slashing and dishing etc. Kenny has not shown anywhere near enough offensively for me to think he "deserves" anything.

I think he should get solid 6 or 7th man minutes, and I hope he eventually finds his stroke.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

You say KW "deserved" the start. Why? If Theo hadn't been hurt last year KW never would've started. We won a national championship without KW even being available.

Look, I am not putting him down and from what I've seen he can be a very solid role player on this team. I'm just having a very hard time grasping how some here are so high on him and acting as if he's clearly our best option at the 2 spot. A 2 at unc should be a threat, if not shooting then by slashing and dishing etc. Kenny has not shown anywhere near enough offensively for me to think he "deserves" anything.

I think he deserves solid 6 or 7th man minutes, and I hope he eventually finds his stroke.

Yeah. I like Kenny, too. But if the choice is between starting Kenny or Theo at SG, Theo gets the nod. And yes, if you look at it as Kenny at SG or Cam at SF, Cam gets the nod unless/until he shows he isn't as good as we thought.

But notice that when Theo came back last season (before Kenny got injured), BOTH of them averaged over 20 minutes per game. Most of Theo's minutes came from other guys.

I think the real threats to Kenny's minutes come from him being injured while guys like Brandon and Seventh were able to work on their game. At best, Kenny is likely to start this year at about the same level we saw last year. A good level, to be sure. But Brandon and Seventh will almost certainly start this year at a much higher level than we saw last year.

That doesn't even factor in the presence of Jalek or Andrew. I don't really expect Andrew to steal minutes from Kenny - although he looks better than I expected, so who knows - but Jalek is definitely going to get minutes.

 

[Steat]

All I'm concerned about is UNC trailing at halftime at home in the first game of the season....against a non-ranked team. Ouch!

 

[TPFKAPFS]

He deserves to start at 2 and this has nothing to do with TP starting! Both will start and CJ will come off the bench. He earned it last year as well and I believe he started. I was one of the ones who said TP should start at 2 last year and argued all season and lo and behold! After the injury he was the best option. This year he will get his earned spot and TP will get his earned spot too!

 

[dadika13]

He deserves to start at 2 and this has nothing to do with TP starting! Both will start and CJ will come off the bench. He earned it last year as well and I believe he started. I was one of the ones who said TP should start at 2 last year and argued all season and lo and behold! After the injury he was the best option. This year he will get his earned spot and TP will get his earned spot too!

Dude...Cam is starting.

 

[midline]

Never want to see anyone injured. Especially someone as important as Berry. But if it had to happen, best to happen now. And at the end of all this, it might be a blessing in disguise. Some guys are going to get some significant time, early in the season, that they wouldn't get with Berry available. That experience may pay off big time in the long run.

 

[bax4444]

He deserves to start at 2 and this has nothing to do with TP starting! Both will start and CJ will come off the bench. He earned it last year as well and I believe he started. I was one of the ones who said TP should start at 2 last year and argued all season and lo and behold! After the injury he was the best option. This year he will get his earned spot and TP will get his earned spot too!

If youre agreeing that Theo wouldve started last year all year had he not been injured, then why are you so sure that now KW will or deserves to start? How has he just in your mind "have an earned spot" ? Genuinely curious. Especially after having seen the weapon Cam can be on offense.

 

[bax4444]

Dude...Cam is starting.

I agree that between he and Kenny I dont think its all that close. Especially with Joel out. Wether Roy does it or not is another question. But youve got a guy who averaged double figures in Acc play last year(Cam) vs. Kenny who I believe has only even cracked double figures a handful of times in his career.(Yes Im aware theres more to the game than scoring but its a pretty big part of it) Its mind boggling people are saying its Kennys spot he has earned and thats the end of the story.

 

[DSouthr]

You say KW "deserved" the start. Why? If Theo hadn't been hurt last year KW never would've started. We won a national championship without KW even being available.

Look, I am not putting him down and from what I've seen he can be a very solid role player on this team. I'm just having a very hard time grasping how some here are so high on him and acting as if he's clearly our best option at the 2 spot. A 2 at unc should be a threat, if not shooting then by slashing and dishing etc. Kenny has not shown anywhere near enough offensively for me to think he "deserves" anything.

I think he should get solid 6 or 7th man minutes, and I hope he eventually finds his stroke.

OK, so I kinda mostly agree with this even if I find it a bit to far?

I am the guy that all off season before last called for Kenny to be our starter at the 2 while most wanted Theo to be our starting 2, I was that guy. I have not in any way soured on Kenny nor have I ramped up my thinking about Theo as a 2, it is just that we have a far different team going in to this season than we had going in to last season. So it is a different set of considerations and a different set of circumstances as well (one of which is Kenny coming off a serious knee injury that took away his off season ability to work on his game).

First, who was right about Kenny being the starter last season, I was maybe the only one that wanted Kenny? Well the fact is it was not going to be Kenny, it was going to be Theo at the 2 as our starter, until Theo got hurt and only then did Kenny step in and did a fine job IMO. Theo was going to be the starter not because he "deserved it" and really not out of some sense of loyalty. Theo was going to start because it was razor thin close between the 2 per Roy's own words he wasn't sure till the very end. Theo had the spot because there had to be a tie breaker and that tie breaker was Theo was the more experienced kid and I can't argue that was a bad decision. Roy does not start kids out of "he deserves it" or "loyalty", Roy taps his starters because they earned that role and he has confidence they can produce for him, he doles out his PT based on the same.

Next, Roy does believe, as many coaches agree, you should not lose your starter role because of injury. IN other words, Theo was the game 1 starter last season but he was injured so Kenny stepped in but Theo was still the named starter. When Theo came back and was still getting his legs back under him Kenny went down for the rest of the season but had that not happened Theo was getting that starting role back as soon as he got his legs back under him.

Joel, Luke, Theo will all start and they will because they have earned that and Roy has confidence in them. Who ever else starts will do so because they will have earned it in practice and Roy has confidence in them. Roy is not going to bench Jalek for example if he feels the kid can help this team more than a starter can and he isn't going to start him to send a message to one and done recruits that Roy plays freshmen either.

 

[heels05champs]

I wish I could've seen the Kenny Williams some on here are describing because it doesn't match what I've seen the last two years.

So far, KW hasn't proven he is a good shooter. Likewise, he has not shown an ability to slash, get to the hoop and draw fouls. He has shown to be a spot up shooter with good defensive skills but doesn't create his on shot. This isn't a knock on Kenny, it's just an observation from what I've seen in live games.

 

[DSouthr]

I agree that between he and Kenny I dont think its all that close. Especially with Joel out. Wether Roy does it or not is another question. But youve got a guy who averaged double figures in Acc play last year(Cam) vs. Kenny who I believe has only even cracked double figures a handful of times in his career.(Yes Im aware theres more to the game than scoring but its a pretty big part of it) Its mind boggling people are saying its Kennys spot he has earned and thats the end of the story.

I am the guy that wants Cam coming off the bench and frankly I would like to see Jalek at the 2 as a starter.

I want some fire power scoring from the 2 spot, I think Jalek may give us more of that than Theo/Kenny/BRob/7th. Cam gives us scoring fire power but if we start Theo at the 3, his best position, I want Cam coming in to back him up at the 3. How many minutes do you see Theo playing and how many of those will be at the 3 spot? I see Theo playing 25-28mins on average and of that PT I think he gets around 10 as a small ball 4. That means what, maybe 15-18mins as our wing, heck call it 20 if ya want, that still leaves 20-25mins of Cam at the 3, so solid PT is there for Cam. I like having fire power off the bench, that is a HUGE asset!

Bringing guys like Cam, BRob, 7th, Huff or Brooks (which ever one does not start) and Kenny off our bench is scoring fire power that can be filtered in as Roy goes in to his subs rotation. I really want us to ramp the pace up hard, hawking defensive back court, run run run, we have the depth to be able to do that. I think we can be a nasty running team and I don't think our front court would be as worrisome as opposed to a lot of half court sets. Guys like Jalek, 7th, BRob are IMO more running game scorers and guys like 7th, Kenny, Theo, BRob, Joel are hawking back court defenders that IMO would feed the running beast. But to do this you really need to be able to keep throwing fresh legs at the opponents without a lot of production drop off.

 

[DSouthr]

I wish I could've seen the Kenny Williams some on here are describing because it doesn't match what I've seen the last two years.

So far, KW hasn't proven he is a good shooter. Likewise, he has not shown an ability to slash, get to the hoop and draw fouls. He has shown to be a spot up shooter with good defensive skills but doesn't create his on shot. This isn't a knock on Kenny, it's just an observation from what I've seen in live games.

First off I agree, Kenny has not shown to be a knock down shooter yet, he has shown to be a streaky catch and shoot guy and an excellent defender. Now this has not been talked about a lot, not sure if it is common knowledge but it is my understanding that Kenny struggled with that knee well before he finally went out of the season.

Now that is an important aspect to realize because I know I as well as some others talked about Kenny's shooting form seemed to alter more and more before he went down. He seemed really hesitant to take shots, especially with defenders flying out toward him. When he did take shots his balance seemed off, he was falling away a lot, falling off to a side a lot. At the time I knew something was not right, you could clearly see the kid that does have a really nice form yet all the sudden that form was altering not for the best. You have to have your legs under you and have solid balance to be a consistent shooter and it is my understanding that Kenny did not have his solid legs for more of last season than many realize. I noticed it on the defensive end as well, he seemed to struggle with the real sharp cuts more and more as the season went on.

I am not disputing what you say about Kenny not yet proving what myself and others think he can be, I am just offering reason why he may not have as of yet. It is like 7th, many have kinda written him off based on last season but he missed most of that off season with injury and it was well in to last season before that kid was even reasonably healthy and that isn't the way a kid trying to learn to be a PG and doing so as a freshman at UNC is going to really shine. The major part of 7ths strong game depends on his having solid wheels under him and he didn't have that for most of last season.