Hit up TarheelDaily....Check it out this article about three things that I would like to see instituted back into the UNC Basketball program. I appear weekly as a guest columnist along with my appearances on WXYC FM 89.3 Chapel Hill for Sunday Night SportsRap, Sundays 9-10PM, and for SoulGrooves on Wednesdays 6-8AM. Scroll on down to the article, and email me if you want to discuss my opinions.....BD

Live @ House of Blues, Myrtle Beach, SC - "Judging Ginyard"

December 30, 2003

A UNC basketball observer could find paradise in Myrtle Beach this past Sunday. Not because Sunday was the day of Raymond Felton's homecoming game with UNC Wilmington, but because of the games that followed the headline event, the games of the Beach Ball Classic.

The people that remained in the Myrtle Beach Convention Center after UNC's lackluster performance were treated with a rare chance to use this Sunday as a day of basketball observance in the city of towel shops and pancake houses. The Classic, which uses the Convention Center to showcase one of the premier high school basketball tournaments in the country each year, filled Sunday's line-up with elite prospects and talented teams.

With UNC/UNCW game and the Beach Ball Classic, the rabid fan could get the rare opportunity to watch the present and future come together live in the same day. One of those elite prospects that the fervent underground recruiting heads wanted to observe for the future is Marcus Ginyard, a 6'5" guard from Bishop O'Connell H.S. in Arlington, VA, and is coached by the son of legendary high school coach Morgan Wooten, Joe Wooten.

Ginyard, who has committed early to UNC, is a wiry swing guard that can play three positions. He joins three other juniors from the Class of 2005 that have committed early, Kevin Swinton, a 6'7" power forward with Wake Forest, Greg Paulus, a 6'2" point guard and 6'10" power forward, Josh McRoberts with Duke, He has become part of a group that is representing the a changing trend in college basketball, the early signing of high school underclassmen.

Ginyard has drawn the most attention because he was the first member of the Class of 2005 to commit early, and he is a prime piece of metal in Coach Williams's renovation of the UNC program. However, Carolina fans felt their palms sweat this past summer after watching the performances of another early 2003 commit, JamesOn Curry, a 6'2" shooting guard, who had poor play in the summer camp circuit and AAU tournaments this past summer.

Curry has slowly dissipated the concern by setting the all-time North Carolina career scoring record. Yet, after watching Ginyard's in a Sunday night performance of 2 Pts., 10 Rebounds, 2 Assists, in a 77-61 loss to USA Today's #4 Ranked Rufus King H.S, a hard-@$$ speed demon team from Milwaukee, WI. The sweat is beginning to collect again from the hype of high expectations that are collecting around the early signing of a player who doesn't particularly stand out from among the rest with his play.

The main questions raised about signing an underclassman like Ginyard is- can the player live up to the high expectations by the time they graduate? Does the hype that surrounds an underclassman meet expectations, and do you end up with an early signing of Damon Bailey at Indiana?

With these questions in mind, the main evaluators to answer this question are not the recruiting gurus and wacko fans that follow the recruiting world, but the college basketball coaches that roam the sidelines in suits throughout the basketball season.

Three assistant coaches assembled at House of Blues in Myrtle Beach to discuss the value of Ginyard and the merits of Carolina signing him early. Ginyard had severely sprained his left ankle the previous day in a 13 point, 2 rebound performance the day before, and the early conversation to evaluate the night's performance was caressed by soft hands.

But as the conversation grew on, and perhaps it was due to the exchange of adult beverages under the House of Blues' ceiling monuments of Howlin' Wolf and Lightin' Hopkins, the topic slowly emerged of how difficult it is to evaluate Ginyard.

Assistant 1: "Ya know….the kid can play, and I know he's hurt, but it's so tough to gauge the guy because he seems to be so unselfish. He seems to fit into a whole with the team he's with."

Assistant 2: "There's no way that he's in the Top 50 players in the country…."

Assistant 3: "You don't like him?....I wouldn't go that far to say he's not in the Top 50. Top 20, that may be pushing it, but he's in the Top 50.

Assistant 2: "No way, I don't know what Carolina was thinking. The guy barely puts in 15 a game. I can't believe they committed so early to the guy. There are others out there for them. I mean what is he a point, shooting guard, a small three…."

Assistant 3: "I don't know about that. They've got guys that can put it in the hole. Look at him, he's wiry and he has those long arms. He can lock a defender down, and I mean lock him….he's nice, and he's kind of a blend. I like that a lot."

Assistant 2: "He didn't impress me. I just don't know….Look at Louis Williams, (the #1 rated shooting guard in the 2005 class), the guy can light it up. If you're going to sign a junior, the guy better be a high-high level player…..I just don't see it with him"

Assistant 1: "Yeah, but Ginyard can fit into a system. If you look at who Roy signed for the next few years, he doesn't need a guy to light it up. He has others to take those shots. Carolina needs an unselfish role guy. With Ginyard, they got a guy to put pressure on the ball, to play D, and to work the ball around…..Now he doesn't have to worry about losing the guy next summer. You also have to remember the guy was hurt tonight…."

Assistant 2: "The reason why I'm not into the guy is that he's going to Carolina, and he's letting everyone else be the lead dog on his squad. If you're going to Carolina, you better demand that ball, and you better be taking control of what's going on in a game. I just didn't see that."

Assistant 3: "Look he's not healthy right now, but the kid's from D.C. and I know the comp he's plays against is tough. I saw him play a lot with the D.C. Blue Devils (Ginyard's AAU team) that had Brian Johnson who's going to Louisville and Isiah Swann who's at Oak Hill. The kid really knows how to play.

Assistant 1: "Ya' know….it's funny…..I can't tell you how many times I get calls that have someone telling me that they have a kid that's perfect for us. Yet, what I can't believe is how does everyone else know what I need….?

I mean….when you're recruiting a kid, you have not only to ask will his physical game fit in, but you have to ask will his mental game blend in with the rest of your guys. Williams has to be thinking that he needs a guy to get the ball to the right people while playing within the system. If you really look at it, Ginyard's really perfect for what they need."

Assistant 2: "I'm still not buying it…."

Assistant 3: "That's why you better keep looking at getting into pharmaceutical sales…"

The conversation went on throughout the night of where coaching spots may open for next year, and what coaches would be open to move. However, between locker room tales and recruiting war stories and dramas, a final comment came from Assistant 1.

"It's really wild to evaluate these kids…..You can be so right, yet you can be so wrong", he murmured. "To get back to Ginyard, what will happen…..I'd bet that kid is going to be great for Carolina, but only time will tell….."

Put your chips down on that bet,
BD

Bret Dougherty is a UNC-Chapel Hill alum and current graduate student at UNC-Chapel Hill. Bret is a co-host of WXYC SportsRap (9 PM Sundays on FM 89.3 & www.wxyc.org). He also has a SoulGroove music show on Wednesday mornings from 6-8 AM on WXYC. His area of study is "The Revitalization of Public Spaces".

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