In case you were wondering if the Saga of the Foot ended as well as the Saga of the Toe.
Ginyard practiced with the team all the way through the Final Four, though the extent of his participation was limited by the injury and he suffered through difficult soreness after each practice. Once the season ended, however, he was able to take the key step in his recovery.
“We took a couple weeks off after the season and then got back going,” Ginyard said. “I felt like I could play – I could go as hard as I wanted – and afterwards it wasn’t killing me, so the end of April is when I felt like I was good to go.
“It feels very strong right now and we’re continuing to rehab and strengthen my leg, but it feels good. I feel very explosive right now.”
Those who have observed Ginyard in pickup games and workouts thus far this summer affirm that he appears to have returned to form.
While much will be made of Marcus Ginyard needing to seize the mantle of leadership the way David Noel did in 2006, his play on the offensive end could be the lynch pin to the whole season. Ginyard was never a serious offensive threat and part of the reason for that was he never needed to be. When you are on the court with Ty Lawson, Tyler Hansbrough, Wayne Ellington and either Danny Green or Deon Thompson, your work on the offensive end will be in the form of making good passes, grabbing offensive boards and cleaning up garbage around the basket. The absence of experienced guards in 2010 changes what will be asked of Ginyard. His jump shot, especially the ones he takes from beyond the arc are important since the Heels have very little in the way of known three point shooting.
There is no question Ginyard will be the vocal leader on this team. The question is can he have a break-out season of sorts to shore up the Tar Heel offense where it needs it the most.
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Thats about the best news we could hope for right now, with a Singler/Scheyer transfer being a close second.
When Ginyard did attack the basket, he was usually successful in getting to the rim off his own dribble. He’s big enough to get there. Without a pass-first swingman mentality… him playing the 2 with an aggressive mentality could help pick up the post-Lawson slack in breaking other teams down off the dribble, when LDII is probably not going to be as comfortable with that aspect of the game at first. (Although he’s welcome to surprise me!)
Anyhow, if he never plays a minute, his leadership will make everyone else better. But I think he may get a little playing time.
Even though I’m only a Wal-Mart fan, I’m already pumped for the season to get going.
keithunc, if you’re posting on this site, you are not a Wal-Mart fan. To me that term is short-hand for a bandwagoner who has no direct affiliation with UNC. You’re not just on the bandwagon, you’re helping to drive it!
Tell me about it. Keith has a lot of posts in season and off season. True fan, with knowledge of the sport in which UNC excels at.
The people who are seeing Ginyard in pickup games, are they also saying anything about how Drew is looking??
with the right attacking attitude, Marcus could literally create an NBA contract for himself this season. we all know the guy has the physical tools, but if he were to adopt a more “Gerald Henderson” type of mentality, it would bode well for both him, and UNC’s fortunes. break-bad this season & finish with aplomb Marcus!!! no more soft lay-ins!!
My feeling is that Marcus Ginyard is going to make a huge impact on the Tar Heels’ ‘09/’10 season. I’m hoping for a David Noel type of ascension like you, too, Tar Heel Fan. It’s fantastic news to hear that he’s back up to speed.