“John will begin the season on the perimeter as a three and I think he will stay there all season. He has tremendously long arms and will probably block more shots than any perimeter player in college basketball. With Ed (Davis) and Deon (Thompson), we may block more shots than any team I’ve ever coached. John has the ability with his length to hurt you inside and also step out and put the ball on the floor or shoot it.”
For some reason this was apparently a debate of epic proportions on IC along the lines of Lincoln vs Douglas. Folks over there felt very passionately about Henson playing at the wing forward spot or playing on the interior. I have always assumed Henson was destined to play the small forward spot for a myriad reasons foremost among them, UNC’s experienced depth at the four and five spots. UNC has Deon Thompson, Ed Davis and Tyler Zeller already slated to play at power forward and center. Add to those three, David and Travis Wear that gives you five bodies for two spots. Meanwhile UNC has very few options for the three. Larry Drew is a PG. Dexter Strickland and Leslie McDonald likewise are too small for the PF slot as is Justin Watts. That leaves Marcus Ginyard and Will Graves. Because UNC lacks depth at the point, Ginyard is going to spend most of his time at the two spot and spelling Drew some at the point. So unless UNC is going to go through the season with Will Graves as the only PF, Henson will have to play at the three. Just for kicks here is a very early and highly speculative look at what I think the depth chart will look like:
PG: Drew/Strickland
SG: Ginyard/McDonald/Watts
SF: Henson/Graves
PF: Thompson/Wear Twins
C: Davis/Zeller
The only reason I can think of for Henson being considered for interior duty is the fact he is 6-10. True but he is also rail thin at 195 lbs. Henson is a face the basket player who, according to his Scout.com profile lacks strength and does not rebound in traffic particularly well. Sorry, but that is not someone you want banging in the middle. Henson will be plenty effective on the perimeter since he is a good shooter. On defense his 6-10 frame and long arms is going to make him a matchup nightmare for most anyone UNC plays.
Based on what we know right now, I like how this team is fitting together on paper. Obviously many things could change once practice starts and UNC plays live competition. Still, I think this will be a fun team to watch, potentially a beast on defense and putting Henson at PF will make for some interesting basketball in my opinion.
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I have been waging this war on IC myself. I believe some folks do not like the idea of a 6′10 guy on the wing and are ready to pounce on Roy. These people are disturbed.
One point that gets missed here is that Henson has SF skills. His height is irrelevant and quite frankly with the depth UNC has at the four and five pointless to waste him down there. Besides that, how many times do these same folks rip K over in Durham for taking a face the basket big man and wasting him on the post? Roy is handling Henson the proper way and mind you in a way that best fits the makeup of this team. I am not sure why that needs to be criticized before the team has even played a game.
Also: Two national titles and still no respect for Roy’s coaching?
Count me among those who never understood this debate. Up until two years ago, Henson was a guard. He is much more of a “Kevin Durant”-type player than a “Brandan Wright”-type player.
As for this:
“Also: Two national titles and still no respect for Roy’s coaching?”
Just goes to show that no matter what you do and accomplish, there are always going to be people who think they know more than you. To quote Mark Twain, “There are basically two types of people. People who accomplish things, and people who claim to have accomplished things. The first group is less crowded.”
Nicely done C Michael.
I haven’t trafficked IC in some time so i haven’t seen it but I’d think the concern is on D. Can he guard the quicker smaller guys? I’d think given his overall speed (didn’t he win some long distance run) and reach, we should be fine.
My concern is that if he were ever to get cold from the perimeter (knock on wood), some of the fans will start going berserk. That’d be ugly.
The perimeter shooting is an issue regardless of what you do with Henson and moving him down to the post isn’t going to help that. His reach is going to make the difference at the three and I think he will be able to move his feet well enough. I think he will be better defender than Will Graves who is the other option at the three assuming you do not want move Ginyard over.
BTW, the most anticipated matchup if Henson is at the three? Against Duke, when he will likely go against Kyle Singler.
Off the subject, but something of interest to me. I was watching video on tarheelblue about summer pickup games between current and former Heels’, when at the 3:11 mark I was surprised to see a clip of Doherty giving Sean a pat on the back. It seems that although the fans still have mixed feelings about the Doherty years, the players have let bygones be. In truth, I suppose my surprise is in the difference between the relative perception and reality of a difficult time in a recent history of Carolina basketball.
I hope that soon will be the time that the Carolina faithful accepts and appreciates Doherty and his contributions to the program as a player and a coach, because the essential elements of the program- the players and staff, evidently have.
I was a doherty disciple at school. I don’t share that with too many people. But I’m one of those who hope that everyone can get over their anger.
THF, what I meant wasn’t that the team may have perimeter problems… I’m afraid that if Henson has a slump with his jump shot, some ugliness may arise from the fans directed either at Henson or more likely at coach Roy. After all, enough people are talking about the kid as being Garnett-like.
Doh was around the week prior to the alumni game and spent time with all of the players he recruited to UNC.
Four points:
1) I don’t give a care what spot he’s at as long as he scores some points and wins us some basketball gmaes
2) After seeing Henson in person (btw, still in shock) I can tell you he’s beefier than he seems, but not by much, so I agree with THF that only his height really puts him in the running for an inside player. Leave that postion to Ed, Big Z, and the Wears. With that lineup we won’t need to WEAR anyone out!
3) Henson will get the Jonas treatment this off-season (assuming he doesn’t go to the NBA after this year but I don’t want to think about that right now). After that he COULD play in the post but I think Roy is making the right decision in playing him where he will be more effective.
4) The people STILL nit-picking Roy on his coaching need to watch the season review DVD from last season, maybe then they’ll get the picture that Roy is a good coach and really doesn’t need their help.
People on ic believe that Henson cannot
hit from 3 and can’t defend on the perimeter. They are calling for strickland or mcdonald to start. They cannot be convinced that Henson has guard skills. They will need to see it, I guess
Okay, show of hands. How many of these people have seen John Henson play a live action game outside of maybe the McDondald’s All American game? How many of these people spent months evaluating Henson and have seen him play and shoot in the past two months? How many of these people have a proven track record recruiting talent and developing said talent like say Danny Green? What? None of them? Then sit back, trust Roy and see what happens. If Roy said Henson can play the three then I am pretty sure Henson can play the three. Yes, Roy could be wrong but two national titles and hundreds of win means the odds are he isn’t.
Heels are so thin at the 3 I don’t see that there’s much room for debate. Other than Graves, who when he was playing was streaky in all phases of the game, if you play Ginyard at the 2 as a combo guard, he can’t be the 3. We need swingmen. Especially since Ginyard isn’t known for the 3-point shot. If Zeller can make a 3-pointer, he might spend some time at the swingman position…
In regards to the “THREE”………The beauty of having Marcus Ginyard back is not only his leadership and defense, but his ability to play 1,2,3 and 4. So as I told Roy
Ginyard will be the “ace” the Heels can plug in about anywhere on the court as an adjustment or if one of the FR is having a tough game.
This allows, for example Henson to grow into his role without too much pressure. I’ve heard different rumors about why Graves was suspended last year, but I would think he would tremendously motivated to dot his I’s and cross his T’s this year. A really good Will Graves would really make the Heels deep and very difficult to defend.
I’m not going to pretend I know something about these incoming freshmen that isn’t already written. So, I don’t see why the Wear twins couldn’t be of some service at the 3 too. According to (what others have written about them), they have good ballhandling skills and can shoot the outside shot decently. Am I wrong here?
JB, you are not wrong:
Roy Williams: “David and Travis are fundamentally sound basketball players with size who both have tremendous attitudes and work ethics. They handle the ball well and can score inside and outside. I am impressed that their school won two state titles in what we know is a very competitive high school system. They will be able to do a lot of things that will help our team win games, too.”
I’m not sold on Henson bolting after one year…and this thought can be traced back to a question that I had posted on the last Harrison Barnes-realted thread. If Barnes does go to Dook, why no offer (still) for C.J. Leslie? If Henson is getting his share of Durant comparisons, then Leslie and Garnett are now inseperable in the blogosphere (and recruiting sites). SO, if (big IF still) Barnes becomes a Dookie, and Roy knows this to be true (enough), then why would he leave the three spot open (if HE believes that Henson will be gone after one year)? I know that Leslie is projected to be more of a SF, but still, who would fill that slot in 2011?
I really believe that John Henson will be around for two years. Two very important issues: one, he will need to physically mature…look no further than the Brandan Wright template. Two, he is going to need to evaluate his first year, kind of like how Ed Davis has done (love that dude), to see which areas (both offensively and defensively) will need the most fine-tuning. IF, Henson comes back after this year, here’s what we will look like going into the 2010/2011 season:
PG: Drew II/Marshall/Strickland
SG: Strickland or Bullock/Watts/McDonald
Wing: Henson/Graves/Wears/McDonald/Bullock/Watts
SF: Wears/Henson/big name recruit that Roy will land
PF/C: Zeller/….hmmm?
Wow, that’a a total reversal of our current roster in that the guard/wing spots will be loaded, but the frontcourt might be thin…?…? NO WAY, Roy Williams would NEVER allow for a team of his to be thin in the front court…NEVER.
Again, I believe that Henson comes back for 2010/2011. I hope that either Harrison Barnes or C.J. Leslie are there too.
^Carolina is no longer Recruiting C.J. Leslie
So:
1) Roy feels pretty good about his position with Barnes
and/or
2) Roy feels pretty comfortable that Henson will be around for 2 years
and/or
3) Graves is the next Danny Green
My money is on a combination of 1 and 2……….
I wonder if C.J. Leslie has the same advisers around him that John Wall had and it was well known they did not care for Roy.
Roy probably feel great about his position with Barnes but I think in the end it basically a toss-up.
^Agree, but I think Barnes is the only player Roy is looking to add from the 2010 class (even without considering Leslie’s “advisers”), and let’s hope for a better outcome than Grant Hill in 1990 (still one of the few players I regret UNC losing out to Duke to in the past 20yrs).
Best Scenario for Carolina Fan: Land Barnes and Henson Stays for Yr 2 although he has a good enough year to be drafted in the lottery
Next Best Scenario for Carolina Fan: Miss out on Barnes and Henson stays for yr 2
Worse Scenario: Graves and a 3 guard line up (Bullock, McDonald, or Strickland @ SF) required to hold down the SF position.
At this point with where Roy has built the program, it is nice that with the Worse Case scenario we’re still talking about a talented basketball team and we’re just debating on which level of talent Carolina could have in 2010/11. Now look at Duke’s scenarios and it is not as pretty of a picture, which makes the Barnes decision even more intriguing.
I was unaware that UNC had pulled out of the Leslie recruitment. All I know is that Roy cancelled his in home visit. On the recruiting boards, UNC are still listed right up there with Kentucky, which is where he probably will now go. Hmmm. How did I get so far behind on that one?
Well, I trust Roy…perhaps he does feel good about Barnes coming to UNC. I just get the sense that it’s like 70/30 right now, and we’re on the 30 side. Again, I hope I’m wrong.
With Leslie out of the picture, it would seem all the more likely that John Henson would come back after next season. If that is indeed the case, perhaps he transitions into more of a wing/SF combo.
“I wonder if C.J. Leslie has the same advisers around him that John Wall had and it was well known they did not care for Roy.”
^Because they are FREAKING MORONS.
They wanted Roy to kiss their rings and kowtow to them. That suffer from a major case of self importance and Roy refused to give them the time of day preferring to deal with the player and his family.
Brandan Wright now looks back and vocally regrets leaving early but when you are projected to be a high lottery pick, how could you not bolt?
No, Ed Davis did not but if Henson starts at the 3 spot and pans out as productive as expected, he’d be high lottery. As good as Hansbrough was, henever had to forego such a projection.
We’ll see but in the 2nd year, couldn’t Leslie McDonald fill out to be a prototypical college SF? I think the Wears at he 4 spot will be more than serviceable to go with Zeller.
The big recruit I remember coach Roy missing out on for a bagel of a recruit year was Kevin Love.
Heeledsoul,
If you’ll recall, for those of us who followed that recruiting season, there never really was much of a chance for Love to come to Chapel Hill. For one, he had several connections to the UCLA program…sources are missing here, but I remember the UCLA staff feeling pretty good about his commitment for most of that recruiting season. Two, the kid was going to play on the west coast, regardless. Keep in mind, his recruitment got pretty ugly behind the scenes (with all of the seedy agents getting involved)…at some point Roy would have pulled out anyway.
The one recruit, recently, that really did get away was Delvon Roe. The flipside to that equation is that Roy landed Ed Davis. A lot of people called Davis Roy’s “Plan B” at the time, but it never seemed that way to me. Samardo Samuels, Delvon Roe, and Ed Davis were all being recruited by Roy. Roe chose to stay close to home and Samuels went with Pitino and what looked to be a loaded Louisville squad.
ABCers are now (on the boards) citing several “missed” recruits as proof that Roy does not land every recruit he goes after. I believe that this is an act, for many, to further amplify their anti-UNC sentiments should Harrison Barnes go to Dook, or elsewhere. Call it ammunition if you will. The funny thing is, is that these individuals are citing names like Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, and then the likes of Samuels and Roe. First and foremost, Roy was never really in the game for either James or Howard;rather, both stated that, in retrospect, UNC is a place where they would have liked to play college ball. If you consider Anthony to be a miss, then add about 25 other D-I coaches to that wiff list, as basically everyone was recruiting him (and he pretty much left that recruitment wide open for a long time).
Anyways, I know that this thread is about our boy John Henson, but I’ve been craving basketball talk and I needed to splurge just a bit. Please forgive my ramblings…I just really want the hoops season to begin.
Thanks DeanForever for the details. I guess I just thought that we didn’t get anyone to come that year because coach Roy was only interested in Love and was pretty sure that we’d get him. But I wasn’t following it closely so I’ll take your word.
Yeah I remember Roe being a last minute miss. What about that UCLA guard? I believe we landed LDII after missing out on him. But maybe we were never really in it anyways. Either way, I wish someone tracks the success rate, I can’t imagine anyone (without shady dealings) getting anywhere close to coach Roy on that metric. Also, how can anyone say we missed on guys who skipped college altogether? Doesn’t make sense at all!