After watching Duke and North Carolina both play exhibition games against Shaw University, I’m convinced they need to pull off a trade.
Duke doesn’t have a single proven, back-to-the-basket post scorer or defender. Brian Zoubek still has a lot of work to do before he’s ready to contend with Tyler Hansbrough and Ben McCauley in the ACC.
North Carolina could use another wing player. Danny Green is erratic, Wayne Ellington enigmatic and Marcus Ginyard a strong defender and rebounder without much of a jump shot. The Tar Heel scholarship players didn’t make a 3-pointer against Shaw on Saturday.
So here’s the trade suggestion. North Carolina, which is solid in the post, sends Alex Stepheson up 15/501 to Duke. Mike Krzyzewski, who’s got a ton of talented wing players, sends Jon Scheyer to play for coach Roy Williams.
Of course, that can’t happen in college athletics, where the players rightly have degrees they’re working on at their respective schools. But the trade would make both teams better.
Incidentally, neither team has addressed its shortcoming with the current recruiting class. For the second year in a row, North Carolina isn’t bringing in any wing players, though the Tar Heels have two solid big guys committed in Tyler Zeller and Ed Davis.
Duke’s Class of 2008 haul includes another highly regarded wing player, Elliot Williams, and post player Olek Czyz, who’s considered something of a project.
So you can count on the Tar Heels to feed the post and Duke to drive and kick for the foreseeable future.
– Ken Tysiac
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Duke, UNC need to work this trade
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3 comments:
Well, Stepheson's family hates Coach K with a passion, so that's just not happening, even theoretically.
Scheyer's family hates people with vertigo, so that's not happening, even theoretically
A moronic and idiotic observation to make after one game - especially an exhibition game. How many 3-pointers did Ellington attempt against Shaw??? Two??? Over the course of the last season, Ellington shot 37.1% from behind the arc (likely to improve this season), Scheyer shot 36.5% (whether he improves that will depend on how much point guard he has to play). And Ellington is a better wing defender, unless you give props to Scheyer for the classic Duke tactic of 'flopping' on defense. Danny Green, despite his 'erratic' offense, is a very solid wing defender. Alex Stepheson, along with Deon Thompson and Tyler Hansbrough, gives the Heels arguably the best 4/5 rotation in college basketball. And what evidence do you have to suggest that Ellington is 'enigmatic'??? The fact that he doesn't give the Disturber's college basketball writers the time of day??? He should get kudos for that. Carolina doesn't need anyone who plays for Duke. But Duke won't win another national title until they can find someone who can consistently score, rebound and defend in the low post - in the mold of a Laettner, Brand or Boozer.
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