Lawson: 'I'm probably 90 percent'

North Carolina point guard Ty Lawson looked tentative in the first half of the Tar Heels' 82-70 ACC quarterfinal win over Florida State Friday, but seemed more like himself in the second half.

That's good news for the Tar Heels, who will need Lawson to play well in Saturday's semifinal against a quick Virginia Tech team.

Lawson started the FSU game and finished with modest statistics -- eight points, three assists and two turnovers in 21 minutes. Quentin Thomas was a steady substitute, with four points and three assists in 18 minutes.

"I'm probably 90 percent," said Lawson, who missed six games with a sprained left ankle in February. "There were a couple of times today I tried to turn the corner on my man and just couldn't quite do it."

Said teammate Wayne Ellington: "Ty is not the 'one-man-fast-break' he used to be, but he's getting there."

Lawson obviously isn't as explosive and isn't driving to the basket as often, at least not yet. He said he thought his "turning-the-corner" problem was partly mental. "When my left ankle is on the inside, that's when I don't quite think I can do it," Lawson said. "When I'm turning fast on my right ankle, I'm fine."