When in doubt, don’t pout. Shoot.
That’s the advice North Carolina forward Danny Green is taking from his teammates, and himself, as the Tar Heels begin their NCAA Tournament quest Thursday against Radford in Greensboro Coliseum.
Green, a senior and normally among the team’s most accurate marksmen, has been off target for most of the past four games. During that period, he’s missed 35 of 45 field-goal attempts, including a few from short range.
“The only way out is to keep shooting,” Green said Wednesday. “I’m not doing anything different on my shot than I’ve always done, so it’ll come back. I’ve been shooting practice shots all week.”
Teammate Wayne Ellington, who has been hot of late, says Green’s route to recovery is the same as most shooters. “You get in the gym and take lots of shots. See the ball going in a lot of times ... don’t try to rush anything,” Ellington said.
Another shipment of Green bricks might not make much difference against Radford, a No. 16 seed to Carolina’s No. 1 in the South Regional. The Tar Heels should win with ease whether Green provides much offense or not.
But on Saturday, against either Butler or LSU in the second round, the margin for error will narrow. By then, the Heels could have Ty Lawson back at point-guard, but Green’s production will needed.
“I think I’m going to be OK,” Green said. “I’ve never been through anything like this before, but I’m the same player I was before, and I’ve still got the same confidence in what I’m doing.”
UNC coach Roy Williams is taking a similar approach.
“They say these things balance out, so I’m really looking forward to what’s coming next,” he said.
