News
Email
Print
Lawson taking more active leadership role
ADVERTISEMENT
2009 NCAA TOURNAMENT
Published: March 30, 2009
MEMPHIS, Tenn.
Ty Lawson made a promise on Feb. 3, when North Carolina suffered a setback because of an injury. He has followed through on that promise in the past two weeks in tense, tournament play.
He won the NCAA Tournament's South Regional most outstanding player award yesterday, adding the honor to the ACC player of the year award he won three weeks ago. He was determined to play a more active role and make up for the experience that was lost when Marcus Ginyard decided to redshirt because of recurring foot problems.
Lawson, playing his third consecutive tournament game on a painfully jammed right big toe, led North Carolina to a 72-60 win over Oklahoma at FedExForum for its second consecutive Final Four berth.
"When I came to college I wasn't much of a talker on the court," Lawson said. "I just try to lead off example, but now I'm talking to the other players.
"Like if somebody makes a bad play, I pick them up. I just say a lot of stuff and get people in the right areas. I've got a long way to go to be more of a leader, so I'm trying to learn as I go."
Lawson's help was needed because two of UNC's most productive players, Tyler Hansbrough and Wayne Ellington, struggled against Oklahoma's defense. Hansbrough scored eight points, making two field goals, and Ellington had nine after missing six shots.
Using his speed to drive the ball down the floor, Lawson helped UNC forge a 61-40 lead with 7:27 left after holding a 32-32 halftime lead. UNC made 10 of its first 13 shots after halftime, slicing through Oklahoma's defense to maintain control.
Oklahoma had cut the lead to 47-36 when Lawson drilled a 3-point shot from the left wing over a zone defense, after catching a pass from the lane by Deon Thompson. He hit another 3-pointer from the top of the key for UNC's next basket and a 53-38 advantage.
The pain hasn't disappeared in Lawson's toe since he suffered the injury March 6, but he has learned to play with it since returning against LSU in the regional's second round. Chris Hirth, UNC's basketball trainer, had to tend to Lawson's toe after the game and start treatment to prevent it from swelling and becoming more painful.
"I get the adrenaline and just the intensity of it, I really don't feel the toe or start favoring it," Lawson said. "Just like in the middle of the game the pain basically goes away."
Lawson gave UNC a 57-40 lead when he drove to the basket and used his strength to put in a layup. After Oklahoma cut the lead to 61-49 with 4:32 left and seemed poised to make a serious run, Lawson settled his team down by drawing a foul from Willie Warren and making two free throws.
Lawson's toughness has been questioned. His willingness to play in pain has come under scrutiny. Coach Roy Williams of UNC said that no one should doubt Lawson now.
"I can remember standing in that locker room at Wake Forest and we're 0-2 in the league," Williams said. "And I told our guys, you play from here on out and we'll be there at the end. It was not any panic with our coaching staff. The kids believed in us. Ty believed in us.
"He got a lot of criticism after Tyrese Rice and Jeff Teague (outplayed him) but he doesn't have to take a back seat to anybody. He's tougher now mentally. He's tougher physically. He's still Dennis the Menace most times, but he's also Rambo every now and then."
■ Bill Cole can be reached at bcole@wsjournal.com.
Email
Print
