Fans at the Smith Center for today's 9 p.m. game between Miami and North Carolina might not notice Dexter Strickland very often, but the oversight isn't unusual.
It happens all the time for Strickland, the sometimes forgotten man in UNC's veteran starting lineup.
"I feel like that all the time," he said. "I feel like I'm the underdog, and everybody overlooks me. I feel nobody has seen my potential."
Being overshadowed can happen when Harrison Barnes is hitting 3-pointers, Kendall Marshall is handing out assists, John Henson is blocking shots, Tyler Zeller is running the floor as well as any big man in the country, and reserves Reggie Bullock and P.J. Hairston are hitting deep jump shots.
Strickland is the fifth starter, but he's not a fifth wheel. While the other Tar Heels are doing what they do best, Strickland will be defending the other team's top guard, deflecting passes, grabbing rebounds or racing downcourt to score on the end of a break.
"I try to do whatever I have to do to get the job done and get the win," he said.
Strickland does a lot of dirty work, the things that are important to coach Roy Williams, even though he contributes less than the other starters in almost every box score category. Yet he's in his second season as a starter and third as a regular because Williams treasures him.
"You've got to have a team," Williams said. "Dexter's a guy that's not looking for his shot all the time. He's our best defensive player and gives us a physical guy.
"For every loose ball that Dexter's involved in, you know what mostly happens? Dexter mostly gets it. Some of those conscientious objectors out there, when they're involved, the other team usually gets it."
When handed a box score after games, Strickland checks his turnovers first, then he checks his assists.
Last Saturday in an 83-60 victory against Boston College, the 6-foot-3 Strickland called a defensive switch with Zeller and ended up guarding a 6-foot-10 player. The matchup lasted only a few seconds, but Strickland said it was still tough for him.
He twice took over at point guard when Marshall needed rest. He took his first 3-point shot of the season and missed. He finished with five points, two rebounds, two assists, three steals, a blocked shot and a turnover.
Everything helps, but Williams would like a little more offense from Strickland, who has taken only 88 shots in 404 minutes and is averaging 7.8 points — not the norm for a player in the "shooting guard" role.
"I guess it's finding the right spots, just knowing your role and taking the right shots," he said. "You can't just come down and think, 'I've got to get a shot. I haven't had a shot.'
"When the team gets a rebound and you run down the floor, you can't think that. You've got to do what you're supposed to do."
Strickland understands that defense is his primary contribution but scoffs at the notion that he's this season's Jackie Manuel, a key member of UNC's 2005 championship team who was offensively challenged but kept his starting job because of his defense.
"I'm not talking bad on him, but I'm not Jackie Manuel," Strickland said with a smile. "I'm Dexter Strickland. My offense has not been there yet. I'm still working on it."
Strickland's presence in the backcourt helped last season when Marshall jumped into the starting lineup in January, and it's helping again. Marshall knows he can count on Strickland to take care of other pressing matters so he can concentrate on running the break and passing.
"The things Dexter does may not show up on a stat sheet, but he's very valuable," Marshall said. "The people who don't overlook him are his teammates and coaches.
"We all know what he's capable of and what he does for our team. And we appreciate him."
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement