Kendall Marshall isn't expecting many breathers for the rest of North Carolina's basketball season.
And that isn't a problem for him.
If he has to play almost 40 minutes a game at point guard, he feels better prepared, as a sophomore, to stay on the floor, play his best and not wear down. Wearing down was a problem for him near the end of last season.
"I'd say I'm fine right now," Marshall said. "I'm not worried physically at all about playing. I think my body will be fine."
He'll have another chance to show that today when North Carolina plays Georgia Tech at 6 p.m. at the Smith Center (ESPNU Ch. 502).
Marshall is the only experienced point guard since the Tar Heels lost Dexter Strickland, the off guard who moved over to spell Marshall for three to five minutes each half. Strickland is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
Coach Roy Williams will take measures to rest Marshall as much as possible each game. Freshman Stilman White, who saw only spot action in the first 19 games, is now the backup point guard.
Marshall and the Tar Heels made it through one game without Strickland with no trouble — Thursday's 74-55 victory against N.C. State. Marshall played 34 minutes, three more than his average, and had 11 assists to push his career total to 422.
Against State, Williams sent in White for Marshall several times just before the official timeouts that come at four-minute intervals. The length of those timeouts allowed Marshall to grab some extra rest.
"I was perfectly fine; I really didn't get tired at all," Marshall said. "Part of that is I wasn't getting pressured 80 feet the entire game. It sounds weird, but I did a great job of managing my breathing."
Marshall wore down as a freshman after moving into the starting lineup to replace Larry Drew, who later quit the team. Three games in three days at the ACC tournament proved too much for a first-season player, and Marshall said that stretch was his toughest of the season.
"We were up for a total of less than two minutes in the first two games," he said. "The way we had to fight back and then play a hungry Duke team in the championship, it really wore down my body.
"I think that was the only time I felt physically worn out."
Marshall had no trouble in the NCAA tournament, where teams have a day of rest between games, and said that the experience taught him how to prepare for this season's long hauls.
"There were a couple of things I learned," he said. "The main thing was taking care of my body, making sure that I did extra stretching or getting to bed at a good time.
"You know, little things like that, that might not affect your play but can definitely wear down your body. It's something you have to deal with in the game of basketball."
Marshall believes that the substitution pattern used against N.C. State can work again. It might be difficult to duplicate the plan in some games, especially if White has a bad match-up or is affected by nerves.
Williams doesn't want Marshall playing every minute of every game because tired players make mistakes, but Marshall is confident that he can be the Tar Heels' marathon man.
"It can definitely work," Marshall said. "Nobody on this team is irreplaceable. If five people get injured, there's still going to be a Carolina basketball team. And we're still going to play our principles."
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