Monday, January 21, 2013
PG Berry an excellent fit for Tar Heels
By Reggie Rankin
North Carolina got on the board for the Class of 2014 in a big way on Monday by landing a commitment from point guard Joel Berry (Apopka, Fla./Lake Highland Prep), the No. 12 overall prospect in the ESPN 60.
What does Berry bring to the court as a point guard?
The 6-foot, 185-pounder is an excellent leader who can organize and run a team to perfection. He can push the ball on the break and is an excellent driver with matching court vision. He can also keep the defense honest with his ability to make 3s with range to the arc, and he possesses a floater that he executes with nice touch and body control.
UNC-bound Joel Berry got the best of his matchup with top-ranked PG Tyus Jones in Dallas.
He has developed a good feel for knowing when to deliver the ball to teammates to get them involved and when to look to score himself. He can break down the defense as he attacks and he finishes well due to good strength for his size.
As for what this means for the Tar Heels, North Carolina lands an elite-level player at the most important position to execute the Carolina system. Berry will be able to push the ball quickly up the court via the pass or dribble and after makes or misses, which is key to the Carolina fast break. Berry will put constant pressure on the defense as he looks to provide easy baskets for teammates or finish the play himself.
Once the Heels settle into the half-court set, Berry will be able to get the ball inside to the Carolina bigs, execute UNC's famous secondary break and run the box-set plays Roy Williams likes to call out of timeouts. Berry will also keep the defense honest with his shot-making ability, which will allow his Carolina teammates to work without having to deal with double teams.
Berry will also be a great asset during end-of-clock situations and can set up the Carolina pressure-man and trap defenses with his ability to pressure the ball defensively.
Overall, this is an excellent early pick up for Williams and the Tar Heels in the 2014 class who can run the show on both ends of the floor at a high level.
