Ginyard does it all to lead UNC into tourney
By: Jesse Baumgartner, Senior Writer
Issue date: 3/19/08 Section: Sports
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After a sophomore season that saw him average just 16.9 minutes a game - 2.2 less than in his freshman campaign - the junior forward played himself into a starting role and 28.3 minutes a game this year thanks to his ability to do a little bit of everything and a lot of one thing.
Leadership has always been the given with Ginyard, even in his reduced role last year thanks to UNC's depth. He quickly evolved into the accurate thermometer for how the Tar Heels were playing - highlighted by a blunt assessment of the team's toughness last season.
"I think everyone realizes that he makes sacrifices and doesn't try to shoot 25 times a game," coach Roy Williams said last week. "I think everyone realizes that he sees the big picture, offensively and defensively.
"And I think the other thing - I think he's just a natural leader. I think that people, if they're in the locker room right now and trying to decide which movie to go to tonight, the suggestion that Marcus has, I think, more people will fall in line with that than anybody else."
But much of Ginyard's impact this season has been on the court. He's played multiple positions despite being banged up - including point guard when Bobby Frasor and Ty Lawson both went down - and made an impact with scrappy play and his defensive skills.
Despite playing on a team that's known much more for offensive firepower than the ability to lock down opponents, Ginyard received the most votes for the ACC coaches' all-defensive team.
He has only 39 steals and three blocks but was one of only two players on the team to receive votes from more than half of the coaches.
"He has his length that you have to worry about, but at the same time he's so quick on his feet, so he stays in front of you," senior Quentin Thomas said. "I think MG can stay in front of anybody."
Perhaps the biggest change in Ginyard's game this season is a newfound shooting ability. While he didn't attempt many 3-pointers in his first two seasons, the results were abysmal - 24.4 percent as a freshman and 27.3 as a sophomore.
Thanks to an offseason mechanical change, he's currently 12-for-27 from downtown, good for a 44.4 percent rate, and Maryland coach Gary Williams even had to change his defensive plan in the Jan. 19 game because Ginyard made him pay from the outside with two quick treys.
"Over the summer, just trying to keep my body straight up and down, not leaning back," Ginyard said of the changes made to his outside stroke.
"I had a tendency to lean back, and that was just the biggest thing. And … other than that, it's just getting in here and just feeling confident about it."
And with Danny Green and Wayne Elllington as the main shooters this season, perhaps Williams wouldn't mind having Ginyard take a few more from the 3-point line.
"No," Williams said. "I like exactly what he's doing. He's being selective, and he's made some big ones. … I don't need a whole team full of guys shooting 3s - I need somebody to attack the basket and get offensive rebounds and get steals."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
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