Five freshman and four sophomores dominated the team's earlier 12-man rotation that started the year. It was a young, inexperienced team and Williams had no idea who to play. Even in a dogfight against the then No. 5 Kentucky Wildcats, Williams played the nine underclassmen in addition to his two seniors, Deon Thompson and Marcus Ginyard, and junior Will Graves, searching for someone to step up and take over.
Now, 111 days later and his team preparing for the NIT semifinals in Madison Square Garden, Williams seems to have finally figured out his rotation. Injuries have helped him narrow it down some, but predominantly it has been the play of those individuals that has placed them in the new rotation. Most notable is freshman John Henson. In the middle of the season he could barely scrap 10 minutes a game, but in UNC's three NIT wins, he has averaged 24.7 minutes a game as well as solid contributions in scoring, rebounding, and blocks.
The new rotation features the three upperclassmen and six youngsters. But aside from individual growth, the advantage for the Tar Heels has been chemistry. Players are working together, generating more offense and fulfilling a role. Williams doesn't need Ginyard to shoot 12 times a game, and the team is better when he doesn't. On top of that, the biggest contributors are now playing more minutes. It's all about role playing within the system. And, with only two games left on UNC's schedule, Williams will almost undoubtedly stick to his nine-man rotation.
It's like they're on a heater, and when you're on a heater, you don't quit.
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