In preparation for the 2008-09 basketball season, I will be profiling key contributors for the Tar Heels. Today’s profile looks at sophomore C Tyler Zeller
Vitals
Number: 44
Position: C
Height: 7-0
Weight: 240 lbs
Year: Sophomore
2008-09 and Career Stats: 15 gms, 3.1 ppg, 2.0 rpg
What Happened Last Season
Tyler Zeller actually started the first game of last season at center while Tyler Hansbrough was nursing a shin injury and scored 18 points against Penn. At the conclusion of the 2nd game versus Kentucky, Zeller was fouled hard on a breakaway dunk attempt and broke his wrist upon impact. At that point, it was assumed Zeller was done for the season but his rehab went according to schedule and the sophomore returned in a reserve role on February 18th versus NC State. It was clear that Zeller was never really comfortable with his best two games coming in mop-up duty versus Georgia Tech during the regular season and Radford in the NCAA Tournament. Once the regular season concluded, Zeller saw very limited action of the 2-3 mins per game variety. The long layoff caused Zeller to be a step behind on defense and oftentimes out of position. On offense he could not find a rhythm which is more a product of playing time than anything else. Despite the limited playing time, Roy has said, Zeller benefited from returning, an idea initially opposed by the Tar Heel head coach. I am guessing he got over it.
Outlook For This Season
Assuming Zeller is completely healthy, the assumption is he will come off the bench behind Ed Davis at center. That is unless something is happening in practice he don’t know about. I would expect Zeller to be more offensive minded than Davis whereas Davis is probably more defensive minded than Zeller. A rotation of those two could prove effective. The question is how much playing time will Zeller actually see? That depends greatly on how much the Wear Twins get used and whether Roy puts Davis at the four and runs Zeller at the five giving the Heels a huge frontline. According to various reports, Zeller has greatly improved his strength and gained a decent amount of weight since last season. That should allow him to be more effective on the post, especially on defense. Zeller also runs the floor extremely well and is a seven footer who can hit a hook shot. That makes him a potent offensive weapon since a shot like that would be difficult to defend.
Main Concerns
Zeller’s defense last season left a lot to be desired and will be a focal point this season. The added weight and strength should help where his defense is concerned not to mention being healthy. Because Zeller is seven feet tall, it is assumed he will be an outstanding shot blocker. That is not always the case since shotblocking is more a product of timing than it is being tall. That being said, Zeller is going to block his share of shots because he is tall and long. The key for him is to do so without getting in foul trouble. Also, simply because he has the strength and weight to be physical does not necessarily mean Zeller will instinctively do that on the court. Hopefully the UNC coaches have stoked an aggressive fire in the sophomore from Indiana. The only other issue I foresee is Zeller finding a role and being comfortable in it, especially on offense. Roy says he does not have an idea of who will play what minutes so by extension is might be a source of anxiety for a player to come off the bench and press too much in an effort to secure more playing time. Hopefully that will not be an issue for Zeller who appears to have a high basketball IQ.
Wish List
Consistency with few fouls.
If Zeller comes off the bench and provides UNC will solid defense along with consistent scoring ability, the Heels will be in excellent shape. The Roy Williams System is predicated on up-tempo with the caveat of running so many weapons in and out of the game that the opposing team is worn completely down. If UNC can rotate post players with regularity without sacrificing any offense or defensive quality, opposing teams will have a difficult time matching up, especially when the small forward is 6-10. At some point opposing players lose their legs and run out of fouls to give which can tilt a game fairly quickly in the Heels’ favor. Zeller’s play is crucial to making that happen.
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I wouldn’t be surprised if Zeller doesn’t start ahead of Davis. The word is that Davis is out of shape and Zeller is much further along, not unlike last year.
Zeller has a great touch when shooting, based on the coaching and training at UNC he can only get better. His speed and ability to run the floor all night have to be a tremendous asset as well. Not many players his size can stay in a Roy Williams game. Could be some interesting match-ups during the year with other ACC teams, maybe GT? I thought he was playing very well that night against Kentucky but then so did everyone else.
The weight training at Carolina is always impressive, kids that stay the full term are just huge at the end of the year. That goes for everyone, look at Marc Campbell, even as a guy that’s there mostly for practice he’s been on the weights pretty solid. I don’t have the patience to look at his weight through the years but it has to up every year.
How much range does Zeller have on his shot? UNC is going to need any outside shooting they can find this year. Would Zeller be able to help them stretch the defense out to the 3 point arc?
I always considered Deon Thompson more of a center than a forward based on where he likes to get the ball and where he shoots from. Oddly enough, I just checked out the roster on tarheelblue.cstv.com and there is nobody listed as center. Anybody with real height is listed as “F.” I know it’s just semantics and the best players will get on the floor regardlesss, just found it interesting that no true center is listed.
I would be very surprised if the starting lineup were anything other than this:
C – Zeller
PF – Davis
SF – Thompson
WG – Ginyard
PG – Drew
im thinking this way rath
c – davis
pf – thompson
sf – henson/graves(and sometimes ginyard)
wg – ginyard
pg – drew
i agree with esheel. graves to begin season and henson to take over mid way through. thompson at sf is a stretch.
what about a zeller-davis-henson-graves-ginyard lineup once in a while for height (7-0, 6-10, 6-10, 6-6, 6-5) advantage? anyone could probably post up on the defender when 2 pts are badly needed.
similar to how marvin williams got his minutes, i think zeller and henson will get plenty, even if they don’t start.
zeller could shoot out to 3pt range in high school,heeled soul.dont know if he still can but he did show a capable 15ft jumper several times last year.i think zeller plays more 4 than 5.
esheel and heeledsoul –
The reasons I think it will be Zeller are that he started for the injured Hansbrough at the beginning of last season and did well; he’s an upperclassman (as compared with Henson); Graves obviously has some issues beyond his poor defense and lack of concentration; Zeller has apparently worked hard in the off-season, having done well in the mile run and having added 20 pounds of muscle; he was known for running well for a big man, which is a highly sought virtue in Roy’s offense; he’s very coachable; and he’s seven feet tall.
I hope that Graves and Henson will be significant contributors, and they’ll need to be for us to be a legitimate factor in the national championship discussion, but I don’t see either as a starter. Henson is said to be a great talent, but you’ve got to be truly out of this world to start for Roy as a freshman. And Graves has had quite some time to establish himself, but I can’t think of a single game in which he was a major contributor.
But rath, I understand when you say zeller over graves and henson but Thompson just ain’t playing the 3 spot. No way! And zeller is not starting over thompson, so… zeller comes off the bench real quick like Ed did last season.
And esheel, I agree, it’d be Davis-zeller-etc… Not the other way around.
Going big like that is like renting a sign that says: “ZONE US PLEASE” That is unless Ginyard is the 2nd coming of..er..Wayne Ellington and Drew hits threes like Lawson did. I don’t think that is happening. Besides, Thompson at the three would be a defensive nightmare. He simply does not move his feet well enough to guard some of the SFs out there. Henson or Graves will be at the three, likely Henson when it counts.
Zeller and Davis will play the five. Deon will share time with Davis at the four if Roy shifts him over when Zeller is on the floor. The Wear Twins will also get minutes.
THF –
I don’t see Graves starting. He’s been a deep bench player, and he’s coming off a suspension. He has talent, no doubt, and a good basketball body, but his “defense,” to use that word loosely, is not something Roy is going to reward with a spot as a starter.
Thompson is 6’8″, which is a good height for a SF. It certainly will be his position in the NBA, if he goes to the NBA. I agree that his defense leaves something to be desired, but I think there is a better basis for thinking he’ll improve in that department than to think that Graves will.
In the collegiate level, the SF doesn’t need to be 6-8. Prototypical SF is a Danny Green. And at the very least, the SF needs to be able to dribble the ball down the court or with a defender on you from the perimeter (unless you’re a defensive specialist like Jackie). Thompson would be a huge mismatch against us on both sides of the court at the SF spot. We need 3 seasoned players for the 4 and 5 spots, and 2 guys to fill in when needed. That’s Deon, Ed, Zeller and then the Wear twins.
Similar to how Roy let Bobby start the PG position for so long when Ty was a freshman, I think Roy values experience and knowlege of what he wants done on the floor. Will has that over Jon. That’s why I think Will will start in the beginning but Jon will take over mid season.
“I don’t see Graves starting. He’s been a deep bench player, and he’s coming off a suspension. He has talent, no doubt, and a good basketball body, but his “defense,” to use that word loosely, is not something Roy is going to reward with a spot as a starter.”
Have you been watching Carolina practice since Oct 17th? If not, you really don’t know what to expect from Graves and you are using your past observations to make assumptions about the future. No one outside of the team knows how much Graves or any other player has improved or how they are currently performing in practice. And what does being a “bench player” in the past have to do with his potential for starting this season. FYI, Davis, Zeller, and LD2 were all bench players last year, so does that mean they can’t improve into being starters this year too?
“Thompson is 6?8?, which is a good height for a SF. It certainly will be his position in the NBA, if he goes to the NBA. I agree that his defense leaves something to be desired, but I think there is a better basis for thinking he’ll improve in that department than to think that Graves will.”
If Thompson’s position is SF in the NBA, then Deon will be playing in Europe. Thompson has trouble moving his feet to guard 6’10″ post players, so it would be quite a jump to now guard 6’5″ wing players. Plus, when has Thompson shown any perimeter skills whatsoever that would lead you to believe he could actually handle and pass the basketball on the perimeter? So Graves won’t start because of his poor defense and past indiscretions, but your solution would be to move a senior PF to a wing position that he has never played in his previous 3 years in college. Sorry, but that is just silly.
Does your mother know you are on the computer after your bed time?
I agree with the majority, here. The chances of seeing Davis/Thompson/Zeller on the court together are at best slim, but most likely non-existent. None of them have anything close to a game that would allow them to play SF.
Henson is a SF.
Graves is a SF.
The Wears, Ginyard, and McDonald all have some SF skills, but are more hybrids.
Deon Thompson is, and will be, a PF:
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Deon-Thompson-1315/stats/
IMO, the starting lineup we will most likely see is:
Drew/Ginyard/Henson/Deon/Davis
I then see Zeller/Graves as co-6th man (instant offense off the bench).
scl11 –
Your post is insulting, needlessly belligerent and not in keeping with either the tone of my remarks or of this forum generally. I would ask that you consider adopting a more moderate attitude.
“Similar to how Roy let Bobby start the PG position for so long when Ty was a freshman…”
Don’t forget, WE and Brandan Wright both started Game one as freshmen, over DG and Marcus.
For non-PGs, Roy has a history of starting the best players, regardless of year. Jon Henson is the best player on the team. He’ll start
Settle down kids!
1. Word is Graves is having severe problems with his back. He might not play much at all and if he does apparently it has impacted his conditioning/weight.
2. The question came up last season about whether we would see UNC go big with Hansbrough/Zeller/Thompson or Davis on the floor at the same time. The answer to that question was “no” because it in turn hurts your depth. Roy will rotate Davis/Thompson with Zeller/Wears. We might see Davis move to the four along with Zeller at the five but a huge frontline of three true post players is not going to happen. A huge frontline with Henson/Wears at the SF? Probably. Wears could play at the four also.
3. CM is right. Roy might go for the best available player when talking about a non-PG position though I have heard that Graves started at SF in the secret scrimmage UNC secretly lost.
C.Michael –
IMO, the current evidence suggests that Davis, not Henson, is the best player on the team. Henson was advertised as a phenom, and he might be, but I haven’t seen it yet. If the advertisement was true, then, yes, like Brandan Wright, I agree he’ll start. In that event, Zeller will sub, since the two other frontcourt starters are certain to be Thompson and Davis. But it depends, as we say in court, on facts not yet in evidence.
I’m not as down on Zeller as some of our commenters seem to be. It’s true he looked poor when he came back last year — slow, out of position on defense, and less than effective on offense. But that was because, for reasons not of his making, he had been laid off for virtually the entire season. At the start of the season, he looked good — good enough for Roy to select him to start for TH. That having been the case, and now with an apparently successful off-season to enhance his weight and strength, I don’t regard it as far-fetched to believe that Roy would select an improved Zeller to again start at TH’s position (i.e., de facto center).
rath,
I don’t necessarily follow your argument. First, I agree, I like Zeller a lot. You are correct in pointing out that that it was he, and not Davis, who started the first 2 games last year. Additionally, there were some scouting services that had Tyler ranked ahead of Ed. Tyler is an excellent player and may be the most offensively adept PF/C on the team.
The thing is, it’s not really a question of starting Henson over Zeller, if it were, then yes, that may be up for a much more intense debate. The question is whether Henson should start over Graves. Roy has already said the Henson will exclusively play on the perimeter, and as you mentioned, Zeller is in contention to TH’s de facto center spot.
rath, Lighten up bud, just a difference of opinion and evidently you did not appreciate my attempt at humor, which I apologize if you took as an insult. It’s a sports blog, no reason to take everything so seriously.
Now get back to 3rd period French before your teacher notices that the bathroom pass is missing.
C.Michael –
We’re not in that much disagreement. If the question is whether Henson starts over Graves, then I think it highly likely that Henson gets the nod.
Don’t get me wrong. I want Graves to succeed; indeed I think his succeeding is quite important to our getting back to the NC game. I also think he has talent and has remarkably improved his physique from what it was as a freshman. I’m frustrated with him because his development is not what it should be given his tools. And I have to confess his suspension, for still unexplained reasons, bothers me. Something is going on with him that I’m not seeing.
I agree. After LDII, Graves may be the most important player on the team. Here are some numbers to think about:
Reyshawn Terry as a sophomore:
4.5 mpg, 2.3 ppg, 0.7 rpg
Reyshawn Terry as a junior:
24.0 mpg, 14.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg
Danny Green as a sophomore:
13.6 mpg, 5.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg
Danny Green as a junior:
22.3 mpg, 11.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg
Will Graves as a sophomore:
11.2 mpg, 4.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg
I see no reason why Will can’t follow that same progression as either a starter (Terry) or super-6th man (Green).
nice stats c.michael.honestly,as long as we win and play team basketball,marc campbell can start the 5 spot for all i care.
I’m not down on Zeller either. I think he is a starter on any other team. No way Deon is not starting and no way Ed is not starting after a full season of experence. That’s all. But our 6th and 7th men typically get enough minutes anyways.