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Luke Winn On UNC's Assist Distribution

SI.com's Luke Winn with a really interesting analysis of the assist distribution with Kendall Marshall versus Larry Drew.

After reviewing play-by-play sheets for all 23 UNC games, it was revealed that the bulk of his assists (27, or 32.9 percent) were to big man Tyler Zeller, while Dexter Strickland and Harrison Barnes were the next-highest recipients at 13 apiece. Drew's replacement, Kendall Marshall, had 110 assists but they were more evenly distributed, with six players receiving 14 or more, and only Strickland (just three) being snubbed.

Winn put the data into a graph which illustrates a profound difference in how Marshall distributes the basketball versus Drew. In short Marshall does a much better job getting everyone involved.

Everyone is better with Marshall with the exception of Strickland. There are several factors in play with that. One is Dexter Strickland and Marshall probably did not see as much time on the court together when Drew was the starter. Strickland's shooting woes as well as his ability to create some shots for himself are additional factors. The graphic is as close to a visual representation of the contrast between the two point guards as you are going to see. Yes, Marshall is going to have his issues on defense but the fact he does such a good job spreading the ball around far outweighs that liability.

Oh and another clear difference between the two point guards can be noted in their photos. Marshall is clearly happy to be here whereas Drew looks..well..like a guy unhappy enough to leave his team in the middle of the season.