12.0 ppg | 7.6 apg | 69 blocks
By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
Brendan Haywood is the enigma for North Carolina, and for all NBA scouts.
There are days when the Tar Heels look dominant with him in the middle. Those are the times when he spreads his wings, catches the ball high and turns toward the basket in an unstoppable pose. Those are the days when the NBA scouts drool at what they could possess in a few months when his college eligibility expires.
Then there are the days when Haywood shrinks his body into the form of a guard, catching the ball tightly in to his chest, forgetting to hold it up high and bringing it down low enough for a guard to get a clean pick. Those are the days when scouts wince about whether or not he is worth the trouble.
Haywood could get the Tar Heels 20 points and 10 rebounds every night. He can be near perfect from the field. He can block shots with ease. But he can also have games when he essentially disappears, drawing a zero for his box score production.
North Carolina must have a "Haywood Night" for them to win in Cameron. That means Haywood must play big -- as big as he is-- as big as a 7-footer. Do that and he's got a chance to get Shane Battier and Carlos Boozer in foul trouble. He's big enough for them to have to work hard to get around him in the post, leaving decisions on whether to front him or play behind him almost moot.
If he can't get these two to pay attention to him, possibly hacking him on his way up, then the Tar Heels will have to wait until March 4 for their next chance to beat Duke.
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14.6 ppg | 6.4 apg | 60.7% FGs
By Jay Bilas
Special to ESPN.com
Nobody benefits more from the dribble penetration of Jason Williams than Carlos Boozer.
To his credit, Boozer is expertly positioning himself inside, with hands ready for the catch, to receive the drop passes
Williams leaves him after drawing defenders who are trying to stop his powerful drives. To combat the easy baskets Boozer gets from Williams, expect North Carolina to stay with Boozer and not help off him, and make
Williams finish over Carolina's big interior defenders.
Boozer is among Duke's most improved players, averaging 14 points and almost eight rebounds per game in ACC play. He has established himself as one of the premier big men in the ACC, not to mention the nation. He is adept at finishing with his left hand, and has shown the ability to finish in traffic while absorbing a bump. But Boozer has an outstanding touch with either hand, and can step out to 15 feet and shoot it.
Defensively, Boozer is solid, using his quickness to get around bigger post players to get steals. He is also a good shot blocker and has been pursuing rebounds with both hands and getting solid outlets to Williams or Chris Duhon. But, as an undersized center, the 6-foot-9 Boozer is in a constant struggle to keep from getting caught behind in the post. And while he is not the best post defender in the country, lost in the mayhem after the Maryland game was the fact that Boozer severely limited the Terps' bruising center Lonny Baxter.
The only time Boozer seems to struggle, or be limited, is when he's up against much bigger post men who are able to hold position against him, such as Jason Collins. Because of their size and ability, Brendan Haywood and Kris Lang will
present similar challenges.
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