CHAPEL HILL -- Late in the first half against Gardner-Webb last Monday, North Carolina's John Henson made an acrobatic block near the baseline, chased the errant ball toward the corner of the court and saved it with a Gumby-like bounce-pass between his legs - beginning a fast break that ended with a Dexter Strickland layup.
The move would have been highlight material anyway, just for the sheer fact that it showed off the 6-foot-10 freshman's NBA-caliber athleticism. But it also remains memorable because, surprisingly, most of his play has been pretty forgettable so far.
Entering tonight's game against ninth-ranked Michigan State, the fourth-ranked incoming recruit in the country is averaging only 3.6 points and 2.6 rebounds. The 18-year-old small forward, dubbed runner-up in the ACC Rookie of the Year balloting, is playing only 10.1 minutes per game.
No doubt, it's frustrating, especially for a 10th-ranked Tar Heels team that could use more production at small forward - particularly against a veteran Spartans squad looking for some payback after losing to UNC in April's national championship game.
But Henson is taking a more positive approach.
"There were a lot of expectations, and a lot of people saying I would come in and do this and that,'' he said. "There is some pressure there ... but I see myself getting better every day, every practice. I feel like it's coming along. Just give me some time, and everything's going to be fine."
After all, Henson said that before this season, he hasn't spent all that much time at the "3," the position he and coach Roy Williams ultimately believe he would play in the NBA. Just five years ago, the Florida resident was a 6-1 point guard leading his middle school team to a 7-0 record.
Three years later, after a seven-inch growth spurt, he was playing power forward. Now, at 6-10 and a rail-thin 195 pounds, he is trying to combine all of those skills into the superstar player everyone expects him to be. And it hasn't been easy.
"Defensively, I never had to guard ball [on the] sideline, or stay in front of the ball all the time,'' he said of the toughest skills transition. "When my man's running down the sideline, I used to run down the middle, and then find my man. Now, you have to go in his path and stop him from getting the ball. There are a lot of little things to get used to."
And a lot of big things, too, like learning more intricate plays.
"This is the first time he's ever had to think and play at the same time," Williams said recently. "You have to do that at this level, I don't care how gifted you are. Michael Jordan never made a mistake on running a play. James Worthy never made a mistake running plays. ... You could really count on those guys knowing what they were doing.
"Well, John has never been asked to do that kind of thing before."
Slowly but surely, though, teammates are noticing his progression. He has been working on his jump shot, and he buried his first career 3-pointer on Sunday against Nevada. He's thinking less and reacting more. Henson said he's also working on having a constant sense of urgency on the court - something he didn't always need in high school, because things came so easily.
And something he definitely needs now, as Williams considers how he's going to continue to whittle the rotation and put the best combinations on the floor.
"I love him," Williams said Sunday of Henson after the freshman followed a solid seven-point first half with several second-half miscues, including a forgotten screen on one play, a failure to box out on another, and a 3-pointer that was a hair shy of an airball "But I love guys who make plays, too; I don't care how pretty they are."
Henson is determined that he'll make more plays consistently, be it burying more jumpers, blocking more shots or saving more loose balls through the legs, highlight-reel fashion.
After every game, his father, Matt, sends him a text message with similar wording: "You made some strides, you did some good things out there. Just keep getting better."
And he hopes to, again, tonight.
"He continues to push through is little bit of adversity right now," senior forward Deon Thompson said. "For him, he doesn't really know what he is - is he a 3, is he a 4?
"He has so many different talents, he's going to be so good. But one thing I really like about him is he's being patient with himself. If I was in that situation, I'd probably be going crazy in my mind."
