Lawson Shows Defensive Improvement in UNC Win
By now, Tyler Hansbrough’s explosive one-handed dunk during Sunday’s game against Iona has been viewed countless times on sports highlight reels and YouTube hits. The rest of the North Carolina men’s basketball team must’ve liked what it saw, as a variety of Tar Heels showed off their own ability to throw down big slams en route to a 110-64 thumping of South Carolina State on Tuesday.
The dunks boosted UNC’s offensive statistics, but it was North Carolina’s defensive tenacity that created the easy scoring opportunities, forcing 32 turnovers from the Bulldogs. The Tar Heels pressured and trapped throughout the game, and they converted 22 points off turnovers in the first period to rack up a 27-point lead at the half.
“It was a workman-like effort, that’s what I ask the team,” coach Roy Williams said. “I didn’t think we were very smooth at all offensively tonight. We had our defense doing some things for us that got us easy ones on the other end.”
And that defense started up top.
Tywon Lawson’s game statistics weren’t impressive on paper. The sophomore point guard shot 3-for-7 from the field, missed all three attempts from beyond the arc and recorded an 8-3 assist-to-turnover ratio. But Williams singled out Tywon Lawson as the leader of the team’s defensive effort for the night.
“I thought he set the tone for us the whole game defensively, and it’s the first game I’ve felt that way,” Williams said. “Part of the goal is to have Ty establish that defensive presence up front and have the other guys feed off of that.”
Tywon Lawson frustrated the South Carolina State offense constantly, throwing it out of a rhythm, and the rest of the Tar Heels stepped up to complete the effort. Big men Tyler Hansbrough, Deon Thompson and Alex Stepheson ventured to the perimeter to help break up plays and the three combined for five steals.
Tywon Lawson said that his on-the-ball pressure has been a personal focus for him since the end of last season, and while it requires more stamina on his part, it will improve the Tar Heels’ defense as a whole.
“That’s what our emphasis in practice was, just pushing that and just making it hectic for the guy bringing it down the court,” he said. “That’s what I’m trying to do is make our team better, just make our whole defense run better.”
And when Tywon Lawson comes up with a steal, his speed is deadly to the opposition. One of the fastest point guards in the college game, he can push the ball up the court in an instant, and Stepheson said the difference between Tywon Lawson’s quickness and his high school teammates is like lightning.
. “It’s amazing how fast he goes, he changes direction real quick too,” said Stepheson, who scored a career high 11 points and was one rebound away from a double-double. “You’ve got to keep your eyes open and keep your hands up. I’ve just got to run with my hands up all the time because you never know when he’s coming.”
In UNC’s last home game before a six-game stretch on the road, Tywon Lawson gave the crowd something to remember, consistently finding his fellow Tar Heels through a crowd of players and dishing out a game-high 8 assists. He connected with Tyler Hansbrough twice for impressive dunks, and Tywon Lawson even drove in for his own one-handed slam for two of his nine points.
But while everyone knew Tywon Lawson was a speedy playmaker, his improved defensive intensity adds another layer to his game and will him a greater threat to the Tar Heels’ opposition.
“He’s become a lot better on defense this year than he was last year,” junior Danny Green said. “He’s putting a lot of ball pressure on guys, making it difficult for them to get in the paint and for them to run their offense.”
“Him pushing the ball, giving teams problems, penetrating and kicking it to the right people, and just being the gnat he is on defense that he can be.”
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