Depth — it left in the middle of the night two years ago, in February, when Larry Drew II decided he would transfer.
The North Carolina point guard position has been a one-man show ever since.
Kendall Marshall took the reins from Drew as a freshman and played nearly every minute of every contest until the NBA draft came calling in 2012. Then, in Marshall’s absence, freshman Marcus Paige started last season under colossal expectations, forced to lead a young and inexperienced team.
But this season, for the first time in a few years, a UNC point guard won’t be going at it alone.
The Tar Heels bring in left-handed recruit Nate Britt from Upper Marlboro, Md., who will be able to play alongside Paige and benefit from the sophomore’s tutelage.
“It’s gonna be great,” Paige said. “He’s gonna get the chance to play right away, and he’s going to have someone like me to learn from in tough situations, whereas last year me and Luke (Davis) were the only point guards on the roster, so I was stuck in a tough spot where I didn’t have anyone to learn from.”
UNC has toyed around with a two-point-guard lineup during the practice season, and it’s something that Paige and coach Roy Williams said will more than likely find its way into games. That could especially be the case early on in the year as P.J. Hairston misses time with a still undetermined suspension.
In practice, Britt has played the point, Paige has slid over to shooting guard and — depending on if UNC wants to go big or small — guard Leslie McDonald or forward James Michael McAdoo has played the three.
“I actually love the two-point-guard lineup,” Paige said. “Whoever gets the outlet just goes. The other one fills in on the wing. Nate’s really fast and pushes the ball well. It opens the game up for me a lot, too.”