Tar Heels comfortable with offense in Joel Berry's hands

“The game is starting to slowing down.”

It’s common sports jargon used to describe a talented young player who’s finally starting to put it together. And a lot of people are saying that phrase about North Carolina guard Joel Berry, who recorded his first career double-double in Monday night’s 94-70 win against Appalachian State. 

But Coach Roy Williams disagrees. 

“People always say that, but I just think that you get more comfortable playing at a faster speed,” Williams said.

Berry does appear to be more comfortable than at any point during the 2014-15 season. Against the Mountaineers, he set a career high with 11 assists, which are the most by any Tar Heel since Kendall Marshall had 11 in the second round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Berry scored 11 points, which marked his third straight game scoring in double figures, and also has 24 assists over that span. 

But if you ask senior Brice Johnson, he’ll say he doesn’t see anything different about his sophomore teammate. 

“We’re just down there scoring it and not turning it over,” Johnson said. “I don’t see anything different, he’s playing great basketball.”

Whether the game is slowing down or he’s speeding up, whether he’s more comfortable or his teammates are playing better, Berry is playing great basketball. After a rookie year marred by injury and growing pains, he earned a spot as the starting point guard for the Tar Heels during the preseason.

Since then, he has helped the team to a 10-2 record, including a 5-1 mark in the first month of the season without senior Marcus Paige. Berry leads the team with 56 assists, 18 steals and 21 made 3-pointers. He’s built a case for UNC’s most improved player through a dozen games. 

“Last year I did a lot of thinking,” Berry said. “Now I can just go out there and play ball, just play off of instinct.”

For much of the past three years, Paige played point guard as the leader of UNC's offense. But Berry’s emergence at point guard allowed Paige — UNC’s career leader in made 3-pointers — to shift to shooting guard.

Early in the season, the transition was a little rocky, as Berry struggled with turnovers like young point guards often do. But as the season has progressed, he’s cleaned up that part of his game. He's committed eight turnovers in the past five games after recording 17 in the Tar Heels' first seven contests.

“I tried to cut down on it a little bit,” he said. “I never want to turn over the ball, because then that means we don’t get the opportunity to get a shot up.

“I’m a point guard, so I just want to distribute the ball and put my teammates in situations where they can get some shots up.”

Perhaps the most promising sign of Berry's development is how the team didn't miss a beat when Paige exited the game early in the second half after jamming his ankle in the first half. Berry made one basket and had four assists in the next four minutes, showing why life after Paige could be fine in his hands. 

@loganulrich

sports@dailytarheel.com