UNC Basketball: How Great Can Kendall Marshall Become?

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Kendall Marshall: UNC PG approaching status of an all-time NCAA great. Part 1
UNC Basketball: Kendall Marshall well on his way to seeing his #5 jersey in the Smith Center rafters.
Part I

After another outstanding passing performance Saturday against Maryland, PG Kendall Marshall set yet another career high in assists with 16 in a hard fought win 83-74. Game after game I continue to marvel at Marshall’s outstanding ability to see the court. His vision and basketball IQ is that of an NBA vet. In fact it takes some veterans years to develop the court awareness Marshall falls out of bed with. If he continues this pace he will do something only few players have done when it comes to assists. The thought of Marshall staying all four years makes me wonder just how great of player we are watching develop. And as his game matures could Marshall potentially become one of the best college players to ever step on the court? It’s a little early but what he has shown, combined with the constant growth he will have under Head Coach Roy Williams, leads me to believe the NCAA will only be the beginning of a promising basketball career.

Photo Credit: Bob Donnan-US PRESSWIRE

The constant comparison I keep seeing and hearing is to a young Jason Kidd. Though they may be farfetched comparisons in some eyes, to me they are well deserved. The way they impact every possession and pass to their teammates open like an NFL quarterback, the combination makes them both must-see TV. The know how to be a true point guard and the pass first attitude makes the link between the two justified. One thing that Kidd had at this point that Kendall is not quite as skilled at yet was the J-Kidd’s on the ball defense. Kidd set the NCAA Freshman record for steals with 110 and averaging just under 4 (3.8) a game in the 1992-93 season. Kendall had less than half of that number with 40 total and averaged just over 1 a game. Fans as well as Marshall himself, I’m sure would all say his defense and intensity on that side of the ball could use some fine tuning (to say the least). Jason Kidd also had the advantage slightly in the scoring department his freshman year as well.

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