ATLANTA— Just about everyone knows Brendan Haywood, North Carolina’s big-time center.
But have you met Brendan Haywood, diplomat?
Haywood got the best of Georgia Tech center Alvin Jones for the third time this season during the Tar Heels’ 70-63 victory in Saturday’s Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament semifinal game. After the victory, a reporter asked Haywood a delicate question:
Should the Tar Heel have taken first-team All-ACC honors instead of Jones, who relegated Haywood to the second team?
“I can’t answer that,”Haywood replied very diplomatically.
Of course, the giant grin on his face wasn’t exactly State Department material, but you got the feeling that Haywood didn’t care about losing first-team honors after advancing to the ACC tourney finals against Duke.
Jones shot 25 percent the first time the 7-footers battled, then 33 percent in the regular-season rematch.
But nothing compared to Saturday’s disaster. Jones finished 3-for-16 from the field (19 percent) with four turnovers.
“I felt like I did it myself, but I give credit to Brendan Haywood,”Jones said. “I can’t put my finger on it right now. I missed some good shots and that was that.”
Tech’s fortunes in the low post looked promising against the Tar Heels. Haywood picked up his second foul with 12:25 remaining in the first half and headed for the bench. He returned just three minutes later, though, when forward Kris Lang was injured and left the game for treatment.
The Yellow Jackets led 23-16 at that point, and the game plan became obvious — saddle Haywood with foul No. 3.
The ball kept going into Jones in the post, and Haywood stood his ground. The Tech center missed his final five shots before halftime and committed two of his turnovers as the Jacket offense imploded. Tech missed 17 straight field goals, and by the time the shooting slump ended, Carolina’s lead hit double digits.
“I said that I’ll play behind him until he makes a few over me and he never did,”Haywood said. “I just put my hands up and he really struggled wi th that.”
Jones hit his only field goal of the second half at the 10-minute mark, muscling a shot over Haywood that pulled Tech within 47-42. But Haywood didn’t pick up his third foul until two minutes later, and never did get a fourth.
“Brendan did a heck of a job on Alvin, especially when he had two fouls,”Carolina head coach Matt Doherty said. “Really, that kept us in the game when nothing was dropping (in the first half).”
With Haywood still on the floor, Carolina’s offense clicked just enough to pull out the win. Guard Joseph Forte drained an open 3-pointer with five minutes to play when Haywood kicked out of a double team down low.
Haywood also blocked his third shot down the stretch. He finished with 13 points and four rebounds.
“Brendan had a lot to prove. Alvin Jones was first team All-ACC and Brendan saw that,”Carolina forward Jason Capel said. “I think Brendan’s the best big man not only in the ACC, but in the country. He proved that tonight.
“He changed many of Alvin’s shots and he blocked many of Alvin’s shots. He really dictated things on the defensive end.”
Jones’ night ended in miserable fashion. His team trailing by five in the final seconds, he missed two close-in shots. They probably wouldn’t have mattered in the grand scheme of things, but left Jones with something to dwell on for a while.
“Two easy tip-ins. Yesterday there was no way I could’ve missed those shots,”Jones said, referring to his 20-point, 12-rebound performance against Virginia in the quarterfinals.
The Cavs, though, don’t have a 7-footer on the roster.
“It was great, two big guys going at it, the referee’s letting them play,”Capel said. “To see two guys that big go at it down low, it was great, that’s not something you see much anymore in college basketball.”
For the Carolina fans who called for Haywood’s head more than one time in the past, their chances to see the dominant senior are running out. Always a favorite target of Tar Heel critics, Haywood’s absence next season could come as a rude surprise, Tech head coach Paul Hewitt said.
“He’s a great center and they’re going to miss him,”Hewitt said. “I don’t follow that program that closely, but it might be a case that people are going to really realize what they had when he’s gone.”
“Amen to us missing Brendan Haywood next year,”Doherty said when told of Hewitt’s comment. “Paul’s talked a lot about his guy, and Alvin is good, but I wouldn’t trade my guy for anyone.”
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Sportswriter Steve Hanf is covering the ACC Tournament for the Post.
Steve Hanf