Breaking News: Larry Drew Transferring

Reports from ESPN have stated that Larry Drew II, the junior Carolina point guard, is transferring.  No other information has been leaked, other than Drew left school on Thursday, and the Tar Heel coaching staff is aware of his decision.


This leaves Carolina short at the PG spot, with Kendall Marshall as the only true point guard on the roster.  Dexter Strickland will likely get minutes as the backup, as we saw last season.  Drew becomes the fourth player to leave, or be dismissed from the Carolina basketball team since the end of last season.  David and Travis Wear transferred to UCLA over the summer, while Will Graves was dismissed by coach Roy Williams before the start of the season.


UPDATE: Here is Larry's tweet: "They say don't ask permission just ask forgiveness, you know?  So..forgive me"


I've had a little time to let it sink in, and here are my thoughts on this situation:


1.  Leaving a team in the middle of the season, whether it be rec league or D-I basketball, is childish.  The kid is a junior in college, and is playing for arguably the most storied program in the history of college basketball.  Leaving now does nothing, NOTHING, for his pro career.  His dad is the coach of the Atlanta Hawks and undoubtedly has connections in the European Leagues, where Larry could make a decent living.  Larry isn't NBA material, whether or not he transfers.  


2.  Something is up with California.  Three transfers in less than a year from the state, and none of them lived up to the hype.  I hope the Carolina recruiting trend moves away from California.


3.  Dexter Strickland better get that Pistol Pete ballhandling tape.  Dexter struggled last year at a position he wasn't comfortable at, but he'll have to move to the back up PG role with Drew leaving.  Let's hope his roadrunner legs can use some discretion.  


4.  Kendall Marshall will likely get 30 minutes per game now.  This is a good thing, in the long run.  Marshall has proven his worth as the starter, but he is still a freshman.  Even with Drew on the roster, Marshall was/is the best PG on the roster.  He'll get more minutes, and let's see what he does with them. 


5.  More minutes for the Bullock and McDonald.  The starting lineup will likely remain the same.  But, Dexter will certainly be the first player subbed out, either for Bullock or McDonald.  Then, he will re-enter the game to replace Marshall.  This means an extra 20 minutes per game at the 1-2 spots, with Marshall likely getting between 8-10 extra minutes, and Bullock/McDonald getting an extra 3-4 minutes each.