UNC Recruit Zeller Waits, Wonders As Top Heels Weigh NBA

By J. Mike Blake

The future for three of North Carolina’s top players remain up in the air for next season, and as Tar Heel fans await word on the decisions of Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington, one of the Tar Heels’ three incoming players waits as well.

Tyler Zeller has a lot riding on those decisions, particularly that of Hansbrough. Like Hansbrough, Zeller is a McDonald’s All-America and a post player who can run the floor.

Should Hansbrough return for his senior year, the Heels would have a frontcourt as talented – and crowded – as any in the country.

Ed Davis, another McDonald’s All-America forward, will be also be coming in along with Zeller, and the Heels already have returning big men Deon Thompson and Alex Stepheson. Carolina also has signed point guard Larry Drew.

Hansbrough averaged 33 minutes a game this past season. If he returns, Zeller could find himself playing just a handful of minutes each game.

“I just need to come in, work as hard as I can and find a spot where I do something no one else does,” Zeller said.

“My goal is to get the most playing time I can, but I know (that) at times it’s not possible because you’re not quite to that talent level yet. That would be my goal, but I would be fine with [limited minutes] at the same time.”

Zeller said he has “no clue” whether any of the three upperclassmen have decided to go to the NBA or come back for another season, but added he would look forward to learning from Hansbrough in practice if he stays.

“It’ll be fun playing with them,” Zeller said. “You can learn a lot of things playing against Tyler and things like that.”

Zeller said he watched the Heels play throughout March Madness and that the Final Four loss to Kansas was “brutal,” but he added that he hadn’t had a chance to speak with anybody in the program since.

“I really haven’t talked to anybody recently just because they have been busy with stuff and their season is over, so they’re trying to get all that organized,” Zeller said. “They played very well in that tournament until that game and just couldn’t do anything in that game.”

Although Zeller said he has been keeping in touch with Davis and Drew, he added that none of them have discussed what becomes of them if Ellington, Lawson and Hansbrough return to Chapel Hill.

In fact, Zeller said, the high school seniors usually don’t center their conversations around basketball-related subjects such as next year’s playing time.

“Ed Davis was my roommate up at the McDonald’s All-American Game,” Zeller said. “We just kind of talk about just anything. We don’t really talk about [playing time].”

Even though Carolina lost in the semifinals, Zeller watched the Kansas-Memphis final game that turned out to be a classic. In that game, he witnessed his future coach donning a Kansas sticker on his shirt and cheering the team that soundly had whipped his own two days prior.

Several fans have weighed in on Williams’ decision to support his former employer, and Zeller sided with those who found the act commendable.

“I thought it was pretty cool. He did coach Kansas, so he has some loyalty to them. I thought it was pretty cool, him wearing that,” Zeller said. “I don’t think it really matters, just because he used to coach there so he knows people there, he has loyalty to the school – I just think that’s the kind of person he is.”

Whether all three Heels return to Chapel Hill or if they leave for the NBA, Zeller said he was highly anticipating next season. He got his first taste of what is to come during his Carolina career when he found himself playing on national television in the McDonald’s game.

“It’ll be fun and kind of nerve-wracking at the same time,” Zeller said.

The 6-foot-11, 220-pound center started for the East, scoring six points and pulling down just two rebounds in almost 13 minutes of playing time.