For much of the year, Tyler Hansbrough and Ty Lawson were all anyone would talk about.
But when the season began to wear on North Carolina's floor leaders, Wayne Ellington stepped up. In moments when Hansbrough and Lawson struggled offensively, Ellington proved to be clutch when it counted.
And while the Blue Devils will already have their hands full containing Hansbrough and Lawson, Ellington just might be the game-changer they need to watch.
For the past two seasons, the junior guard has largely played second fiddle to his teammates. Despite a few breakout games, including a career-high 36 points against Clemson last year, Ellington has been somewhat inconsistent. He has only showed brief glimpses of the explosive player he had the potential to become.
But in the past few weeks, Ellington has established himself as one of the strongest offensive presences in the ACC, averaging 15 points while shooting nearly 41 percent from beyond the arc.
"I just kind of got in a groove," Ellington said. "Once I saw a couple go in, I felt like I was good from there. As I started going, I felt like I was in the flow of things in games and I wasn't forcing shots. I was just letting it come to me."
Last week, Ellington exploded for 34 points against Maryland, including seven 3-pointers. The Episcopal Academy graduate followed up his dominating performance by dropping 20 points, six assists and six rebounds Saturday against Virginia.
Ellington may have Miami to thank for helping him discover his shot.
Early in conference play, the junior struggled finding an offensive rhythm. But he couldn't miss against the Hurricanes, hitting seven 3-pointers in a stretch under 10 minutes.
Ellington's recent emergence as a go-to scorer for the Tar Heels is eerily reminiscent of his high school teammate and Tobacco Road foe, Gerald Henderson. Both Ellington and Henderson have broken out and are well on their way to career seasons.
Despite the rivalry, the two regularly keep in touch, offering support and keeping up with each other's performances.
"Early in the season we were both struggling a little bit, and we always kept in touch and gave each other little confidence boosters," Ellington said. "We're both aware of how each other is playing and kind of feed off of it."
But the two also offer each other criticism.
"We haven't talked much this year, but I'm sure we'll talk a little trash," Ellington said. "I'm more focused on going over there and getting a win than talking trash to him right now. He can't really say much to me. I'm 3-1 against him."
Like every player on North Carolina's roster, Ellington is undefeated in Cameron Indoor Stadium. And although he respects the rivalry, he already knows what it takes to walk away with a win.
"It's Duke," he said. "Anytime you're playing Duke, you're motivated and excited for the game. It's one of the biggest rivalries in college basketball.
"We go over there with a chip on our shoulders."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.