Nick ZachosContributing Reporter
Nick Zachos
Sophomore Tony Rutland will run the point.
Sophomore Tony Rutland has always played in the shadow of a superstar. Hailing from Hampton, Va.'s Bethel High School where he played alongside touted Georgetown sophomore Allen Iverson, and then playing his freshman campaign last season across the court from All-American point guard Randolph Childress, '95, Rutland now finds himself in a crucial position.
In this, his sophomore season, Rutland will be taking over the point guard role for the Demon Deacons, and will be expected to help relieve the pressure on pre-season ACC Player of the Year, junior Tim Duncan.
Last season Rutland shared playing time in the backcourt with sophomore Jerry Braswell, collecting 21.6 minutes per game. He started nine of the Deacons' games before mid-January, when Head Coach Dave Odom found him to be more efficient when coming off the bench. He did eventually play in all 32 games.
Rutland played most of his minutes on the wing, but occasionally played back-up at the point in the rare moments when Childress was on the bench.
For the season, Rutland shot only 32.5 percent from the field and 32 percent from three-point land, but redeemed himself by connecting on over 81 percent of his free throws. He also proved to be a very streaky shooter, and his statistics in the conference show his ability to play under pressure.
In ACC games, his field goal mark was lifted to 37 percent, and he was dynamite from downtown, hitting 45 percent of his three-point attempts. Rutland also showed his ability to provide a real spark for the Deacons when they needed it. He led a comeback victory against Clemson by scoring eight consecutive points and inspiring a furious second half rally. He delivered another clutch performance last season when he knocked down two free throws with seven seconds left to defeat Virginia in a crucial home victory.
Coming into last season, there were questions about Rutland's abilities on the defensive end, and he proved his critics wrong by working hard and ending up second on the team in steals behind Childress. Rutland was phenomenal in the ACC Tournament, hitting eight-of-18 three-point attempts and contributing greatly to the Deacons' success.
He also won the ACC Rookie of the Week honor when he led the Deacons to a victory over Maryland by scoring 19 points, followed by a 12 point effort in a win over Georgia Tech. The two victories came in the midst of the Deacons' 12-game winning streak, resulting in the school's first ever NCAA No. 1 seed.
This season, Rutland finds himself in a familiar role, this time playing in Duncan's shadow. However, the weight rests upon his shoulders to create production in the backcourt, and to provide a suitable replacement for number 22.