He was named a Parade All-American and McDonald's All-American as a senior in 2014.
(meta data) TITLE: Workhorse Joel Berry II the quintessential X-Factor for North Carolina SUBSCRIBE NOWto get home delivery Get the news # Workhorse Joel Berry II the quintessential X -Factor for North Carolina Anna Katherine Clemmons Special for USA TODAY Sports Published 11:31 a.m. ET March 15, 2016 | Updated 12:13 a.m. ET March 16, 2016CLOSE USA TODAY Sports' Nicole Auerbach breaks down what to watch for in the East Regional of the 2016 NCAA Tournament. USA TODAY Sports North Carolina Tar Heels guard Joel Berry II (2) dribbles the ball against the Virginia Cavaliers at John Paul Jones Arena.(Photo: Geoff Burke, USA TODAY Sports) On most weekday mornings, Lake Highlands Preparatory School men's head basketball coach Jason Vallery walked into his school's weight room around 6:30 AM to work out. Even when he arrived a little earlier, he'd step through the door and see his starting point guard, Joel Berry II, already well into his workout. Beginning in ninth grade, Berry II's father, Joel, dropped his son off at the gym at 5:45 AM every morning so he could work with the school's strength and conditioning coach. ## BRACKET HUB: Make picks, create a pool "His work ethic and discipline were by far the greatest I've ever coached," Vallery says of the 6-foot point guard who led his Orlando-based team to three state championships and was three times voted Mr. Florida Basketball, the only player in Florida high school history to receive that consecutive honor. USA TODAY X-Factors: Players who could determine team's success in NCAA tournament That workhorse mentality has shown this year in the dominant play of Berry, who's proven an essential starter for the top-ranked Tar Heels, and whose performances will be critical as Carolina looks to cut down the nets in Houston. Coming off an ACC Tournament in which he was named Most Valuable Player, Berry is the kind of X-factor player – somewhat overlooked but possessing great spark potential – who can give his team the boost it needs to go deep into the NCAA tournament. Berry also received several votes for the ACC's Most Improved Player this season, thanks to his marked jump in consistency, ball handling and shooting percentages. His defensive skills, passing ability and three-point shot have frustrated opponents and kept Carolina in the top of the rankings despite senior guard Marcus Paige's offensive struggles. North Carolina guard Joel Berry II, left, was the ACC tournament's MVP in leading the Tar Heels to the title. (Photo: Geoff Burke, USA TODAY Sports) "The good thing about Joel is he's been really consistent," Paige says. "He'll give you double-digit points, a good assist-to-turnover ratio, a couple rebounds, a few steals. Having that consistency has allowed us to survive. I'm really proud of how he's come along as a sophomore." After a slow freshman season where Berry sat out eight games due to a groin injury, Williams encouraged him to work on his shot and ball handling in the off-season. So Berry spent hundreds of summertime hours in the gym, focusing on ball handling and his shooting ability. If he found himself sitting in his room watching TV, he'd turn it off, call a manager and ask him to come rebound. USA TODAY NCAA tournament Cinderellas, sleepers and busts Then and now, Berry goes through the same self-imposed shooting ritual. Moving around the key, the sophomore sharpshooter must make eight of ten shots at each spot, with a total of only seven missed shots. Miss eight and he starts over, however far he is into the drill. "It's about efficiency, being ready to take any shot in a game," Berry says. His 59 three-pointers and 86.3% free throw percentage lead all Tar Heels, and his 12.7 points-per-game average is second behind Brice Johnson. North Carolina Tar Heels guard Joel Berry II was one of the most improved players in the ACC this season, jumping in almost every statistical category. (Photo: Evan Pike, USA TODAY Sports) "He did a great job in the off-season of working on the things we talked about," Williams says. "And he's continued to work — he's better right now than he was the first day of practice. It's not coaching secrets, it's sweat by the player." Berry II's introduction to basketball came when was six, when his father started a non-profit near their hometown of Apopka, teaching life skills and education to at-risk youths through the sport. Joel wanted to play, but his parents worried he was too small. So his mother dressed him in kneepads, elbow pads — essentially a uniform of padding — and let him onto the court with the older kids. "That's where he learned that 'just because I'm small, it doesn't mean I can't play with them' mentality you see today," Berry says. While the elder Berry never pressured his son toward a particular sport, he told him that whatever he chose, he needed to work hard. "My dad is all about dedication and commitment," Berry II says. Riding into school each morning, the father tried to avoid breaking down basketball plays. Instead, he counseled his son on the importance of meditation — having quiet time to "meditate on the good things you want to see manifest in your life," Berry says. USA TODAY It's the season of the senior, and that matters for your NCAA bracket But Berry II is not serious and meditative all the time. In a viral video following UNC's March 5 win against Duke, head coach Roy Williams danced into the post-game locker room to the delighted yells and laughter of his players. A minute or so later, as Williams congratulated his team, he pointed to Berry and called out his impressive seven-rebound performance. Berry stood up and paused before bringing his arms together, biceps flexed, in a muscle-man pose reminiscent of Arnold Schwarzenegger, yelling as his teammates called out, "Strong Man!" Then he broke into a mini-dance number and the whole team erupted into laughter. In a matter of seconds, Berry's expression moved from intense and passionate to celebratory and carefree, a sequence that in many ways is a microcosm of the 19-year-old leader himself. "He's very reserved — until you get to know him," Williams says, chuckling. "Joel is probably the funniest person on our team," Tar Heels center Kennedy Meeks says. "The other day, he came in walking around with a water polo Speedo on. He just brings that energy." Energy of a different kind is evident whenever Berry II records one of his team-high 51 steals. His clutch plays, time and again, have given Carolina an added boost at a critical moment. "Berry is one of the guys who has improved so much this year," Virginia forward Anthony Gill said. "He brings consistency. You look at the stat sheet and he had a great game against you. That speaks to North Carolina as a whole — they have a lot of great players on the team, and sometimes you overlook the one that actually hurts you the most." ALL 68 NCAA TOURNAMENT TEAMS All 68 teams in the 2016 NCAA tournament Fullscreen #### Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. John Locher, APFullscreenMaryland Terrapins, Big 10. Ethan Miller, Getty ImagesFullscreenIowa Hawkeyes, Big 10. Mark Humphrey, APFullscreenWichita State Shockers, Missouri Valley. Steven Branscombe, USA TODAY SporFullscreenHawaii Rainbow Warriors, Big West. Joe Maiorana, USA TODAY SportsFullscreenUNC Asheville, Big South Ben McKeown, APFullscreenAustin Peay, Ohio Valley Jim Brown, USA TODAY SportsFullscreenOregon, Pac-12 Christopher Hanewinckel, USA TODAY SportsFullscreenDuke Blue Devils, ACC. Noah K. Murray, USA TODAY SportsFullscreenWest Virginia Mountaineers, Big 12. Brian Spurlock, USA TODAY SportsFullscreenUtah Utes, Pac 12. Kyle Terada, USA TODAY SportsFullscreenIowa State Cyclones, Big 12. ### Interested in this topic? You may also want to view these photo galleries: Replay1 of 692 of 693 of 694 of 695 of 696 of 697 of 698 of 699 of 6910 of 6911 of 6912 of 6913 of 6914 of 6915 of 6916 of 6917 of 6918 of 6919 of 6920 of 6921 of 6922 of 6923 of 6924 of 6925 of 6926 of 6927 of 6928 of 6929 of 6930 of 6931 of 6932 of 6933 of 6934 of 6935 of 6936 of 6937 of 6938 of 6939 of 6940 of 6941 of 6942 of 6943 of 6944 of 6945 of 6946 of 6947 of 6948 of 6949 of 6950 of 6951 of 6952 of 6953 of 6954 of 6955 of 6956 of 6957 of 6958 of 6959 of 6960 of 6961 of 6962 of 6963 of 6964 of 6965 of 6966 of 6967 of 6968 of 6969 of 69AutoplayShow ThumbnailsShow CaptionsLast SlideNext SlideShare your feedback to help improve our site experience!
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Joel Berry II
High school career.
Berry, a 6'0 point guard, played high school basketball at Lake Highland Preparatory School in Orlando, Florida. He led his team to two state titles and was the first player named Florida Mr. Basketball three times.