To die-hard Tar Heels fans eight miles down Highway 15-501, Gerald Henderson isn't seen in a pretty light.

Not after breaking their star player Tyler Hansbrough's nose in a barbershop-debate play late in North Carolina's win over the Blue Devils last March.

"I probably won't be their favorite guy," Henderson said of Duke's upcoming Feb. 6 game in Chapel Hill.

But Duke's sophomore guard isn't worried about how he's perceived or how people best know him. He's more focused on reaching his goals as a Blue Devil, which happen to be very high.

"(I want to be remembered as) an explosive player. One of the best to ever play at Duke," Henderson said. "That was one of my goals coming here as a high school player — to be one of the best to ever play at Duke and leave my mark."

While Henderson still has a long way to go to etch his name in the same category as Duke greats such as Art Heyman and current assistant coach Johnny Dawkins, he's making progress this season on a team replete with similarly talented players.

"He's made a huge jump (this season) because, one, he's been really healthy and he's really prepared well — I mean extremely well — in the offseason," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "His dad's helped him, he's made a commitment to it and you can see it.

"And Gerald still has a huge upside. He's a really good basketball player right now, but he's in the process of becoming what I think — he'll be a great basketball player."

Entering Saturday's home clash with Clemson, Henderson is one of four Devils averaging double figures, scoring 12.9 ppg and grabbing 4.7 rebound per game.

But Henderson separates himself from all his teammates except senior DeMarcus Nelson with his jumping ability. Henderson said that both he and Nelson, who are 6-foot-4, have 40-inch verticals.

No wonder Henderson sometimes comes close to hitting his head on the rim when elevating for a slam.

Henderson said he got his leaping ability from his father, Gerald Henderson Sr., who played for Virginia Commonwealth and then in the NBA for 13 seasons. With his dad watching, Henderson threw down his first dunk as a 6-2 seventh-grader growing up in Merion, Pa.

"I was working out with my dad and, I don't know, we were messing around, and I just tried it and it went in," Henderson said. "It was pretty cool dunking for the first time."

Henderson has grown a mere 2 inches since then, but he's become an alley-oop machine for the Blue Devils. It's rare for a game to go by without Duke running a play for Henderson to soar above the rim and throw one down.

"I've got guys who can really throw the alley-oop, so it's easy," Henderson said. "They just throw it up there by the rim, and I catch it and just drop it in."

Of course, it's pretty easy for Henderson's teammates as well. In a recent game, point guard Greg Paulus threw a pass above two defenders that Henderson was able to snatch and lay in while entangled with his opponents.

"Gerald is a great athlete and great basketball player," fellow sophomore Jon Scheyer said. "I've seen him do stuff in practice, where stuff he does in games really doesn't surprise me.

"He makes some moves in practice where I stop (and stare) for a second, because he can make some plays like that."

Getting defensive

Henderson doesn't just utilize his jumping ability on the offensive end of the floor. When he elevated to block 6-10 Wisconsin forward Jon Leur's shot earlier this season, it wasn't out of the ordinary. Henderson has an uncanny ability to time his jump with that of an opponent and swat away the opponent's attempt to score.

"It's just something you have to anticipate," Henderson said. "You have to anticipate when a guy's going to shoot. And after you do it a few times, after you scout guys — we scout guys and see what kind of shots they take — you just go up and get it.

"You know, a lot of times guys will take their own man and be able to get the shot off, but they don't see the second guy coming."

In Duke's 70-57 win over Florida State Wednesday night, FSU's Ralph Mims was clearly aware of Henderson's shot-blocking ability. Mims had the ball on a fast-break with nothing but wooden floor between him and the basket. But Henderson trailed him, so as Mims neared the basket, he slowed way down and attempted to shield his body — and the ball — from Henderson, who still blocked the shot but was called for a questionable foul.

It was one of the oddest plays you'll ever see in a basketball game.

But who can blame Mims? After all, many of Henderson's blocks this season have ignited transition baskets on the opposite end of the floor for the Blue Devils, who are fueled by the big defensive plays.

"I mean, it's exciting for our whole team, especially when we play at Cameron — it's exciting for the fans," Henderson said. "Those are big plays for us and we take pride in our defense and keeping the other team from scoring.

"When we can keep them from scoring and then get, you know, an exciting play on the other end, it's the best of both worlds."

Henderson leads the Devils by averaging 1.1 blocks per game.

Getting his shots

Another thing about being able to jump above everybody is that unlike many college players, Henderson can get his jump shot off whenever he so chooses. All he has to do is elevate above the defense before releasing the ball. It's an ability reminiscent of a former Tar Heel named Michael Jordan.

But unlike Jordan, Henderson isn't a star among role players. Rather, he's on a team full of capable scorers and players such as freshman Taylor King, who has unlimited range from behind the 3-point arc.

While Henderson struggled at times on offense last season, when he averaged 6.8 ppg, he's comfortable in his role as one of many scorers this season.

"I wasn't doing the things I felt I could be doing (last year), but this year I've been more aggressive offensively and done more of the things that I can do," Henderson said. "And they're still more things that I can do on the offensive end, but anything that you get on offense you got to (earn) it.

"I mean, guys aren't just going to give it to you. Coach isn't going to set every play up for you to score. You know, you want to score points, you have to go get them and you have to rely on your teammates also."

In high school, Henderson played alongside current Tar Heel Wayne Ellington, a very capable scorer who recently dropped 36 points on Clemson. Henderson averaged about 21 points during his years at the Episcopal Academy, but by no means was he the go-to guy. He was in a similar role to the one he's accepted this season.

"It's kind of the same kind of mindset," Henderson said. "I mean, I don't have to go out there looking to score every point. You look for your shot, but also you know that you have guys with you that can also score the basketball, so we all trust in each other that we're going to knock down shots and make plays."

Scheyer said that in a different situation, Henderson could probably average 20 points, but it's all about the team you're on, and there's no need for Henderson to force his offense for the seventh-ranked Devils.

"I think we have a couple guys on our team who have the ability to do that (score 20-plus points a game), and Gerald could really score, but it's great having a bunch of weapons on the same team," Scheyer said. "That's why we came here, and it's fun playing like that together."

Early in the season, after averaging 15.3 ppg in his first four games, Henderson — bubbling full of confidence — said that he took some ill-advised shots. But rarely is that still the case. Henderson attributes watching film to helping him identify good shots to take, and he's also realized that his jumping ability can make him a more effective passer as well as shooter.

"It's (being able to shoot over defenders) a good thing for me at certain times," Henderson said. "You know, if I do need to go one-on-one and get my shot off, there's times for that in our offense.

"But also with that jumping ability, I can get up above defenders and make passes to my teammates, which is a good thing also."

Plenty of potential

Henderson doesn't deny that he thinks about basketball after Duke, as in the NBA. His game, after all, suits the one-on-one league. His leaping ability and athleticism would undoubtedly impress scouts.

However, he remains focused on the present and can't put into a sentence all the aspects of his game he must improve on. Everything, basically, except his jumping ability.

"I'm only a sophomore in college and there's a lot that I can do and a lot I can get better at, and I'm looking forward to that journey," Henderson said.

"Definitely my defense can improve, being able to guard guys and outside defense — there's a lot, there's a lot I can improve on. My jump shot and extending my range, stuff like that."

Yes, plenty of stuff. But his coach believes Henderson is on the upswing.

"He's a guy I think is just going to keep getting better and better," Krzyzewski said.

If that's the case, perhaps there will come a time when the Tar Heel faithful stop thinking of Henderson as a thug and instead a "dadgum" good player. OK, maybe not. But either way, Henderson's looking forward to his second trip to the Dean Smith Center.

"That's just how things work out," Henderson said of the play he claims was accidental that broke Hansbrough's nose, "but I'm looking forward to going there and playing against the No. 1 team in the nation.

"It'll be a good game and we're looking to go in there and win."