AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2007 > March > 11 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USTar Heels’ Williams can’t help looking ahead
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Schultz
Tampa — Sometimes tradition isn’t enough. Really, nothing against lore and pageantry and all that is associated with the ACC tournament. Nothing against the schools, the players, the “blue-haired old ladies,” as the North Carolina coach so aptly put it Sunday.
But what will they say if the Tar Heels go splat now in the only tournament that really counts?
Two years ago, Roy Williams’ top-seeded team got bounced by Georgia Tech in its second ACC tournament game. Then Carolina won the national championship. Maybe I missed it, but did anybody say, “There goes Roy Williams. He can’t win the semi-big one”?
Well, now they can’t even say that. Williams finally won the semi-big one. The Heels hadn’t won an ACC tournament since 1998, more than covering Williams’ four-year tenure. But they survived Sunday’s final against a North Carolina State team that has been channeling its implausible past all week.
Carolina won, 89-80. It collected a nice trophy. That’s nice. But if you think that satisfies Williams, you didn’t watch him this week.
You didn’t see him bench his senior point guard, Reyshawn Terry, for seven minutes in the second half Sunday for what he perceived as uninspired play.
You didn’t see him pound the scorer’s table Saturday because his team — leading Boston College by 16 points — almost had a second straight shot-clock violation.
You didn’t hear him Sunday. It wasn’t about this tournament. It’s about the next tournament.
“We won nine conference championships at Kansas in the regular season,” Williams said. “We won four or five Big 12, Big 8 tournaments. And what was I called when I got back? Still, ‘The coach who hasn’t won the big one.’
“Let’s be honest. I feel great about this. But this does not compare to winning the national championship. If those blue-haired old ladies start writing me notes again, they’ve just got to live with it. It’s a wonderful weekend for everybody. But let’s not get carried away.”
Imagine that. The coach who couldn’t win the big one only cares about the big one. Nobody should have doubted Williams’ greatness before. His prioritizing merely reaffirms it.
Williams returned to his alma mater in 2003. Fans hoped he would resuscitate a program that had ceased winning championships and briefly, under Matt Doherty, turned into an embarrassment.
He brought the Heels back to the elite. Carolina won it all in his second season. Despite losing seven of eight starters, Carolina reached the second round last year.
There is little reason to believe they can’t surpass that this year. The team is loaded with talent, as always, and has a coach who seems to know what buttons to push. Ask Terry. When he came back in the game, Carolina’s lead was down to a point, 70-69. Having stewed on the bench, the senior came back and scored the Tar Heels’ next eight points in a span of 1:23.
“He’s always pushing me,” Terry said, “and I don’t mind that at all.”
What Terry does mind is any criticism he hears of his coach.
“This was just another great achievement for him,” he said. “I’m sure he was tired of people saying things, like he can’t win the NCAA championship, or he can’t win the ACC. Well, what can they say now? He’s won everything there is to win. The only thing for him to do now is add to it all and win it again. This is just more jewelry for his jewelry box.”
As his team’s lead was shrinking in the final minutes Sunday, Williams called a time out. “I told them I wasn’t concerned about State making a run,” he said. “I told them winning championships is not supposed to be easy. You don’t get there by the other team playing dead.”
Carolina got there in the semi-big one Sunday. Williams likes his team’s chances to get there again, this time in the one that really counts. He likes their talent, their poise, the fact they’ve been tested.
“I hope they enjoyed that,” he said. “I hope they like the feeling of cutting down nets and getting trophies.”
Because now is when it really starts.
Permalink | Comments (18) | Post your comment | Categories: Final Four, Jeff Schultz, Tech / ACC
Comments
By San Antonio Tech
March 11, 2007 10:10 PM | Link to this
Who gives a Sh& about North Carolina. Is this the Charlotte News Website or Raleigh? Roy Williams is a piece of SH& along with his broken nose white boy. I bet they get thump hard and early with a loser like Terry at point.
By James
March 11, 2007 10:27 PM | Link to this
Ummm…. UNC lost in the 2nd round in Williams’ first year (to Texas) and in the 2nd round last year (to George Mason). UNC has never lost in the Elite Eight with Roy as coach.
Basic fact-checking.
By BJ
March 11, 2007 11:25 PM | Link to this
Good point James and to San Antonio Tech - Terry does not play point. Maybe you are thinking of the Mavs.
By Orlando Rivera
March 12, 2007 12:28 AM | Link to this
UNC stands no chance of winning the title this year. Georgetown will wipe out UNC in the regional final and go on to win the title from Florida.
Hey Schultz, can you get off your sorry a** long enough to give Georgia Tech the slightest bit of credit instead of the overrated Tar Heels? Knowing you we should expect a whole week of slamming the Yellow Jackets just so you can get replies on your blog.
By dxturn07
March 12, 2007 4:11 AM | Link to this
I am a Georgia native, and I found the story intriguing even though neither Roy Williams nor UNC are local products.
Roy Williams should be a little happier and more appreciative that he won the ACC Tournament. It really is a big deal. It was his wins in the Big 8 and Big 10 tournaments that got him the opportunity to coach the higher caliber players that a UNC coach can recruit to play in the ACC. Those higher caliber players can also improve your chances of winning a national championship.
So some people used to say “Roy can only win the conference tournament championship but not the national championship.” Well, winning a national championship is rare for even the greatest coaches. How many national championships has Duke’s Coach K won? How many has Bobby Knight won? How many did Dean Smith win in 30 years of coaching? Unless you were in John Wooden in the sixties and seventies, national championships are rare.
The reality is Roy Williams may never win another national championship again. He should be very proud of winning the ACC Tournament and his prior tournament championships.
While Roy Williams should be giving his all to win another national championship, would he be a failure if he never wins another national championship again?
By h_charles
March 12, 2007 7:19 AM | Link to this
This has no business being in at ATLANTA paper. We don’t live in Chapel Hill.
By Paul in J-ville
March 12, 2007 8:19 AM | Link to this
San Antonio & Charles you HOMER redneck idiots. I’m from Atl and always enjoyed the national news as well as local news in the AJC sports section. Maybe if Tech would win more games and win the ACC title more than once every 25 years they might have a little more pub, but they have no history that comes close to comparing with NC. Get over it you bunch of local yokel bed-wetters. This is a good article, your comments are pathetic.
By curtrob
March 12, 2007 10:32 AM | Link to this
shouldnt we be more concerned about the jackets or how much the bulldawgs suck, rather than some story about UNC, Roy williams is a great coach, end of story, other than that i dont care what goes on at chapel hill, i do care about what goes on at Tech.
Congratulations jackets, you played your way in to the tourney, i will be pulling for you guys. represent the ACC and the state of Georgia well..
By GT80
March 12, 2007 10:41 AM | Link to this
I’m the biggest Tech fan out there, but we lost in the opening round to Wake. What is Schultz supposed to write about, how Hewitt took the team back to Atl to hope for an at-large pick to the NCAA? Get a grip guys.
By JSS
March 12, 2007 10:46 AM | Link to this
The problem is not that we are not capable or willing of recognizing stories beyond this region. The issue is Jeff Schultz being unable to write a coherent column which captures the reader and truly inform said reader.
He’s no Tim Tucker!
I really like Tech, but a lot of people have no clue of how good Kruger’s team really is. If can’t win on the road Tech shows up, it is going to be a short trip…
And what is with the Selection Committee putting all of the mid-majors in 1st contests with each other? Amazing!!!
By bobbo
March 12, 2007 11:08 AM | Link to this
I’m huge Carolina fan and alum, and it’s embarassing that you, a professional columnists can’t get your facts straight. In Roy’s first year, they lost to Texas in the round of Thirty two as a six seed, not the elite eight as u mentioned, and last year did not reach the Elite eight, they lost to George Mason in the round of 32. Why no fact checking? seems very irresponsible. I would hope you would mention your mistakes in your next column and not gloss over them.
By P.Miles
March 12, 2007 11:28 AM | Link to this
Mr. Orlando you just stuck your neck out a little too far this time. If I were you I wouldn’t be too sure about Georgetown defeating UNC. Remember what happened in ‘83? The Tar Heels have won 5 National Championships in men’s collegiate basketball. How many have the Hoyas won??
By UNC Fan#1
March 12, 2007 11:38 AM | Link to this
San Antonio Tech sounds racist with comments like this that are uncalled for here. Go back to school get your GED. Do something so you don’t show your ignorance. Get “thump” (read his comments) ha,ha…priceless!
By Orlando Rivera
March 12, 2007 12:10 PM | Link to this
I’m sorry Mr. Miles but last I checked this is 2007 not 1983 and I’m sure none of these players were even born when that happened. Perhaps if you bother to join the rest of us in the present you would understand that what happened 24 years ago is irrelevent.
Dxturn, even if Roy Williams never wins another title he is still a success. He took his team to the mountaintop once and that’s all that matters.
bobbo, columnists like Schultz are incapable to admitting mistakes. as much as I respect the legend of UNC and the talented squad they have this year I just don’t see them beating G’town this year in East Rutherford.
By JIm
March 12, 2007 12:49 PM | Link to this
I have been a UNC fan since Charlie Scott played in the ’60s. Always great coaching, great players. There is no doubt that Roy Williams is great. Coverage where coverage is due. Go AJC!
By Jeff Schultz
March 12, 2007 12:51 PM | Link to this
Hello all. First of all, thanks for the catch on the Carolina resume. I misread the second round exits in the media guide to second round regional, which I attribute to either too much coffee or too little beer in Tampa. Fortunately it’s the first mistake I’ve had in seven years. (pause for effect). As for others who had an issue with me writing about Roy Wiliams and North Carolina yesterday, I was there to cover the ACC tournament. People, there were only TWO teams playing yesterday. One was North Carolina, which won, the other was North Carolina State, which lost. I wrote about State the day before. What would you have suggested? A retrospective on the Georgia Tech season? See, this is where some readers lose me. You see that I write a column about another school or player or coach and you assume that I must have it in for your school, player, coach, team. Trust me, I have no dog in this hunt. To everybody else — which I realize is the vast majority — thank you for your perspective and feedback JS
By san Antonio Tech
March 12, 2007 11:51 PM | Link to this
What do you mean my comments seem racist? He is a broken nose white boy. I’ve been called a WB all my life! To Paul in J-Ville: How about buying a copy of the USA Today if you want the National News. I don’t come to the AJC Tech section to read about UNC. Just like I don’t go to the ATL Falcons site to read about Tampa Bay. OK so Schultz has nothing to write about….let’s see, how about writing about Paul Hewitt making the stupid comment about when Mario was on the floor, that WF guy was not hitting the 3. We’ll maybe you should not rotate out your best defensive player during a critical point during the end stretch of a tight game Mr. Hewitt.
Pop in SAT would never take Bowen out for Offense when a Kobe or a Dirk was in the game at the end.
By San Antonio Tech
March 13, 2007 12:03 AM | Link to this
Mr. Schultz, I don’t think you have it in for my school. Write a humorous column about how you hated to watch the UNC - NCST game. What about that NCST coaches bright jacket that blinded you from reading the facts correctly. You could say you got drunk and wondered around the arena thinking why am I still hear. Tell us about Ybor City Nightlife and why they call St. Pete and the area wringle city. How grandma and grandpa work at every service job in the city, et cetera. Of course the wringle city part would be considered racist, profiling, stereotyping or something to that affect.