Tuesday, January 5, 2010

UNC notes: Heels need to 'walk the talk'

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- During the ACC's weekly teleconference Monday morning, North Carolina coach Roy Williams downplayed the significance of last Thursday's team meeting, saying the team meets all the time.

And maybe there wasn't anything all-to-new to it, after all, considering Monday night's 82-79 overtime loss at College of Charleston, during which the Tar Heels squandered an 11-point lead in the final four minutes of regulation.

"Yeah, we talked," point guard Larry Drew II said of the meeting. "We always talk. There's something with this team - we've got to stop talking at a point, and start playing. We've got to start walking the talk. ... I feel like I've heard everything -- from the players, from the coaches. It's getting to a point where we've just got to start doing what we say we're going to do."

A QUESTION OF LEADERSHIP: Senior Marcus Ginyard and junior Will Graves were sidelined by right ankle sprains, and senior Deon Thompson was so dejected after the game that he didn't stop in the post-game locker room to answer questions.

So after squandering a lead and losing to a non-conference team not ranked in either poll for the first time since 2006, naturally a question about whether coach Roy Williams was satisfied with his leadership came up. His response: point the blame on himself.

"Not from the head coach, because I've got to coach them better," Williams said. "They've got to understand that you're three points down and [you've] got five fouls. We're screaming and yelling and doing everything, but we didn't get it done, so we're not getting the correct coaching."

Williams was referring to Charleston guard Andrew Goudelock's game-tying 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds left in regulation. Williams was wildly gesturing for the Tar Heels to foul. Instead, Thompson got caught on a switch defending Goudelock, and the shot swished through to force overtime.

INJURY UPDATE: Reserve forward John Henson, who Williams considered starting in place of the injured Graves, sat out most of the second half with a headache. Williams said he is hopeful that one of UNC's injured starters -- Graves or Ginyard, who missed his third straight game with a sprained right ankle -- will be able to play when Carolina opens its ACC season against Virginia Tech on Sunday.

-- Robbi Pickeral

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

6 All Americans on a squad and you cannot beat a D2 school...? Absolutely hilarious!

Come on Thug U...You gotta get your "swagga on."

Anonymous said...

Thug U.....now that is funny. Muts be talking about that school in Raleigh. Chris Washburn was the poster child for Thugs and now you have a coach with a dope dealing felon son.

Anonymous said...

Don't worry about Carolina Basketball; they'll adjust and re-invent themselves like always. Its the football team that seems to find a way to self destruct and disappoint. The basketball team will be off a little during this year of reloading but will win 8 or 9 conference games and make the NCAA tournament

Anonymous said...

Hilarious how quickly the Heel Haters forget how dominant the program has been over the last six years and how six of the top 8 players from last year are gone, but still want to cry how 'bad' they are.

Get a grip people. Two upperclassmen starters out on the road playing the opponent's "Game of the Century". Still only four losses (three to top five teams on the road). The Heels will be just fine and you'll be left bitter and making more senseless internet posts for any other Haters who will listen...

Anonymous said...

CoC is not a D2 school moron!

Anonymous said...

Of course UNC won't be that bad. It's UNC, nuff said. However, they definately won't be as dominant as before. Right now, I'd put my money on Duke just because of Scheyer and Smith. Also Kyle Singler's doing all right too.