Monday, March 15, 2010

UNC notes: Williams says he's been a 'brat'

CHAPEL HILL -- North Carolina coach Roy Williams went to watch signee Harrison Barnes win a high school state championship in Iowa over the weekend, and constantly had to avert his eyes from the television showing college teams qualifying for the NCAA tournament.

"I've been like a spoiled little brat, I've taken my ball and gone home,'" Williams said Monday. "I haven't watched one play. And it's the most unusual feeling I've ever had; it's a feeling I never want to experience again. It's painful, it's frustrating ... my first year, we were not eligible to go. And since then, in our mind, there was ever any doubt we were in."

This year, however, the Tar Heels were relegated to the NIT after a 16-16 finish; they will play William & Mary on Tuesday night. Hosting a game came as a surprise to Williams, and the fact that his team is still playing pleases him. But it doesn't take much of the string out of failing to make the NCAA touranament, especially after winning the national title last year.

"It was a fantastic 20-year run, and I'm ticked off that it was overwith,'' he said. "So I haven't been a very good basketball fan. My wife even left, said she wasn't hanging around; she went to see the grandbaby. She got tired of me going around and kicking the furniture and everything."

PLAYING FOR NOW: After such a disappointing season, it might be tempting for Williams to use the NIT to start preparing solely for next season.

However, "I'm playing for this year,'' Williams said. "I don't think I can cheat Deon [Thompson] and Marcus [Ginyard, who are seniors], that's not fair. When you run a program instead of just coaching a team, you're always thinking about the future and how your decisions affect that, I'm not throwing that out the window.

"But I'm coaching for this year, and trying to get this team to win one more game. And if I can to that, I'll try to get them to win one more game. And that's the best way I can do it."

DAVIS STILL OUT: Sophomore Ed Davis, who broke his left wrist mid-way through the season, was scheduled to meet with doctors again this week. But even if UNC makes a deep NIT run, Williams doesn't expect the forward to play again this season.

"He's beeen in a cast for six weeks, and it happens to be his left hand,'' Williams said. "So I don't think there's any way ... but am I going to say it's 100 percent? No. But in my mind, it is."

WEAR'S SURGERY A SUCCESS: Freshman forward David Wear had successful surgery on his left hip last week. Right now, Williams said, the player is on crutches and is wearing a protective brace around his hip, so not to put too much weight on it. "Everybody feels great about the surgery, and for sure, he's not going to play for three months," Williams said.

TICKET SALE: Williams said he's excited about playing at Carmichael Arena, where the Tar Heels played before the Smith Center (which is currently undergoing renovations to its offices) was built.

"I'm going to enjoy it,'' he said. "I hope we sell the tickets. I hope we fill it up. I think that would really help a great deal to have a great atmosphere in there, because I used to think it was the best, it was so loud. ... I know it's 9:30 on Thursday night, I know it's the NIT, but I hope our people will come and help fill it up."

UNC dropped the price of NIT tickets from $40 to $20 because of the late tip.

-- Robbi Pickeral

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

16-16...NIT...How is this possible with all the McDonald's all-Americans? Once again proving he is the second best Williams coaching in the ACC...

Anonymous said...

Too many strings attached? "doesn't take much of the string out of failing to make the NCAA touranament,"

Anonymous said...

What a whiny D-bag. Why anyone would want to play for that jerk is beyond me. Go Tribe!

Anonymous said...

Really poor choice of words as Roy's own "I've been a brat" part of the sentence will be the only four words remembered and probably used over and over against him in the media and by competing coaches in recruiting struggles. Thinking about the NCAA tournament in 2008 and now in 2010, Roy probably also wonders if he should have ever left Kansas. No doubt, his current whirlwind of coaching problems at UNC would make Dorothy and Toto, of Wizard of Oz, ready allies in his fantasy-driven world.

Anonymous said...

Anon 7:33,

You're a moron. The guy has only won two championships and been to three Final Fours in the seven seasons he's been in Chapel Hill. No other school in the ACC has even been to an Elite Eight since 2004.

Anonymous said...

2nd best Williams with twice as many titles????? What a dim witted loser to say something like that. Can you do no math Ritardo Montalban!!???

Anonymous said...

the guy is a sore loser. i understand its your goal to reach the tournament every year, and if you dont then you feel you failed. but you also have to be realistic, youre going to have down years. it happens to the best programs. quit crying and get over it. no one likes a spoiled brat.

Heels Deserve Every Bit said...

EPIC! wah wah wah. His team had the second most free throws attempted this year, 7 all-americans, and his HOF arse...to put in a cellar performace.

Where's the Roy that said he'd never play in the NIT. Or the Roy who said he hated the ACC tourney. Or the Roy who said, "I don't give a @#*() about Carolina."

????? The bandwagon is unloading....who's next to jump. Fans are gone, UNC players mailed it in early, Roy bailed on the season....what's left?

THEY ARE ALL SPOILED BRATS. Bunch of babies who were so bad that even Swofford has been left to scratch his head. "come on ref's...that's a foul"

BWHWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!

Anonymous said...

What a sore loser! This guy is the epitome of a baby. Just about him and having folks pacify him to tell him it will be OK.

"I mean shucks, I've only given UNC two NCAA Championships...I just thought I should have 10 by now. I mean, I'm that good, but really I guess I've just been a brat."

No Roy - you are a self promoting DOUCHE!

Anonymous said...

HAAAA HAAAA HAAAAAA. I am so glad Roy cannot run off to Haiti to play golf and escap the misery....but rather HAS to make an appearance at the NIT. The suffering continues for he and his team of Burger King Americans!! This means so much to ABC'ers. The fun continues.

Anonymous said...

It reflects the feelings of current fans who have followed UNC for up to 40+ years. However, most of us realize that "stuff happens", and that next year, or the next, things will work out for the team.
Individual narcissism plus formation of cliques served as disservice to the program. An examination of televised film would show, e.g., a player saying "Bull...." after leaving a time-out huddle, plus other instances of lack of commoweal.

Anonymous said...

Wah!!! Wah!!! Typical tarhole.Go put your other arm in a sling, roy!!

Anonymous said...

Now I understand why Roy had his arm in a sling early in the season, it was from patting his own back after the NC. I guess that he will soon be on crutches from kicking his own 'dadgum' *** so much. I know that many of us would stand in line to take a shot at that....especially after the coaching job he did this year. Where can we sign up? He is so self effacing that he can't see that it all starts with COACHING and TEACHING. He recruited the team didn't he? Maybe we should make Doherty recruit all of his players, then someone else can take the blame! Stop the freakin' whining!

MichaelProcton said...

Narcissism, 10:38? Is that when you think you're important enough to determine what a paying fan can and cannot say at a basketball game and have one escorted out of an arena by police despite not having done anything illegal or against any rule?