One small bit from the Roy Williams press conference after our final four loss to Kansas. Hey, I may not be curing cancer, but he sure is right about not giving up. I love my Heels, in victory and defeat.
What did you tell the team when you down by so much in the first half?
“I guess the good news is I haven't had that many experiences like that. But I did tell them – I'm corny as all get out, guys. What we have here is every day - again, you can make fun of this if you wish - but what the doctors and scientists do that are trying to find a cure for cancer, they get hit right in the mouth every day because it's not there, but they keep going back to work to try to do it again the next day. And I'm so dadgum corny, I even used that with my team. I said, ‘Hey, we don't want those guys to give up. You can't drop your head and say, ‘Woe is me.’ We've got to keep playing.’
”I know our guys did. I know that's probably melodramatic or overly dramatic or whatever you want to call it. But that is, that's life. It's not all roses all the time. But you have to continue trying to do the absolute best you can do. So during that timeout, that's what I challenged them. I said, ‘We can't do anything about what's already gone on, but we can do something about the way we do it now and have some pride.’ You know, I really did, guys, down 17 at the half, I still thought we had a great chance, that we would be there at the very end to win the game.”
23 comments:
As awful as 40-12 was, when the score was 59-54 and Danny put up that three that looked like it was down, I really thought that they might pull the thing off. But then it rimmed out, Kansas got a bucket at the other hand, and that 5-point swing was pretty much the end of the game.
Betsy just sent me an email saying the local press are torching Roy. I did read a piece about him not using his TOs. I just don't know if a TO helps you not go 5-24 from 3 and play awful D for 25 mins.
Caulton Tudor hit him pretty hard, but I haven't read enough other than that to know one way or the other.
I think it's just the easy story, really. People are going to cling to the "He was distracted because it was Kansas" angle, which I think it a little silly honestly.
As for the timeouts, I actually don't know that it would have made a huge difference in the run up to 40-12. When the margin was 4 with about 8:30 to play in the game and the starters were all gassed, I wouldn't have minded him using one there instead of subbing in four fresh bodies (who promptly struggled), but that's all hindsight.
I don't know... it's funny, everyone wants to blame somebody be it Roy Williams or the players. I guess I look at this way- UNC has been to 17 final fours. That's more than anybody but UCLA. In those 17 trips to the Final Four, we've won 4 titles... about 1 in 4. Since 1977, we've won 3 titles in 11 final fours. Duke's done the exact same. Again, basically 1 in 4 for the two most storied programs of the last three decades. To me, that means that it's all just a crap shoot this late in the tournament. There was a time when it wasn't that way (back when UCLA was winning 7 straight or during Kentucky's run back in the 50s), but these days, that's just how it works. Saturday night, Kansas was just better, and I think the Heels got knocked to the canvas before they even knew what hit them.
I agree in multiple levels. Roy has always taken heat for the TOs and considering his track record I will side with him.
In looking at the game in hindsight, I will say that beyond the defensive lapses (and Deon and Stephenson getting completely schooled), I thought we just had a horrendous shooting night, especially to begin the game. We shot like crap from three (5-24!!!!) and I really felt that some of the shots were shots we were making earlier in the tourney. Much alike the loss to dook, I just felt that, at least on the offensive end, hurried shots and bad luck did us in.
I read somewhere that Lawson and Wayne will be gone and that Tyler will be back. I just don't see it. I think Lawson and Wayne would help their NBA stock substantially if they come back and improve next season. Tyler on the other hand, is peaked at the NBA level, but I think the potential to retire as the best college ball player ever (stat wise) at UNC and trying for the Nat. championship will keep Tyler in school.
I think that Ty and Wayne should stay, and Tyler should probably go. I just don't think he could do more than he did this season. Sure, they could win a championship, but there are no guarantees... no matter how good you are. For every 25 guys who come back to try to win a championship, perhaps 1 actually does it. It's very similar to the way I felt about Sean May. To this day, I'm happy that he left when he did. I just don't think he could have done more than he did in the second half of that 2005 season.
At least the game tonight is going to have a crazy ending.
I think the big difference is that May won the title, so it made sense to go. There is nothing wrong with Tyler coming back next year and trying to improve and win a title.
I mean, at worst he would end up owning every Carolina scoring record.
Well, I'd argue that there's a worst case scenario worse than that- he could have the kind of injury Sean had his rookie year and see his draft status drop precipitously.
But sure, he can and should do whatever he wants to do. I just think that lots of guys and lots of teams come back to get a championship, and most don't get it... even when they play for the best team.
I don't know, I really think he will come back.
What did you think of Roy being at the game wearing a KU sticker?
Well, I suspect that lots of people aren't going to be happy about him cheering on the team that embarrassed the team he coaches.
Personally, unless it bothers the players (and I'm in no position to know whether it does), I just don't think it's something that I care about. I think he's trying pretty hard to extend an olive branch to the KU faithful, and if that's important to him, fine.
Even though Illinois finished second to UNC I think it was the right decision for Deron Williams to go to the NBA and skip his senior year. He proved he could run an offense and he was clutch when big plays needed to be made and that made him a lottery pick.
Choosing between the guaranteed multi-million dollar contract vs the slim chance that all the pieces will fall into place for a championship season would be a no-brainer for me.
Take the money and run.
I know, but the money won't be that big a deal for Tyler in the long run. I really think that he'd be better off coming back.
I don't mind about Roy either, but some people sure seem to care about it.
Tyler's situation is a bit tricky, just because (a) he comes from a family with money and (b) unlike Deron Williams, he's never going to be an NBA star.
Last year, he made it clear that he seriously thought about it, and that implies that it's very important to him to move on to the next level. If he decides the time to make that jump is this year, I will have really enjoyed the last three years of watching him.
Discussing this, I'm reminded of a John Calipari quote. He was once asked what he tells a kid thinking about leaving early. He said (paraphrasing here), "If a kid's gonna' be a lottery pick, and he wants to do what's best for him and his family, that's fine. On other other hand, if a kid's gonna' be a lottery pick, and he wants to do what's best for me and my family, that's okay too."
I agree and I think Roy does well in letting go of players when the timing is right. I just think that in the end Tyler will fare better by owning every record in Carolina basketball and then hit the NBA simply because he will not be hurting his stock by waiting a year (unless he gets hurt).
This back-and-forth (and your last comment) brings to mind Frankie Williams sophmore year at Illinois. He led the Illini to the Elite Eight and due to a game where 56 fouls (or something like that) were called against them they fell short in a bid to make the Final Four. Frankie skipped the draft that year and came back for a completely uninspired junior campaign that I think hurt his stock with the NBA scouts. He was just barely a first round pick, did his three years and isn't in the league anymore.
I could be wrong about his chances after his soph year and he probably wasn't going to be an everyday player in the NBA but who's to say that Tyler coming back to UNC is going to help his stock? Tyler could get hurt five games in, UNC could have key injuries to shooting guards that cause the defenses to collapse on Tyler and cause his numbers to slip because he has no one to kick it out to, etc.
Frank Williams... there's a name I haven't heard in a while. Yeah, he's probably the poster child for why you should go when your stock is high. That said, there was a serious problem with his motor his last year at Illinois, and of the things that could cost Tyler Hansbrough, problems with his motor ain't one of them.
In any case, we'll know soon enough. UNC's team banquet is next Thursday. The guys on the 2005 team announced a few days after that.
Frankie's play was completely uninspired his last year. He never took a game over until it was too late and he looked like he was sleeping out there the rest of the time.
I had left Illinois by the time Shaun Livingston came through Peoria Central, but up until then, without question, I'd say the Frank Williams was the best player to come through central Illinois. And I'm not just including the Peoria-area in that. I'd say that Williams was significantly better than even a guy like Andre Iguodala, who has become a fine NBA player.
Oh, and sorry to take your thread so far off topic, B.
Frankie WAS a stud but his last year with the Illini it just seemed like he was marking time until he became a millionaire. I think he could have been a good solid journeyman in the NBA but not a superstar. Now he's not even in the league.
It is fine. Discussion is good. Besides, it is a basketball topic.
FYI, the mood around campus probably doesn't mean much, but people really think all three are coming back.
If they do, wow. I've always said that any Final Four season is a success, but I might say that I'd be disappointed if that team didn't win the whole thing. I know that's asking a lot in a single elimination tournament, but they would be loaded.
Dude, have you abandon your blog?
No, i just have nothing interesting to say right now.
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