CHAPEL HILL — Harrison Barnes, John Henson and Kendall Marshall are leaving North Carolina and will enter the NBA draft, the school announced in a statement on Thursday.
Barnes, a forward, and Marshall, a point guard, are sophomores who are both foregoing their final two years of eligibility. Henson is leaving the Tar Heels after his junior season.
In addition to senior Tyler Zeller, Barnes, Henson and Marshall were most responsible for the Tar Heels’ success during the 2011-12 season. UNC fell short of its goal of winning a national championship, but the Tar Heels finished 32-6, won the ACC regular season championship and reached the NCAA tournament Midwest regional finals.
“It’s a great day for three youngsters who are taking another step toward their ultimate goal of playing professional basketball,” UNC coach Roy Williams said in a statement. “On a very small stage, it’s a sad day for me because I won’t get to coach them again. All Tar Heel fans will miss them greatly, as well.”
The announcement comes four days after the Tar Heels ended their season with an 80-67 loss against Kansas in the Midwest regional final in St. Louis. UNC lost while Marshall sat on the bench, sidelined by the broken right wrist he suffered in a victory against Creighton in the third round of the NCAA tournament.
Andrew Carter
21 Haziran 2012 Perşembe
UNC's Barnes, Henson, Marshall turning pro
It's Tough To Be On Sidney Lowe Watch
The Sidney Lowe watch is on. It has been for a while and will not stop until either a Lowe-coached Wolfpack has a successful season or until he is dismissed as head basketball coach at NC State. As long as he’s the coach, he’ll be under the microscope because in his first five years “success” is not in the program’s description. It’s a painful process, especially when it’s one of your own.
It appears NC State fans are somewhat equally split between keeping him at least through his current contract or firing him before the contract is up, but you can bet the house that fans of the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Duke Blue Devils want him to stay put. Of course, that’s based on his winning percentage against those two. It’s also a prime reason that half the red coats want Sidney out.
This is a test—the toughest of tests—for NC State Director of Athletics Debbie Yow, who is considering her first major coaching decision since accepting the job last summer. And, let’s make something very clear. There are only two major coaching jobs at NC State: football and men’s basketball.
While most of the other sports on NC State’s roster of teams are good for the school, especially when there are more wins than losses and if there are conference titles every now and then. Let's face it, football and men’s basketball are so far above the other sports that Yow’s energy needs to take aim at those programs every day. After the football team did rather well last fall, 9-4 with a bowl win and a fourth consecutive victory over North Carolina, Debbie had no choice but to leave Tom O’Brien in place.
Men’s basketball is a different story. The losses keep piling up. Attendance is going down, especially in the “corporate donor” seats between the end lines in the lower level of the RBC Center. Those are the seats owned by non-Wolfpack loyal businesses who sometimes ask employees if they would like to use the tickets for a game such as NC State-Clemson February 17. Because the Wolfpack was not playing well and losing more than winning, there were few takers, even with a parking pass and the promise of a 10% raise tossed in.
With crowds announced at 14,500 and 16,300, attendance seems to be okay but it just doesn’t seem possible that many are there. I attended all the conference games and the games with reasonably good opposition, but I purposely skipped the games against Tennessee Tech and Fairleigh Dickinson. From looking at the empty seats, there’s no way every ticket stub taken at the door was counted as just one person. The numbers had to be padded.
So, for lack of wins and lack of attendance and other reasons, the Sidney Lowe watch is on. Will Debbie Yow keep him or let him go? Her decision, no doubt, will be based on what’s best for NC State University. Will it look bad for NC State to fire a former star player with time remaining on his contract? Will Debbie see past the record and conclude Sidney has the ability to build a winner from the talent base he’s gathered, moving the Wolfpack up the ladder in conference standings and national rankings? What will Debbie do with Sidney if her mind is on elevating the Wolfpack to Championship status?
Many in the greater basketball community believe NC State should not try to compete at the top level of the ACC. Those fans believe the top spot is reserved for the Tar Heels and the Blue Devils and, in many respects since 1997, that’s been true. Only three times from the 1997 season through the 2011 tournament has a team other than North Carolina or Duke finished at the top of the league standings for the regular season or won the ACC Tournament.
NC State should be able to compete on equal footing with North Carolina and Duke. First the University itself is a fine educational institution that offers a wide variety of majors that can be applicable to nearly any academic desire. Equally important, the Wolfpack’s basketball program is rich in winning tradition, but tradition alone, especially distant tradition, will not build the program to its rightful place at the top of the league. We cannot continue to reach back to conference championship teams coached by Everett Case or National Title winners coached by Norman Sloan and Jim Valvano. David Thompson's reign was nearly 40 years ago; Sidney Lowe's on-court heroics were nearly 30 years back. The last time the Wolfpack finished first in the regular season ACC standings was in 1989. The last time NC State won the conference title was in 1987. You do the math.
A successful and highly competitive basketball program is the responsibility of the head coach who must have a commitment from the entire University from the Chancellor to the Provost to the Deans to the Athletics Director. The basketball coach must have a certain set of skills from coaching to recruiting to game preparation to being a leader to take that university-wide commitment and turn it into a winning program.
So what about Sidney? I’ve known him since he came to NC State in the late 1970s to play basketball. In his senior season, he was Valvano’s coach on the floor. Great story told by Valvano: In the second half of one game, Sidney, playing every minute, was tired and winded, and he wanted to come out just for a short break. He asked Valvano about getting a rest. Valvano told him he could come out of the game when his eligibility was up. Sidney played.
To the casual observer of Wolfpack basketball, Sidney is still on the court coaching the game instead of taking a rest and letting his game preparation take over. Sidney’s personable, nice, and hard-working, but he has coaching flaws, just as I have writing flaws. It is said that 90 percent of coaching a college basketball team is done during practice. The other 10 percent is used to make adjustments during the games. From watching Sidney during the games, it’s as if his 90 percent is during the game. He says the team practices well but sometimes performs completely different. Maybe, just maybe, his practices are not what they should be. But what do I know? I’m not there. But I do see how the team competes or sometimes doesn't.
Sidney Lowe is a hot topic in these parts, these days. Debbie Yow will soon make a decision or she may make no decision which is the same as a decision. She has to come up with some reason to keep him or let him go. It has to be based on one thing: What’s best for NC State University. What will make the men’s basketball program successful?
Sidney had no college coaching experience when he was hired five years back. The overall results are not a very positive reflection on his coaching ability. He’s obviously a pretty good recruiter, but it took him a while to sign the caliber of player needed to win titles. Several players adapted to his professional-style and thick playbook, but he was unable this year to transition a player the talent of CJ Leslie from being an AAU player to college player. Even in the waning days of this season, it appeared many times as if Leslie was playing like a lone wolf instead of like a member of a Wolfpack. It takes a good coach to make it happen.
No one more than I has wanted Sidney Lowe to succeed as head coach at NC State because no one more than I wants NC State to succeed in basketball. I lived those glory days of Case, Sloan and Valvano and want them back.
If Debbie Yow decides that Sidney’s not the person to coach the Wolfpack to the highest level, then so be it. It’s her program and her call. If she makes a change we all hope it’ll be for a replacement that fits with the program, relates to the fans, has major college head coaching experience, and has the drive to get to the top. NC State needs someone with the ego to compete against Roy and Mike, but not so huge of an ego that the coach becomes bigger than the school.
It’s a tough call, Debbie. Or maybe not. But, because of the disappointing achievement by the basketball team the past five years, it’s even tougher to be on Sidney Lowe watch, especially for loyal Wolfpack fans.
2B or not 2B, that's the question
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The excuse these days is simple. There's just not enough staff to give thought to writing headlines. Many newspaper editors and publishers, especially with cutbacks to personnel working the nighttime deadline shift when the newspaper is put to bed (that's newspaper jargon for being finished with the writing and editing and layout and sending to the press what the readers will see the next day), blame bad headlines and mistakes in headlines on not having enough people or the right people to handle that job.
Writing headlines is a craft that seems to have been forgotten. It's not just applicable to The N&O, but since that's what I read daily, that's where I find the mistakes and lack of headline-writing thought. It's obvious that headline writers are in a hurry to finish the task. That's when mistakes are made. As a regular reader of The N&O (which, by the way, helps keep me regular nearly every morning, if you get my drift), I discover the errors and I have fun re-writing a banner or two. Here are the two mistakes from this week's The N&O.
The first (Mon, March 12) declared Justin Rose takes Doral with win in playoff which was not close to reality. There was not a playoff. He won that World Golf Championship event by shooting a final round 70, posting a four-day total of 272, then waited and watched as Bubba Watson missed a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole that, if it had gone in, would have forced a playoff. The headline writer obviously scanned the first two paragraphs of the story, saw the word "playoff" and penned story title. It could have said: Steady Rose rallies to win at Doral. To make matters worse, the headline writer, in the sub-headline, wrote Tiger Woods reinjures tendon, forced to finish early when actually, Woods didn't finish the round and he wasn't forced to do anything. He reinjured his tendon and voluntarily withdrew, not completing the final round. That sub-headline should have read: Woods withdraws after reinjuring tendon.
Today (Fri, Mar 16), the headline writer obviously confused former (and the late) Alaska Senator Ted Stevens with the longtime N&O prep sports editor/writer Tim Stevens. They both wear glasses (not sure if Ted was buried with his on); they both have gray hair (Ted's hairline recedes little more than Tim's); Ted served in the United States Senate, representing Alaska; Tim still serves at The N&O, representing Garner and high schools across North Carolina. Not sure how this happened. Ted's name is in the fourth line of the story on page 6 of the front section of the paper; Tim's name is on the next to last page of today's sports section. Someone wasn't thinking when that headline was written: Misconduct found in Tim Stevens prosecution.At the bottom of the front of today's Triangle & Co. section is the headline Out with RBC, in with PNC at arena when better would have been Out with RBC Center, in with PNC Arena or Down with the old RBC, up with the new PNC.
Then there was the headline on Burgetta Eplin Wheeler's column Raleigh woman uses her blog to share a year of hugs leading us to believe the story is about her blog when it is really about Melinda Schmitt's desire and effort to fulfill a desire and "to create connections and spread kindness through her touch," as Wheeler reported. Maybe a better headline would have been: A tugging for hugging spreads joy and love.
There's an art to writing headlines, but most of the time that's what draws the reader to the writer so writers should give more thought and be a little less hurried especially to keep from making the Ted-Tim kind of mistake. And, being clever is always a good way to draw the reader to the story. In the 1975 April Fool's editon of The Technician, the lead story was about Jesse Helms being appointed to succeed retiring Chancellor John Caldwell. To make fun of headline writers, the banner screamed Helms Tops Top State Post In Flash Pick! But, you get the idea on headline creativity.
As for the story behind today's headline neatly written at the top of this column, it comes directly from an article in a mid-1970s edition of The Technician. At NC State baseball home, Doak Field, the outfield fence was no more than a four-feet high picket type barrier without a covering. Students would sit beyond the fence and watch the games through the wooden pickets. Here's what happened, to the best of my recollection, at one of the games: Down by a run in the bottom of the final inning and a man on first base, the Wolfpack batter slammed a ball over the left fielder's head. It fell near the fence, either inside the park and bounced over or it landed over the fence. The umpire called it a home run, and State won the game. The left fielder and the opposing coach argued that the ball landed on the warning track and bounced over the fence, which would have been a ground-rule double and put runners on second and third. The game would have continued. The home run ruling stood but questions about it lingered. The game story chronicled the situation and thus the headline: 2B or not 2B, that's the question
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MISTAKE UPDATE: I'll admit to my share of mistakes in print, misspelling of words, typographical errors, etc., but finding such in The N&O is a hobby not only for me but for many of its readers. Today, (Sun, Mar 18) the latest discovery was on page 1A, in the story: In N.C., 'Hunger Games' finds grit and brillance. The writer is referencing movies filmed in North Carolina, and when he mentions "Dirty Dancing" he says it was filmed at Luke Lure. Of course, he meant Lake Lure where some of the scenes of the movie were filmed. It's hard to believe it's just a typo when the "a" is on the left most position on one row of the keyboard and the "u" is to the right of middle on the line above. And, to carry it a step further, on the back of the Arts&Living section, page 12D, there's a story, Go 'Dirty Dancing' at hotel, about the Mountain Lake Hotel in Pembroke VA where parts of Dirty Dancing not filming in North Carolina were filmed. The writer of that story and the local editor got it right, referring to the North Carolina filming location as Lake Lure. Maybe The N&O Arts&Living editor needs to do double time by editing front page articles. If you come across mistakes in The News & Observer, let me know. Be sure to include dates and pages and the mistake. By the way, mistakes of opinion do not count.
Duke Stops St. John's
Duke's non-conference home win streak goes to 94 with the win over St. John's 83 to 76. St. John's was unable to handle the size of the duke bigs, and stop the 3 pointers from the Duke guards.St John's out shot Duke 44% to 41%. Duke had the edge on the boards 38 rebounds for Duke and 36 for St. John's.
Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly led the scoring for The Blue Devils with 15 points each and Mason Plumlee took rebound honors with 17. Duke is still lacking on their defense, and they are going to have trouble winning against ranked teams if they don't improve their defense.
The over-all stats were in St. John's favor, so on paper St. John's should have won this game, but because of the size advantage Duke got the win at the free throw line shooting 76% 32 out of 42.
See who and when Duke plays next here: Duke Basketball Schedule
Duke's Season Is Over
Don't have much to say tonight, Lehigh beat Duke 75 to 70. Duke ends their season 27 and 7, not a bad season, but not as good as I thought it would be earlier in the season.Mason Plumlee and Austin Rivers led the scoring for Duke with 19 points and Mason was the top rebounder with 12. Duke's 3 point shooting was off and that was the difference in the game. Duke also had 4 more turnovers than Lehigh, that could have made a difference in the outcome too.
Well, there is always next year to look forward to, can't wait to see what Marshall Plumlee will add to Duke's game next year. There was a lot of disappointment this year, but a big thanks goes out to the Duke players for another good year.
Go Duke!!
20 Haziran 2012 Çarşamba
Carolina's Spring football game set for April 9
Head coach Butch Davis will divide the teams into two squads and the Tar Heels will play four quarters. Final game-day details including parking and activities will be released on TarHeelBlue.com as they become available.
"The Blue-White Game is an excellent opportunity to give our fans a glimpse of the future,” said Davis, who welcomes back 12 starters from last year's eight-win team. "We will have several newcomers that will play an integral part in our team’s success this year and the Spring Game is a chance for many of them to perform for the first time in front of our fans.”
The Spring Game is the 15th and final spring practice date for the Tar Heels, who begin spring workouts on March 16. Carolina has won eight games three consecutive seasons, and last year knocked off Tennessee in the Music City Bowl to earn the program’s first bowl win under Davis.
Last year, Carolina played its Spring Game in front of 29,500 fans and an ESPN nationally televised audience.
It feels like a rivalry again despite Carolina's 10th straight win vs. NC State
Despite the fact that North Carolina has now beaten N.C. State 10 straight times, it feels more like a rivalry after UNC's 75-63 victory in Raleigh.Wolfpack coach Sidney Lowe got a technical foul. Wake County deputies were stationed behind the Carolina bench. Players woofed at each other a little and players screamed after dunks. The intensity was there.
N.C. State players certainly played with more intensity than they did at Chapel Hill. The State fans were into it and stayed in it even when Carolina got up by nine points twice in the second half. The fans didn't throw in the towel until Zeller's dunk follow with a minute left gave Carolina an 11-point lead.
The Lowe technical really was a silly technical that hurt his team. With the Tar Heels up 67-59 and a minute and a half to go, Lowe complained that one of his players was fouled. Not only did replays show a clean blocked shot but Carolina got free throws AND the ball.
The game had gone back and forth with State leading by 10 points in the first half only to lose the lead by halftime. Plus, the Pack was within four points with five minutes to go.
The Tar Heels have won 16 of the last 17 games but this was a hard-fought game that was not determined until the last few minutes. With young key players on both squads, this could continue to feel like a rivalry again for some time to come.
For more on the UNC-NCSU game, please click here.
What they're saying about former N.C. State football captain Ricky Bell
Ricky Bell, the former N.C. State defensive back and team captain, has died at the age of 36. The cause of death has not been released. He played professionally in the NFL and the CFL, where he won a Grey Cup. Here's what they are saying about Bell:"He was a competitor. He was a good guy. He was a good football player and helped us win a Grey Cup." - Wally Buono, who coached Bell in Calgary of the CFL.
"Rick loved the game. He loved to compete. He was a good team player.” - Harold Nash Jr., who played with Bell in the Winnipeg secondary.
"He loved to talk to young men and tell them: 'Go to school and study because football isn't going to last all the time so you can have something to go back on."'
- Florence Bell, his mother.
"Ricky was and will always be a special person to all of us who played football with him at NC State. A part of our Wolfpack family has gone on to a better place." - Dewayne Washington, former Wolfpack teammate.
Obituary
Pack's Lowe says Wood being grabbed by defenders
N.C. State shooter Scott Wood has been up and down this season, exploding for points in some games and disappearing offensively in others. He had zero points against Duke, nine against Wake Forest, five against Clemson, 15 at Maryland and three against North Carolina.Then in Saturday’s win over Georgia Tech, Wood erupted for 20 points and hitting seven of 10 shots.
That raises the obvious question of why Wood has been so erratic. On Monday, Wolfpack coach Sidney Lowe had a pointed response on the ACC teleconference.
“One [reason] is that people are really paying attention to him and trying to do things to him to prevent him from getting shots,” Lowe said.
But Lowe couldn’t help but add a strong point about how Wood is being grabbed by defenses.
“I know he’s my player and I might be biased but the film doesn’t lie. He gets held more than anybody I have ever seen. They literally grab him, grab his jersey.
“People are just aware of him. The last ballgame he really moved well without the ball. That’s one of the things we’ve been trying to tell him - keep moving so they can’t grab you.”
Williams says Heels can be 'immature,' but still know how to bear down
North Carolina is well aware it plays Duke Saturday night in the Smith Center, and yes, the Tar Heels know they are tied with the Blue Devils at the top of the ACC Standings.But Carolina also knows it plays a tough Florida State team Wednesday night in Tallahassee, and coach Roy Williams insisted his team – though young – isn’t getting ahead of itself.
In fact, Williams even called his team “immature” in some ways.
“We know that we’ve go a big challenge at Florida State,” Williams said. “This team is immature as all get out about some things but they really have been pretty focused about playing the next game.”
For example, Williams said his club can be loose and comical around the clubhouse. But the Tar Heels are often playing with the poise of an experienced team despite starting two sophomores and two freshmen. Carolina has won 15 of 17 and 10 of 11 since that loss at Georgia Tech.
That’s an impressive run for a program that was a huge disappointment last season, and came into this year with significant, and unexpected, personnel losses.
“You go back to last May, when the Wears say they are not coming back … Will Graves ... Larry Drew. There has been some adversity I never want to to through again,” Williams said. “Right now I’m estatic about what they have done. … I am really proud of what my team has done. It hasn’t been easy. Ol’ Roy has had a hard year since last May. But I am really proud of them.”
19 Haziran 2012 Salı
Status of Kendall Marshall unchanged for UNC on eve of NCAA Elite Eight
ST. LOUIS -- Kendall Marshall participated on a limited basis in North Carolina's practice on Saturday but he said he would not have played had the Tar Heels had a game to play on Saturday. The Tar Heels will play Kansas at the Edward Jones Dome on Sunday afternoon in the NCAA tournament Midwest regional finals.
Marshall suffered a broken bone in his right wrist during UNC's victory against Creighton six days ago. He hadn't participated in any basketball activities until Saturday. Marshall attempted shots and attempted passes, which he said were difficult.
He said catching passes, though, caused him the most pain. Marshall during practice wore a new brace on his wrist - the same kind he would wear if was to play on Sunday. The brace, he said, stabilizes his injury.
"I didn't go through any contact things," Marshall said of his participation in practice. "I went through a lot of the walk-through stuff. And shooting drills, things like that. And thankfully, because of my off hand, my jump shot's almost better - because I have to really focus on my form and stuff. But it didn't feel too bad.
"Obviously there's going to be pain. But we'll see tomorrow."
Marshall said his status would be decided after the Tar Heels' shootaround before the game on Sunday.
- Andrew Carter
UNC point guard Kendall Marshall speaks on his injury, playing status
ST. LOUIS - Kendall Marshall doesn't know if he might play on Sunday (5:05 p.m., CBS) when North Carolina plays Kansas in the NCAA tournament Midwest regional semifinals. Marshall is hopeful, of course, but he said earlier Saturday that he wouldn't play if UNC had a game Saturday.
Marshall suffered a broken bone in his right wrist six days ago during the Tar Heels' victory against Creighton. Here's what Marshall had to say, in his own words, on a variety of topics:
-on if he did anything basketball-related in practice on Saturday:
"Yes, I did. I didn't go through any contact things. I went through a lot of the walk-through stuff. And shooting drills, things like that. And thankfully, because of my off hand, my jump shot's almost better - because I have to really focus on my form and stuff. But it didn't feel too bad. Obviously there's going to be pain. But we'll see [Sunday]."
-on how much range of motion he has:
"Well the brace that we have - it does a great job of not letting me go too far. So that's helped out a lot. The range of motion is getting gradually better every day. And that's a positive sign, not just for the game, but just getting healthy in general that I feel like there's been a tremendous improvement every 24 hours."
-on if he thinks he'll play Sunday:
"I don't know. We'll see [Sunday]. See how I feel after shoot-around."
-on how difficult it'd be for him to sit and watch again:
"I don't know if I can go through that again. You know last night after the game I couldn't sleep. I'm sitting here thinking about game plans. I'm like, what's wrong with me? I still play on the team. If it comes down that I feel like I'm not able to help my team and the best thing for me is to be in a suit, then that's what it will be and I'll still try to contribute the best way that I can."
-on if he could play right now:
"As of right now, it's still the same thing as yesterday. You know, I'm not playing. But if I do to continue to feel better, you know, there's no telling. I could be out there playing."
-on if he has been fitted for another wrist brace:
"I did. This morning I got put in the brace that I would be playing in and it's a little more sturdy. Like I said, it really holds my wrist into place and doesn't bend it. So that's definitely a positive."
-on what basketball-related skill causes him the most difficulty with his wrist injury:
"The toughest thing is actually passing the ball, which sucks. But the passing and the catching is a little tough. But I feel like I did a good job today [Saturday]. You know, I really told the managers and my teammates, 'Don't hold back. You know, throw it the way you would do in a game.' And I felt like I responded well. But it still hurts. It's still painful. So we'll see."
-on if he could play in the Final Four if UNC advanced:
"I'm sure with a week's rest, if we have a win [Sunday], a week's rest would be great. And I feel like I'm almost positive that I'd be able to play in a week. But we're just focused on [Sunday] right now."
-on what his parents have told him:
"My parents told me, you know, nobody knows how my wrist feels but me. And they want me to do what's best for me. And not just what's best for the team or what's best for my hand, but what's best for my health. And the last thing they want me to do is injure it."
-on how the UNC offense looked without him:
"It was a little tough. You know, it's obviously a different look. My team is accustomed to me being out there, you know, 35 minutes a game. So it's hard to make that adjustment. The biggest positive you can take out of that is that they did find a way to win. They did find a way to hit big shots. And I think that was great for us, that no matter what's been thrown at us to still find a way to win that game, I'm proud of them."
-on watching the struggles and how it affects his decision to want to come back:
"No. I really try to separate the two. Because I want to do what's best for my health. But at the same time, I do have a competitive edge. I want to be able to be out there and play, you know. And any of these games could be the last game of our season. And it was tough to watch, because that is my team. That is who I want to fight with every night. But I'm extremely proud that they still found a way to win."
'
-on how Kansas players want him to play:
"That's all competitors, you know. You don't want to - that's like kicking a wounded soldier. You know, you don't want to do that. You want to see them when they're at full strength. And I'm looking forward to competing. I see a player like Tyshawn in front of me and you want to compete against him. You know, you want to compete against the best ... but at the end of the day, I still have to do what's best for me."
- Andrew Carter
UNC's Stilman White, toast and an iPhone game
ST. LOUIS -- You've heard UNC head coach Roy Williams at various points this season describe Tar Heels guard Stilman White as a guy who's out there, who's not of the normal, who's a bit of a character. Williams, the Tar Heels coach, recently described White as a "wacko." It was a term of endearment.
White started his first college game on Friday night in place of the injured Kendall Marshall , and when the Tar Heels play against Kansas here on Sunday in the NCAA tournament Midwest regional final, there's a good chance - a great chance - White will be starting again.
So, naturally, the national media members who have gathered here want to know more about White. About why he's this guy that Williams likes to rag on. Williams was happy to oblige Saturday.
Here's how Williams opened up a story about White: "Let me explain to you something now. This morning at breakfast. Kendall's standing up and says, 'Who's toast is this over here?' Looked at our table, no. Looked at the next table, no. Looked at the next table, no. 'Who's toast is this?' "
Williams went on.
"John [Henson] said, 'Toast, toast, anybody's toast?' Twenty-one people in there looked at Stilman and Stilman says, 'Oh, that's my toast.'"
Now, I wasn't in the room when Williams recounted this story. So I can't tell you the reaction among reporters who listened. Me, I would have been laughing.
The moderator of the press conference asked White if he had a response. And White said:
"I was kind of into my iPhone game and I was working on a high score, so I had to wait until I finished that round before I could pick my toast up."
So naturally the next question was about what game White was playing in the moment he forgot about his toast.
"It was Super Jetpack, I think," White said. "It's a good game."
UNC' point guard Kendall Marshall out against Kansas
ST. LOUIS — Kendall Marshall will not play today when North Carolina plays against Kansas in the NCAA tournament Midwest regional final. Marshall, the sophomore point guard, suffered a broken bone in his right wrist in a victory a week ago against Creighton.
Stilman White, a freshman who started and played 32 minutes in UNC’s 73-65 overtime victory against Ohio on Friday night, will start against Kansas. White had six assists and no turnovers in the victory against Bobcats.
Marshall participated in some of the Tar Heels’ practice on Saturday, but he said he likely wouldn’t play unless he felt significant improvement in his wrist. Marshall said he thought he’d likely be able to play if the Tar Heels advance to the Final Four in New Orleans.
-Andrew Carter
UNC's Barnes, Henson, Marshall turning pro
CHAPEL HILL — Harrison Barnes, John Henson and Kendall Marshall are leaving North Carolina and will enter the NBA draft, the school announced in a statement on Thursday.
Barnes, a forward, and Marshall, a point guard, are sophomores who are both foregoing their final two years of eligibility. Henson is leaving the Tar Heels after his junior season.
In addition to senior Tyler Zeller, Barnes, Henson and Marshall were most responsible for the Tar Heels’ success during the 2011-12 season. UNC fell short of its goal of winning a national championship, but the Tar Heels finished 32-6, won the ACC regular season championship and reached the NCAA tournament Midwest regional finals.
“It’s a great day for three youngsters who are taking another step toward their ultimate goal of playing professional basketball,” UNC coach Roy Williams said in a statement. “On a very small stage, it’s a sad day for me because I won’t get to coach them again. All Tar Heel fans will miss them greatly, as well.”
The announcement comes four days after the Tar Heels ended their season with an 80-67 loss against Kansas in the Midwest regional final in St. Louis. UNC lost while Marshall sat on the bench, sidelined by the broken right wrist he suffered in a victory against Creighton in the third round of the NCAA tournament.
Andrew Carter
18 Haziran 2012 Pazartesi
Duke women wrap up ACC regular season title with win over UNC
The Blue Devils (26-3, 12-2) got out to a big lead and withstood a comeback by the Tar Heels (22-7, 8-6). Going into the game, Duke was the No. 9 team in the nation while Carolina was No. 13.
Italee Lucas scored 15 points and Chay Shegog added 14 for the Heels who enter the conference tourney in Greensboro later this week as the No. 6 seed. (22-7, 8-6), the No. 6 seed for the league tournament later this week in Greensboro.
Heels tie Devils atop ACC after putting away Maryland
North Carolina never trailed as the Tar Heels banged inside and hit from outside to defeat Maryland 87-76 and tie Duke for the ACC lead with just two regular-season games to go. (2/23) Tyler Zeller did the offensive damage inside with 25 points while Harrison Barnes and Leslie McDonald did the damage outside with 21 and 15 points.
Barnes drained three threes in the first four minutes and Carolina got out to a quick 13-5 lead. But Maryland fought back to tie it at 13-all and it stayed close until the last five minutes of the first half.
Carolina went on a late 12-4 run to take a 43-31 halftime lead that stood up through the second half. That run was highlighted by a McDonald three from straight away, an old-fashioned three-point play by Zeller and a Barnes reverse lay in.
The Tar Heels now stand at 22-6 and 12-2 in the ACC, even with Duke after the Devils lost at Virginia Tech Saturday. The Heels go to Florida State Wednesday night before finishing the regular season at home against the Blue Devils.
When asked about possibly playing Duke for the ACC regular season title, UNC coach Roy Williams said, "We better be thinking in terms of Florida State."
For more on the Maryland game, please click here.
Pack's Lowe says Wood being grabbed by defenders
N.C. State shooter Scott Wood has been up and down this season, exploding for points in some games and disappearing offensively in others. He had zero points against Duke, nine against Wake Forest, five against Clemson, 15 at Maryland and three against North Carolina.Then in Saturday’s win over Georgia Tech, Wood erupted for 20 points and hitting seven of 10 shots.
That raises the obvious question of why Wood has been so erratic. On Monday, Wolfpack coach Sidney Lowe had a pointed response on the ACC teleconference.
“One [reason] is that people are really paying attention to him and trying to do things to him to prevent him from getting shots,” Lowe said.
But Lowe couldn’t help but add a strong point about how Wood is being grabbed by defenses.
“I know he’s my player and I might be biased but the film doesn’t lie. He gets held more than anybody I have ever seen. They literally grab him, grab his jersey.
“People are just aware of him. The last ballgame he really moved well without the ball. That’s one of the things we’ve been trying to tell him - keep moving so they can’t grab you.”
Williams says Heels can be 'immature,' but still know how to bear down
North Carolina is well aware it plays Duke Saturday night in the Smith Center, and yes, the Tar Heels know they are tied with the Blue Devils at the top of the ACC Standings.But Carolina also knows it plays a tough Florida State team Wednesday night in Tallahassee, and coach Roy Williams insisted his team – though young – isn’t getting ahead of itself.
In fact, Williams even called his team “immature” in some ways.
“We know that we’ve go a big challenge at Florida State,” Williams said. “This team is immature as all get out about some things but they really have been pretty focused about playing the next game.”
For example, Williams said his club can be loose and comical around the clubhouse. But the Tar Heels are often playing with the poise of an experienced team despite starting two sophomores and two freshmen. Carolina has won 15 of 17 and 10 of 11 since that loss at Georgia Tech.
That’s an impressive run for a program that was a huge disappointment last season, and came into this year with significant, and unexpected, personnel losses.
“You go back to last May, when the Wears say they are not coming back … Will Graves ... Larry Drew. There has been some adversity I never want to to through again,” Williams said. “Right now I’m estatic about what they have done. … I am really proud of what my team has done. It hasn’t been easy. Ol’ Roy has had a hard year since last May. But I am really proud of them.”
New Capital Sports Report will feature Twitter feeds from around the Triangle
Look for the updated Capital Sports Report beginning this week.
17 Haziran 2012 Pazar
UNC's Stilman White, toast and an iPhone game
ST. LOUIS -- You've heard UNC head coach Roy Williams at various points this season describe Tar Heels guard Stilman White as a guy who's out there, who's not of the normal, who's a bit of a character. Williams, the Tar Heels coach, recently described White as a "wacko." It was a term of endearment.
White started his first college game on Friday night in place of the injured Kendall Marshall , and when the Tar Heels play against Kansas here on Sunday in the NCAA tournament Midwest regional final, there's a good chance - a great chance - White will be starting again.
So, naturally, the national media members who have gathered here want to know more about White. About why he's this guy that Williams likes to rag on. Williams was happy to oblige Saturday.
Here's how Williams opened up a story about White: "Let me explain to you something now. This morning at breakfast. Kendall's standing up and says, 'Who's toast is this over here?' Looked at our table, no. Looked at the next table, no. Looked at the next table, no. 'Who's toast is this?' "
Williams went on.
"John [Henson] said, 'Toast, toast, anybody's toast?' Twenty-one people in there looked at Stilman and Stilman says, 'Oh, that's my toast.'"
Now, I wasn't in the room when Williams recounted this story. So I can't tell you the reaction among reporters who listened. Me, I would have been laughing.
The moderator of the press conference asked White if he had a response. And White said:
"I was kind of into my iPhone game and I was working on a high score, so I had to wait until I finished that round before I could pick my toast up."
So naturally the next question was about what game White was playing in the moment he forgot about his toast.
"It was Super Jetpack, I think," White said. "It's a good game."
UNC' point guard Kendall Marshall out against Kansas
Stilman White, a freshman who started and played 32 minutes in UNC’s 73-65 overtime victory against Ohio on Friday night, will start against Kansas. White had six assists and no turnovers in the victory against Bobcats.
Marshall participated in some of the Tar Heels’ practice on Saturday, but he said he likely wouldn’t play unless he felt significant improvement in his wrist. Marshall said he thought he’d likely be able to play if the Tar Heels advance to the Final Four in New Orleans.
-Andrew Carter
NIT title game important for Johnny Dawkins
It may only be the NIT, but Thursday’s championship game against Minnesota in New York could be an important step for Stanford coach Johnny Dawkins.
In his fourth season at Stanford, the former Duke all-American and longtime first assistant to Mike Krzyzewski appears to be gaining traction.
It’s not been an easy path for the 48-year-old Dawkins.
After his first three teams finished 20-14, 14-18 and 15-16, there was some speculation that the rebuilding task was too much for Dawkins to handle.
Even though Stanford got a four-point win over N.C. State early and gave Syracuse a scare in the preseason NIT title game, the Cardinal could do no better than 10-8 in Pac-12 Conference play.
It wasn’t until March that Dawkins' generally young team clicked. With six wins in the past seven games, the Cardinal (25-11) could begin next season as the league favorite regardless of what happens Thursday in Madison Square Garden against Tubby Smith’s Gophers (23-14).
Four of Dawkins’ starters are either freshmen or sophomores _ 6-1 Chasson Randle (14 ppg), 5-11 Aaron Bright (11.6 ppg), 6-6 Anthony Brown (8.8 pgg) and 6-9 Dwight Powell (5.7 ppg).
“Our guys have really worked and stayed with it all season,” Dawkins said after Tuesday’s 74-64 semifinal win over Massachusetts.
“Having gained this experience throughout this tournament, I think will bode well going into the future. I think this will help us understand how to win games in this type of atmosphere, which will make us a better team in the future.”
-Caulton Tudor
UNC's Barnes, Henson, Marshall turning pro
CHAPEL HILL — Harrison Barnes, John Henson and Kendall Marshall are leaving North Carolina and will enter the NBA draft, the school announced in a statement on Thursday.
Barnes, a forward, and Marshall, a point guard, are sophomores who are both foregoing their final two years of eligibility. Henson is leaving the Tar Heels after his junior season.
In addition to senior Tyler Zeller, Barnes, Henson and Marshall were most responsible for the Tar Heels’ success during the 2011-12 season. UNC fell short of its goal of winning a national championship, but the Tar Heels finished 32-6, won the ACC regular season championship and reached the NCAA tournament Midwest regional finals.
“It’s a great day for three youngsters who are taking another step toward their ultimate goal of playing professional basketball,” UNC coach Roy Williams said in a statement. “On a very small stage, it’s a sad day for me because I won’t get to coach them again. All Tar Heel fans will miss them greatly, as well.”
The announcement comes four days after the Tar Heels ended their season with an 80-67 loss against Kansas in the Midwest regional final in St. Louis. UNC lost while Marshall sat on the bench, sidelined by the broken right wrist he suffered in a victory against Creighton in the third round of the NCAA tournament.
Andrew Carter
Ryan Harrow next Kentucky playmaker?
Like several Kentucky non-seniors, freshman playmaker Marquis Teague will have to make a quick decision about returning to school or entering the NBA.
If the 6-foot-2 Teague enters the June 28 draft, as widely predicted by many national analysts, the next Kentucky playmaker likely will be Ryan Harrow, formerly of N.C. State.
After one season with the Wolfpack, Harrow transferred shortly after Mark Gottfried was hired (April 5, 2011) to replace Sidney Lowe as head coach.
In 29 games at State, Harrow averaged 9.3 points and 3.3 assists but was inconsistent on offense, a defensive liability and frequently fatigued.
At Kentucky, Harrow has used the year to gain 15 pounds (now 6-2, 165) and work on his stamina.
"I definitely feel stronger," Harrow told reporters in early February. "I go in the weight room with a cut off T-shirt and lift weights because you get a little bit more buffed when you lift the weights and look in the mirror than when you are just walking around."
In the team media guide, Kentucky coach John Calipari says of Harrow: "Ryan should be in the best position of any point guard I have ever coached because he's got a year to be tutored without the pressure of having to play."
In the Oct. 26, 2011 preseason team Blue-White game, Harrow played 14 minutes and finished with 10 points, four assists and one turnover.
If Teague returns, Calipari could have an embarrassment of riches at point guard, but Teague (9.9 ppg, 4.8 assists) and Harrow have enough height to play a few minutes each game on the wing.
- Caulton Tudor
Tar Heels recruit Marcus Paige is latest UNC injury
North Carolina's basketball season is over but the injury list just keeps growing.
Recruit Marcus Paige, predicted by many to take over the Tar Heels playmaker role in 2012-13, has been scratched from a weekend all-star game in Portland, Ore.
Paige, a 6-foot-1 left-hander, suffered a foot injury at some point late last week during practice sessions in Portland.
The extent of the injury isn't known at this point. Efforts were not immediately successful to reach officials at Portland's Hoop Summit or at Paige's high school in Marion, Iowa.
On his Twitter page (@marcuspaige15), Paige had a post saying that he was "kinda mad that I had to limp around ... my foot was all messed up ..."
Paige was replaced on the Hoop Summit roster by Pittsburgh signee James Robinson of Hyattsville (Md.) De Matha.
Still scheduled to participate in the Hoop Summit is Duke signee Rasheed Sulaimon.
The USA team will face a World Select team on Saturday night in Portland's Rose Garden arena.
UNC's season ended March 25 in St. Louis against Kansas in the NCAA Midwest championship game.
Late-season injuries to Kendall Marshall and John Henson undermined Tar Heel hopes to reach the Final Four.
- Caulton Tudor
UNC recruit Marcus Paige has stress fracture in foot, will miss Jordan Brand Classic in Charlotte
North Carolina basketball recruit Marcus Paige has a stress fracture in his left foot, but his high school coach expects him to be healed by the time he arrives at UNC in June.
Paige, a standout point guard at Linn-Mar High in Marion, Iowa, first noticed something was amiss with his foot while he competed in the McDonald’s All-American game last week in Chicago, said Chris Robertson, Paige’s coach at Linn-Mar. Paige was diagnosed with a stress fracture in the days after the game.
Robertson said the training staff at Linn-Mar has been in contact with Tar Heels coach Roy Williams, and with the athletic training staff at UNC. Paige is scheduled to have surgery on Tuesday at the University of Iowa, Robertson said.
“By the time he leaves in June to head down [to North Carolina], he’ll be fine,” Robertson said.
With the departure of Kendall Marshall, who last week announced he was forgoing his final two years of eligibility to enter the NBA draft, Paige is likely to enter UNC as the favorite to earn the Tar Heels’ starting point guard job. Robertson said Paige had been hoping that Marshall would remain in school, so that Paige could learn from him.
But with Marshall gone, Robertson said, “I think [Paige] looks at like, ‘Well, now I’ve got to be ready to go and contribute right away.’”
Because of his injury, Paige will not compete in the Nike Hoops Summit on Saturday in Portland, Ore. He will also miss the Jordan Brand Classic, which will be in Charlotte on April 14.
Robertson said Paige was initially disappointed that he’d be unable to compete in the upcoming all-star games, but that he was also relieved to learn that his injury isn’t likely to affect him after his arrival at UNC.
“He’s just so excited to get down to Carolina,” Robertson said.
-- Andrew Carter
James Michael McAdoo is returning to UNC: What it means
North Carolina received some disappointing – but not unexpected – news last week, when Harrison Barnes, John Henson and Kendall Marshall all announced they were leaving school to enter the NBA draft. Today, though, the Tar Heels received some good news.
James Michael McAdoo, the freshman forward, is coming back to school. Here’s the story.
Obviously, this is great news for UNC, which had already lost its four best players from a season ago (including Tyler Zeller, the senior who earned ACC Player of the Year honors). McAdoo’s return means that the Tar Heels will have back at least one proven frontcourt player. And that’s better than having no proven frontcourt players, which would have been the case had McAdoo left.
McAdoo arrived at UNC amid high expectations, but he struggled through the first half of his freshman season. But he began to emerge in late January, and then played a key role for the Tar Heels in March – especially when Henson sat out three games after suffering a left wrist injury during the ACC tournament.
McAdoo is likely to be the focal point of UNC’s offense during the 2012-13 season. As his freshman season progressed, he showed a consistent ability to make the medium-range jump shot, and to be an effective offensive rebounder. Some of best scoring opportunities came off of offensive rebounds. During the summer, McAdoo is most likely to spend his time working on his interior post-up game.
Here’s what McAdoo had to say about his decision. He released these comments in a statement from UNC:
“I’ve had several discussions about my future plans with my family and Coach [Roy] Williams and have decided to return to UNC to continue playing for the Tar Heels and continue my education. I love being at Carolina and really enjoy competing with and being around my teammates and am excited about what we can do together next season.
Every young basketball player wants to have as much information about his future and understand what others in the game think about him. It’s been interesting to learn the information that Coach Williams has gathered, but I am ready to continue as a Tar Heel.
“I’m enjoying my time in Chapel Hill and am excited about the future for my team and me.”
With McAdoo back, here’s a guess at what the Tar Heels’ starting five could look like at the start of the 2012-13 season:
PG: Marcus Paige, freshman
SG: Dexter Strickland, senior
SG/SF: Reggie Bullock, junior
SF/PF: James Michael McAdoo, sophomore
PF/C: Brice Johnson, freshman
Figure the first two players off the bench being shooting guards Leslie McDonald and P.J. Hairston, and add in freshman small forward J.P. Tokoto, and UNC still has the makings of a team that could compete for the ACC championship.
-Andrew Carter
UNC a No. 2 seed in first 2012-13 NCAA tournament projection
CHAPEL HILL — Today is April 16. So you know what that means: It’s time to talk 2012-13 NCAA men's basketball tournament projections.
Joe Lunardi, the noted ESPN.com NCAA tournament bracketologist, has released his first projection of the preseason. (Is it even late enough in the year to consider this the “preseason?” I digress.)
Lunardi has UNC as the No. 2 seed in the East region, playing against No. 15 Vermont in Philadelphia. Of course, the Tar Heels defeated Vermont in the second round of the tournament last month in Greensboro, so this would be a highly-anticipated grudge match.
Among other ACC teams, Lunardi’s first projection includes Duke as a No. 3 seed in the South, N.C. State as a No. 4 seed in the Midwest, Miami as a No. 8 seed in the South and Florida State as a No. 12 seed in the West. Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky and Louisville are your No. 1 seeds, with UNC in Louisville’s region.
It’s fun to talk about … but I’d hold off on making those reservations for Philadelphia.
- Andrew Carter
Kendall Marshall, Tyler Zeller share UNC MVP honors
CHAPEL HILL - North Carolina held its annual postseason basketball awards ceremony last Thursday night. And for some reason, I missed the release about it. My apologies. Senior forward Tyler Zeller and sophomore point guard Kendall Marshall received co-MVP honors during the ceremony, which was closed to the public and to the media.
Zeller at the end of the regular season received ACC Player of the Year honors while Marshall, who set an ACC single-season record with 351 assists, earned second-team All-ACC honors. Marshall joined sophomore forward Harrison Barnes and junior forward John Henson in leaving school early to enter the NBA draft.
Zeller and fellow senior Justin Watts were named permanent captains for the 2011-12 Tar Heels.
Here’s the complete list of winners:
Most Valuable Players: Kendall Marshall, Tyler Zeller
Mary Francis Award, Highest Field Goal Percentage: Tyler Zeller
Martha Jordan Award, Highest Free Throw Percentage: P.J. Hairston
Foy Roberson Award, Most Inspirational: Justin Watts
Carmichael-Cobb Award, Top Defender: John Henson, Tyler Zeller
John Lotz Award, Most Assists: Kendall Marshall
Oscar Vatz Award, Best Rebounder: John Henson
Butch Bennett Award: James Michael McAdoo
Jimmie Dempsey Award, Most Improved: James Michael McAdoo
Team Captains: Justin Watts, Tyler Zeller
Senior Awards: Stewart Cooper, Patrick Crouch, David Dupont, Justin Watts, Tyler Zeller
Athletic Director’s Burgess McSwain Scholar-Athlete Award: Tyler Zeller
Also, be sure to check out the well-done season-in-review video that the folks over at TarHeelBlue.com put together. You can find that right here.
- Andrew Carter
McKillop: No contact from Virginia Tech
Davidson basketball coach Bob McKillop's name is one of many that have been mentioned in conjunction with the opening at Virginia Tech in the aftermath of coach Seth Greenberg's dismissal Monday.
McKillop, who has been head coach at Davidson since 1989, said Tuesday he has not been contacted about the Virginia Tech job.
"No one has talked to me," McKillop said. "It's an intriguing situation. It's in the ACC and it's a great school."
Speculation at Virginia Tech immediately focused on three in-state college coaches, Shaka Smart of Virginia Commonwealth, Chris Mooney of Richmond and Old Dominion's Blaine Taylor.
McKillop has been busy since the Wildcats' season ended with a first-round loss to eventual Final Four participant Louisville. He said the Wildcats' 2012-13 schedule is nearing completion and includes a Jan. 2 game against Duke in Time Warner Cable Arena, a Thanksgiving weekend tournament in Orlando, Fla., with Vanderbilt, Gonzaga, West Virginia, Clemson and others, as well as road games at Richmond and Penn.
McKillop said no date has been set for Davidson's annual game against the Charlotte 49ers. He is also trying to line up a game for the Wildcats in New York's Madison Square Garden.
-- Ron Green Jr.
Childress has new basketball role at Wake Forest
Randolph Childress, who provided one of the most memorable performances in the Deacons' long basketball history, has rejoined the program as director of player development.
Childress has held an administrative role within the Wake Forest athletic department since August after retiring from professional basketball last year.
“My family and I are excited about this opportunity,” Childress said in a statement from the school. “I love Wake Forest, and to have a chance to work with the basketball program on a daily basis is a dream come true. I look forward to helping build a program that Wake Forest fans and the Wake Forest community can be proud of. I’m ready to go to work.”
Childress played an off-the-court mentorship role with the basketball student-athletes last season and will see those duties increase as he joins the staff full-time.
In 1995, Childress was spectacular in earning ACC Tournament MVP honors as the Deacons won their first conference championship in 33 years. Childress played two NBA seasons and played professionally overseas for more than a decade.
-- Ron Green Jr.
Roy Williams on new hire, officiating and competing for recruits with Coach K
CHARLOTTE — North Carolina coach Roy Williams said on Wednesday night during a Rams Club Tar Heel Tour stop in Charlotte that he plans to spend next week focusing on hiring a new assistant coach. Williams will be filling a void on his staff left by the departed Jerod Haase, who left UNC to become the head coach at UAB.
Williams recently has been devoting his attention to recruiting, and he said he’d be doing the same this weekend. After this weekend, though, he will come closer to naming a new assistant.
“Really the meat of the work is going to be done after this weekend’s recruiting period,” Williams said. “I feel pretty good about it.”
The opening on the Tar Heels’ staff has created plenty of interest. Williams said 14 former North Carolina players have contacted him about the job. He also said three players he coached at Kansas showed an interest in joining the Tar Heels’ staff.
“I love them,” Williams said of the former Kansas players who had contacted him. “[I] told them I love them, but this next hire is going to be somebody from the University of North Carolina.”
Some other points of interest from Williams’ talk at the McGlohon Theater in Charlotte:
--During a question-and-answer session with those in attendance, a UNC supporter expressed frustration about the state of officiating during the past season, and he asked Williams how best he could voice his concerns. Williams said he empathized with the fan.
“It’s hard,” Williams said. “I don’t mind telling you. I mean, this year I called [the ACC director of men’s basketball officiating] John Clougherty [for] the first time in three years … but it’s frustrating to me.”
Williams indicated that he called Clougherty to discuss the play when Tyler Zeller was pushed in the back late in the Tar Heels’ 85-84 defeat against Duke at the Smith Center in February. After the push, Zeller inadvertently tipped in Ryan Kelly’s missed shot, and the moment played a key role in the Blue Devils’ comeback.
“He got shoved like crazy in the back,” Williams said. “And the TV cameras didn’t show it as much as one of the cameras that we use for coaching purposes. And I mean, it was just a huge play, four feet in front of the official. So I called about it. And there’s not anything that happens, because it is a very difficult game to officiate. Understand that. You know, it’s snap decisions and we understand that. But I share with you some of that frustration.
“And there’s not a lot you can do. You know, you can call call-in shows, or something like that, and voice your frustrations if that makes you feel better, go ahead. I wish I could do that, too … it’s frustrating, there’s no question. It’s frustrating. Even the NCAA tournament game, against Kansas. We’ve got fouls to waste. I mean, poor Stilman’s trying to tackle the guy. He wouldn’t have been a very good defensive back. He’s trying to tackle a guy from the center line all the way in, and they finally call a foul when the ball’s laid up.
“Because we had fouls to waste at that time … if I get fined for that, that’s all right, too.”
--Another interesting moment of Williams’ talk also involved Duke. And, in particular, Mason Plumlee. During the q-and-a session, a man asked Williams why he stopped recruiting Plumlee, who will be a senior forward for the Blue Devils next season. The person who asked the question, in perhaps an error of phrasing, implied that Williams might be shy about going head-to-head against Mike Krzyzewski in a recruiting battle.
“I went to freakin’ Ames, Iowa [to recruit Harrison Barnes] 11 times and his [butt] went twice,” Williams said of Krzyzewski. “… Don’t tell me I ain’t going to go head-to-head.”
And then Williams described what happened while he was recruiting Plumlee.
“It was pretty simple, and if you want to put it this way, which I do, it was one of the dumbest things I’ve ever done. Because I needed two post players. And all of a sudden I get a phone call from the Wear family in California … and all of a sudden we had two post players. We did not have a scholarship for a third.
“And we had been recruiting Mason, we had been recruiting the Wears longer. … So that was what it was right there. I love Mason Plumlee. He’s one of the neatest kids. His family’s great. I loved him. But at that point, we didn’t call and say we’ll stop recruiting you. It was sort of like, you know, there’s already two post players in that class. And we had already got John Henson before that.”
So there you have it.
--Williams broke down UNC’s incoming recruiting class at one point on Wednesday night:
“Marcus Paige, the little point guard from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is really good. And coach Smith would never say something like that … Marcus has a chance to be special. He broke his foot in the McDonald’s All-American game – that’s why he wasn’t here [in Charlotte] for the Jordan [Brand Classic] game. But he’s left-handed, similar to Kendall [Marshall], a little better athletically, not as good a passer. But Kendall’s probably the best passer I’ve ever seen.
“J.P. Tokoto, a 6-6 small forward, Vince Carter type athleticism. Has to shoot it better, has to handle it better. And then the two big kids – Brice Johnson from down the road right outside of Orangeburg, South Carolina – 6-9 athlete, quick muscle fiber, those quick twitches everybody likes to talk about. Blocks a shot, can rebound the ball. Really has to work harder to get much more physical. He’s 6-9, probably 200, 205. But that’s like Schwarzenegger compared to what John Henson was.
“And then the biggest one was Joel James – 6-10. The first time I saw him a year and a half ago, [he] was 6-10, 310. Now he’s 6-10, 260. And if he were to walk in this room you would say, ‘Oh, my.’ So he passes the look test. We’ve got to get him passing the playing test, too.”
--In describing the season that ended about a month ago, Williams said it was “a great, great year with a very sad ending.” He said what upset him the most was that “this team really didn’t have a chance to celebrate.” …
But, Williams said, “I will tell you, this is more of a private thing, but on [a] Saturday night in Durham, at Cameron Indoor Stadium, we celebrated our [butts] off.”
Williams told the story about how Oklahoma one year won the Big 8 regular season championship with a victory at Kansas. And so the Sooners cut down the nets at Allen Fieldhouse. Williams told himself that he’d never be part of such a thing, whether he was on one end or the other – winner or loser. No team was going to cut down the nets in his building. And he wouldn’t be doing that on the road, either.
Still, part of Williams thought about cutting down the nets that early-March night in Durham.
“I did have that thought in Cameron,” he said. “Decided that would probably cause a scene.”
--Williams spent some time trying to evaluate what kind of team the Tar Heels will be next season. But he said that’s difficult to do. Still, he’s looking forward to learning what kind of team this will become.
“We’ve always said it’s the name on the front of the jersey, not just the name on the back,” Williams said. “And James Michael McAdoo and Reggie Bullock got more playing time than anybody else. We’re going to ask them to step up. Dexter [Strickland] and Leslie [McDonald] will hopefully get healthy – we’re going to ask them to step up.
“Those other guys that didn’t get as many minutes, they’ve got to step up and be better players for us. And then the four incoming freshmen. It’ll be an exciting year. And I really believe that. I think it’ll be a year that we’ll really band together and try to have everything and care about their team.”
One thing is clear: Williams doesn’t expect UNC’s playing style to change.
“I want to run the ball up and down the floor,” Williams said. “If you see us walking the ball down the court, playing a 2-3 zone, it means that I saw somebody an important position doing something, and I’m in the witness protection program.”
--One last thing: Williams and UNC football coach Larry Fedora will be paired up together in the upcoming Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge charity golf tournament. Fedora isn’t much of a golfer. Williams, if you know anything about him, is.
So naturally, Williams is intrigued to see what Fedora might look like on the course.
“I’m excited about playing in the golf tournament with him,” Williams said. “Now he says he doesn’t play at all, and all that kind of stuff. I guarantee-dadgum-tee you one thing: I’m going to laugh more than anybody else out there. So we’ll have some fun with him.”
And there you have it.
-Andrew Carter