CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina Coach Roy Williams met with the media via zoom Friday afternoon in advance of the Tar Heels’ game Saturday versus NC State at the Smith Center.

Williams spent about 20 minutes answering questions about his team’s tempo, their defense in the first game against the Wolfpack and if it’s improved much, on playing 14 games when some other ACC teams haven’t even played 10 yet, Leaky Black, getting the vaccine shot Thursday and his thoughts on baseball legend Hank Aaron, who was about more than just breaking Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record.

Above is the video of Williams’ full Q&A session and below are some notes and pulled quotes from what he had to say:

*Some members of UNC’s coaching staff received a COVID-19 vaccine shot this week, including Sean May, Hubert Davis, and Williams, so is there a plan for the staff to get it, and how does staffs getting the shots affect the possibility or not of conference tournament taking place at the end of the regular season?

“I’m not aware of those discussions about the conference tournaments, (but) yeah, I liked the way you said it, they lucked into it (getting the shot),” Williams said. “Most of my staff members do want to take it and I think that everyone who has the opportunity to take the vaccination I think they should.

“I had mine yesterday morning. I’m 70 years old, and last week they put the number down to 65. Made calls and calls, and Wanda got on the computer and the whole little bit and I made calls and we finally got it scheduled yesterday morning and had the vaccination.

“I’m hopeful that we can encourage a lot of people that have some doubts about whether or not they should take it, I’m really following the Dr. Faucis of the world and everybody should listen to their specialist, and that’s the way I go.”

*With vaccines not exactly plentiful just yet, is there any concern that people may look at Carolina Basketball being favored in getting opportunities for the shot over others?

“I’m at practice yesterday when it came up, and they said they had a chance to go get it and I said, ‘Go get it,’” Williams replied. “And I turned my attention back to (players) Garrison (Brooks) and Caleb (Love) and RJ (Davis). I know that when Roy Williams got it and Wanda, we’re over 65 by five years and we are in the category that can get it, so we got it. We scheduled it. I didn’t just go out on the middle of the highway (with a) sign and say, ‘Can I get a vaccine?’ We went through the proper procedures.

“Everybody’s going to make what they want of every situation, but like I said, I’m in the middle of practice. What and I supposed to say, ‘No, don’t go do that?’ I told them to go on.”

Note: UNC basketball media relations head Steve Kirschner noted after Williams’ response that they were notified some of the vaccinations were available because the number of people who had signed up for it “had run its course, and they still had vaccinations left.” The university had designated certain groups that were within a specific distance of certain sites, so athletics was called and it was made available to people either in that age group or were available to get the vaccines. Added note, the vaccine vials are only good for so long, so they had to be used.

*The Tar Heels are ranked No. 75 in the nation in offensive tempo, so has the team been picking up the pace of late and what can they do to continue that process?

“I’d be willing to take any suggestions because I hate it with a passion,” Williams said. “And I don’t feel like we have a fast break we have a slow break. It really ticks me off worse than any team – I don’t go back and check analytics because analytics are for people that care about (that), I watch basketball and see what I think.

“But I do believe we’re playing at a slower pace than any team that I’ve ever coached, and that’s scary and it bothers me a great deal.”

Williams also added that part of it is guys understanding how he wants them to play, noting that seven of the team’s top 11 players are freshmen, with Anthony Harris, who played in just five games last season, one of the freshmen.

*The Tar Heels (9-5, 4-3 ACC) have played 14 games, but some ACC teams haven’t even played 10. Does Williams feel fortunate with how many games they’ve been able to play all things considered?

“I do feel very fortunate, (though) I know we haven’t played nearly as many home games…," he said. "We’ve played five games at home now, five of our 14, probably a lower percentage than just about anybody. But, I think we are very fortunate to have played the games we have played and there’s only been two little hiccups and one of those we were able to get something replaced.”

*Leaky Black has had two double-figure rebound games, scored 16 in a narrow win at Miami, has had eight and seven assists in games, and even three blocked shots in another. He said after the win over Wake Forest his roll is whatever is needed based on who he’s on the floor with. What does Williams minimally need from Black?

“He’s so valuable to us because he does so many things,” Williams said. “But his role always, always is going to be to be the best defensive player on the floor and give us another rebounder on both ends of the floor on the offensive board and defense board.

“But he also has that role of okay, sometimes you’re going to have to be a point guard, sometimes you’re going to get the ball off the board and push it down the court and you have to be a playmaker. I think when he loses himself in the game mentally on the defensive end of the floor, his play is so much better. And I think we need him to continue that.”

*Williams’ unhappiness with his team’s defensive performance at NC State last month has been well chronicled. The ball screens, in particularly, were problematic for the Tar Heels. But there was more.

“They beat us in every way you can be beaten,” Williams said. “They beat us with the ball screen, they beat us with inside play, they beat us with shooting the threes and making them. We did, in my mind, was the worst defensive I’ve ever had a team play, maybe it was the worst defensive game I’ve coached as well…

“They manhandled us, the way I look at it. We were fortunate and got some breaks in the second half and made a couple of shots and got it close. It wasn’t just the screen on the ball. Devon Daniels drives the ball to the basket on the first two or three times. (Jericole) Hellems all year long had been slipping and screening, this game he set every screen and held it a long time and didn’t slip the screen. They were a step ahead of us in everything that happened during the game.”

*Williams is a huge baseball fan, so what are his thoughts about Hank Aaron passing away earlier in the day. He was asked not just about Aaron as one of the greatest American athletes ever, but his impact on society with what he went through chasing Babe Ruth’s record and how he handled it.

“I loved him, I use Henry Aaron as a basketball example,” the coach said. “I love guys make a really hard play look easy, and that’s what Hank Aaron did. I don’t like guys that take a really easy play and make it look hard. I tell my guys that and have used it for years and years and years.

“Mickey Mantle was my favorite player, but I grew up in the era of Mickey Mantle and Hank Aaron and Willie Mays and I loved watching those guys and Hank Aaron was just one of the best of all time. I think he never really got the true appreciation of what he did. And there was no steroids or anything like that during that era. He was just a fantastic player.

“And everything that I’ve heard about him in my life was that he was just a fantastic person as well, and I love that part of it.”