Roy: Rested Heels; Cam's Integration; Timeouts & More

CHAPEL HILL – Three games in five days against ACC teams, including two against arch rivals, took a lot out of North Carolina.

So much that Roy Williams gave his team Tuesday and Wednesday off from practice, giving the Tar Heels time to get their legs back and their minds a bit of relief. It worked.

Thursday’s practice was exactly what the Hall of Fame head coach wanted.

“Everybody seems to be doing pretty well,” Williams said. “We gave them Tuesday and Wednesday off and came back yesterday and boy they really looked like they had fresh legs. I almost wished we hadn’t practiced and just saved it and go play the game. I was concerned and I did cut it a little bit shorter yesterday because they really did look like they were fresh.

“It will be interesting to see what they look like today.”

Williams noted that Brandon Robinson and K.J. Smith had a collision in practice Thursday and Robinson likely would be limited Friday. No word on Saturday at Louisville.

Now that the Heels went through the gauntlet, does Williams see it as a positive thing given what he saw from his team?

“It was a confidence boost, there’s no question,” Williams said. “I wouldn’t schedule it myself because it was really hard, but it’s the schedule and it’s a shut-up-and-play kind of thing. But I think it gave us some confidence.”

And between Monday’s win over Notre Dame and the team’s final home game Feb. 27, the Tar Heels will play just twice. In addition to Saturday at Louisville, they visit Syracuse next Wednesday.

So the price of three games in five days is somewhat balanced out by playing two games in 15 days now.

“I wouldn’t have done it because it’s pretty hard… It depends, some guys say ‘Let’s keep playing because we’re playing well.’ That’s the reason I don’t get too fired up about any of this, you play the whole schedule.

“I think it is good to have some rest time near the end of the season, (though) I wish we didn’t three out of our four on the road and the quality of teams we have.”

*As for Cam Johnson, Williams said the junior wing and graduate transfer from Pitt has been pretty integrated all along, much of that coming through practice. But Johnson needed to find himself more meshed, and that’s happened in recent weeks.

“I think it’s Cam himself that’s felt a little more comfortable with every game in what we’re trying to do,” the coach said. “It’s a different style of play.”

If there is a seminal moment for Johnson breaking through that final wall of feeling fully integrated it likely occurred during the second half of the loss at Clemson on Jan. 30. He and Joel Berry combined to score 39 points in the half, which Johnson netted 22 of his game-high 32 after the intermission in leading the Tar Heels back from a 15-ppint deficit. Although they lost, it was big for Johnson to be relied on by his teammates and also come through.

“He and Joel both, they were our offense,” Williams said. “We weren’t a five-man – it was those two guys and everybody else was wondering what was going on. I think that gave him some confidence, too. I think he’d tell you he’d like to be more consistent shooting a higher percentage – 35 percent from 3.”

*Williams was asked several questions about his not calling timeouts, and the exchange was pretty entertaining and also illuminating. You are encouraged to watched the video, that part in particular.