Roy Williams Discusses His Team On UNC's Media Day
CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina Coach Roy Williams met with the media during the team’s virtual media day Wednesday to discuss his group, being fueled by last season, the large freshman class, his returning players, dealing with the COVID era, and many other topics.
UNC is coming off the second worst season in program history, as the Tar Heels finished 14-19 a year ago after battling through numerous injuries and last-second losses. Full or part-time starters Garrison Brooks (second-team All-ACC), Leaky Black, Armando Bacot and Andrew Platek are back along with Anthony Harris and one of the top freshman classes in the nation.
Williams is entering his 18th season at the helm at UNC where he owns a 467-152 record, which includes winning three national championships, advancing to four NCAA title games, five Final Fours and eight Elite Eights.
Here is the video of the entire presser along with some notes and pulled quotes from what Williams had to say:
*Williams’ opening statement was short and sweet, as it typically is:
“We’re excited – six practices, we’re going to have number seven today and it’s fun to get back in the gym again," he said. "I do wear this mask the entire practice. I’ve worn it every second of every practice and will continue to do that. It’s the world we live in right now.”
*The Tar Heels have six scholarship freshmen that comprised the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation joining four returning veterans and several other players. How does Williams have to adapt his coaching style to having so many young players on the roster?
"Well, I think the way we've done it every year is try to go slower the more freshmen we have, try to accelerate it and make it more competitive the older we are,” he said. “This is year 18, so in 18 years in one spot we've had everything you can possibly have. But I do believe when you have freshmen, you've got to go a little slower.
“Push them, push them, push them and then put your arm around them. Push them, push them, push them and then put your arm around them. We've had teams before where almost everyone coming back was a veteran and we've pushed those guys a little harder and did go faster. But, you also have to be able to make your adjustments everyday because you get information everyday about what's going on."
*The new normal is a term often used as we continue battling through the COVID-19 pandemic, and Williams offered his thoughts on things and how his sport will be affected this season and perhaps beyond.
"I am optimistic but, I'll say this, I don't know if we'll ever get back to the normal that we knew,” Williams said. “Because we don't know how effective the vaccine is gonna be, we don't know how long it's gonna be around, we don't know that, five years from now, that we'll look down the road and think of this virus as similar to what the flu has been. I don't know that information but, my gut feeling is, we're not gonna get back to quote, 'that normal,' for several years. I really don't see that.
“What we're doing I think is fantastic. Guys, every coach on my staff wears a mask the entire practice. Some coaches are gonna be unformattable wearing masks during a game. I'm not one of those, I'm gonna wear a mask during a game. So, to me, it's the adjustments that we have to make by being more intelligent that we can have a safer world. I loved the old normal, I'm gonna figure out a way to love this normal as well."
*Carolina posted the second worst record in program history a year ago, which was also the worst of Williams’ Hall of Fame coaching career. And he often reminds his team about it, but only when it makes sense to bring up.
“We're the ones that screwed it up,” Williams said. “If one of those guys was involved in a no box out and they get the ball and score, you ought to remember that the rest of your life. I remember it every day, so I'm not against bringing those things up if it's because of mistakes.
“I don't walk out on practice and say, 'Ok guys, we stunk last year so let's get better today.' That's not what happens. But, if we have the same type of behavior that hurt us last year, your darn right I'm gonna bring it up to them. And, if I see them when they're 78 years old, I may still remind them of one of those box outs they missed."
*Among the things Williams’ teams have been know for is rebounding, which he says is the most important part of the game. Carolina dropped off in this department from its norm a year ago, though the Tar Heels still finished the season ranked No. 10 in the nation in rebounding margin at plus-7.6. But plus-11-13 is more typical plus the Tar Heels were significantly less effective at scoring second-change points. With Brooks and Bacot back in addition to 7-foot-1 freshman Walker Kessler and 6-foot-10 freshman Day’Ron Sharpe now in the program, plus the emphasis on the other guys to grab missed shots, Williams believes his team will be back to their standard on the glass.
“I think we’ll rebound the basketball this year like North Carolina teams usually rebound the basketball – better than last year,” Williams said.
*Staying on the rebounding, sophomore Armando Bacot average 9.6 points and 8.3 rebounds in what was an inconsistent freshman season last year, that also included multiple injuries. Williams says he expects Bacot will be an improved version of what people saw last winter.
"Rebounding-wise, he was OK last year,” Williams said. “The biggest problem he has was finishing plays around the basket and staying out of foul trouble and staying out of nagging injuries. He's gotta finish plays around the goal, and he's doing that much better than he is this year.
“With he and Garrison and Day'Ron and Walker Kessler and Walker Miller, there's some competition going on in practice everyday. I think he's better and he needs to be better. When you go from freshman to sophomore, a lot of times that's a big-time jump and we need Armando to do that. And it's competitive around that rim right now, unlike what we've had the last couple years."
*UNC has five seniors on the roster, two of whom are scholarship players (Brooks and Platek), plus Walker Miller, who has been on scholarship and has played some in regular parts of games. But it’s Brooks whom Williams goes to in order to get a feel for the team, to learn something about the group he doesn’t see as the head coach, and more.
“There’s no question in my mind Garrison is the guy I talk to about the team and get him to respond what he thinks is best for the team,” Williams explained. “He’s the one if I ask, ‘Okay, what do you think,’ Garrison is the first person that I ask. Garrison and Andrew (Platek) are both seniors and have been through it all and Walker Miller and K.J. (Smith) and Ryan (McAdoo), those are the five guys that we have that are seniors.
“All of those guys a little bit, but no question it’s Garrison right now.”
*Anthony Harris missed the first eight games of last season still recovering from a knee injury he suffered as senior in high school getting his first action in a loss at Virginia in early December. The 6-foot-4 guard played five games giving the Tar Heels a spark in a win over UCLA (14 points) and he was playing well versus Yale when he suffered another knee injury that ended his season. Harris has been working to get back and done a few things in practice, but Williams said he’s not doing everything yet.
"He hasn't been released to be completely in practice,” Williams said. “He's done some dummy things, meaning no competition, no one-on-one, no five-on-five. But, I think he's a few weeks away from being released. Last year, he gave us enough to get us excited about what he could do and played those, either four games or maybe five games was all he played.
“He's a kid that comes up with the loose ball, comes up with the rebound, comes up with the steal, makes the shot you don't think he's going to make. So, that would be helpful to us, but it'll be, and I do believe it's weeks not months, before he'll be able to get into full practice."
*Former Tar Heels point guard Coby White was recently at practice and has worked out with the players some. White had a terrific year in his only season at Carolina and turned in a pretty good rookie year in the NBA for the Chicago Bulls this past season. With the UNC NBA players not allowed to workout with and play pickup versus the current players this past summer and spring, Williams says having White around has been valuable for his young players, especially the guards.
"It was an eye opener for them about how hard he attacked the basket,” Williams said. “And I told them, that's what I wanted those guys to learn, Caleb and RJ particularly. It's hard to guard Coby, so that's what I want the feeling the other team has about you two guys is how hard you attack the basket.
“Coby's been tested, just like our guys have been tested, and it's been fantastic to have him working out in practice and we've had that in the past with some of our veteran guys coming back and it's been fantastic for us."
*Williams’ personal approach on the recruiting trail is legendary and has proven over time it works extremely well for him. But with the dead period having been in place since mid-March and extended through Dec. 31, he’s had to make some changes in how he recruits. This, probably more than anything else, has forced Williams to deviate from his norm.
"It's not made it very comfortable for me,” Williams said. “I've always been more comfortable going to see people in person. I don't mind going to see a kid nine times, seven times, five times, whatever. I'd much rather drive to the airport, about 30 minutes, get on a plane, fly two hours, get out, drive 30 minutes to a gym and watch a kid shoot 15 free throws and then repeat everything. The way I've always recruited is a more personal approach, so this has been much more difficult for us."
*Stay with THI for much more coverage of UNC basketball from media day.
*Jacob Turner contributed to this report.