Roy Williams had seen enough, so he decided to make a change.

Reviewing the game film from North Carolina’s loss at NC State last week served as the impetus for his move. So, Wednesday afternoon during the Tar Heels’ shootaround at McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta, he notified three starters they were sitting later in UNC’s game against Georgia Tech.

Senior Garrison Brooks, a starter for most of his UNC career, junior Leaky Black, a starter all last season and the first eight games of the current campaign, and freshman point guard Caleb Love, a starter through eight games as well, were benched.

In their places: Freshman Day’Ron Sharpe (for Brooks), freshman Kerwin Walton (for Black), and senior Andrew Platek (for Love). Freshman RJ Davis scooted over to the point guard spot and Platek played the two.

“(I) went to the decision because of our defensive grades in the North Carolina State game more than anything,” Williams said following UNC’s 72-67 loss to the Yellow Jackets. “But there's a lot of things that go into decisions about who starts, who doesn't start.”

Williams said during his radio show Monday night the defensive grades versus the Wolfpack were the worst of his 18-year tenure at Carolina. It was so bad he made the team watch the entire game film instead of cut-ups specific to teachings from the performance.

The drastic move didn’t catch the older Heels off guard, though. Black saw it coming.

“We kind of knew it (in) practice the last couple of days after the NC State game,” Black said. “It was a completely different lineup, we were like second, third string. The message got across for sure.”

Some coaches change lineups just for the sake of change. Some try to punish for poor play. Some try to inspire. And some are intent on shaking the tree.

What was Williams’ message?

“You’re going to play better or you’re going to sit down,” said Brooks, when asked about Williams’ message. “That’s pretty much it.”

Inserting Sharpe for Brooks probably ate away at Williams. Brooks is his go-to guy in the room, the player with whom he discusses things and has the most adult relationship. Every basketball coach needs a player like that, and Brooks has served that role well.

But Williams admitted it was “hardest” with Brooks for those reasons and that he’s played well below expectation. Brooks was the ACC Preseason Player of the Year for a reason, but his performance – 11.1 points, 48.2 percent from the floor, 54.8 percent from the line and that defense Williams noted – has not backed up the projection. Hence, the change.

“I can respect his decision putting Day’Ron in the starting lineup,” Brooks said. “It’s a privilege, it’s something you’ve got to earn every day (and) Day’Ron came into practice and he earned it, he earned it with his effort in the NC State game…

“I had to go self-reflect: ‘Am I giving enough to this team? Am I doing enough?’ And he thought I wasn’t and I didn’t think I was either. That’s how I ended up on the bench.”

Difficult pill, for sure.

“It’s tough. I’m a senior sitting down for a freshman, it’s tough,” Brooks said. “But he’s playing better than me right now, so it’s either I’m going to get better or come sit down… It’s my decision on what to do and I know how to change it. I know what to do.”

Black has shown improvement in some areas from a year ago. It helps that he’s healthy, which wasn’t the case during his hobbled sophomore campaign. He has rebounded the ball more and been increasingly active trying to create shots for himself.

The 6-foot-7 wing has also received two of the highest defensive grades this season of anyone Williams has coached, but his performance at State was one of the worst. A shakeup was needed, so it happened.

“It kind of hurt me,” Black admitted after a long pause. “But then again, I’m not playing the way I need to be playing right now. So, it was like a reality check. In life, if you’re not doing your job, the boss is going to get somebody to come do it for you.”

Serving notice to the veteran Heels probably made the point easier for Love to embrace. But Brooks and Black started the second half, though, and perhaps have their jobs back.

“At halftime, I decided just to go with different people,” Williams said. “I trust Garrison but even Garrison has got to be held to a high standard defensively. And Leaky I think can be one of the best defensive players in the league and he's got to be held to a high standard defensively.”

Carolina lost, so maybe it didn’t work on this night, but the residual was likely more the goal. So, the effect of Williams’ move should show itself in time, if it does at all.