Bleacher Report - Articles by Michael Peila

UNC Basketball: Tar Heels Put a Thumping on Georgia Tech

Michael Peila — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 17:32:13 -0500

UNC Tar Heels 104 - Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 74.

This was the game that all UNC fans were hoping to see for the last eight weeks. Having a week off did the Tar Heels some good, as they put together their best performance in the last two months. It was a great way to end February and hopefully it will carry over into March.

There were great contributions from all the players on both sides of the ball as UNC held GT to 44 percent shooting while shooting 53 percent, and outrebounded GT by 12 boards.

Coach Roy Williams was quoted as saying that all UNC did during practice was work on fundamentals the last week and it showed, as the Tar Heels worked well by starting to look inside first and then working outside the entire game.

Tyler Hansbrough worked over Georgia Tech's front line for 28 points and 10 rebounds, coming back from an 11-point outing against Maryland. That was the type of performance UNC fans had become accustomed to last year as he won Player Of The Year honors.

Danny Green contributed 23 points, six rebounds, and a couple of big blocks while Ty Lawson showed he can control a game and involve his teammates without having to score a lot of points. Wayne Ellington, Tyler Zeller, Larry Drew II, Ed Davis, Deon Thompson, and Bobby Frasor all made contributions during the game, as UNC played true team basketball.

I truly believe that the Tar Heels were absolutely relentless today, playing in-your-face defense and looking for open teammates on offense. In recent games, UNC has been out-hustled to the ball and did not play smart defensively.

There was a vast improvement against GT, as UNC players were diving for loose balls, rebounding well, and very few times left their men open on the perimeter to double a player down low who could have been guarded one on one.

One of the best moves I saw today was when UNC was up by 24 and became a little too comfortable, allowing Georgia Tech to score three straight times. Williams called a timeout, reamed his players, and then the Tar Heels took control again.

UNC needs to keep this kind of intensity the rest of the season, their last two ACC games, the ACC Tourney, and into March Madness.

I, for one, have not been impressed with UNC's play the last two months and have made no bones stating my feelings. I try to be realistic in my observations, but even I could find very little wrong with their play today. I believe that UNC should take the above picture and hang it in their locker room to remind them of what they are capable of doing.

GO HEELS!!!

UNC Basketball: What Is Going On In Chapel Hill?

Michael Peila — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:06:46 -0500

First of all, congratulations to Boston College for its stellar play against North Carolina, and to Wake Forest for showing why it remains undefeated. Both teams played smart, aggressive basketball against the Tar Heels, and deserved to have won. Now on to tougher matters.

What has happened to the former No. 1 team in the nation? That could be the question North Carolina coach Roy Williams is asking the official in the picture above.

With all the blue-chippers coming back, this was supposed to be a cakewalk to a National Championship, at least as the media led us to believe. Call off the season, they wrote, as the Tar Hells are a shoe-in in Detroit.

Some people really bought into the hype, and lots more jumped on the bandwagon. All these accolades came even though Bobby Frasor was coming off major ACL damage, Marcus Ginyard wouldn't be able to even jog until December, Ty Zeller gets hurt in the second game, and Tyler Hansbrough has shin problems. Yes, North Carolina breezed against lesser opponents and the Tar Heels showed what they were capable of against the likes of Michigan State and Notre Dame, yet something still wasn't quite right.

I for one never thought North Carolina was going to go undefeated, nor did I think the Tar Heels would breeze through the ACC schedule, as five other teams in the conference returned all five of their starters. Even though most of those teams are fairly young, they still have game experience to fall back on.

Last night's game against the Demon Deacons wasn't a surprise to me, as North Carolina was on the road, and Wake Forest was hungry to show they were as good as advertised. The game against Boston College was a shock, as I felt that the Tar Heels would play tougher and play smarter than in the previous three games, as this was their home and ACC opener.

Did Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson really buy into the team concept Williams was preaching, or are they trying to prove to the scouts that they are NBA lottery picks? Where is the perimeter defense they both displayed early on in the season, and the good decision making?

Is Hansbrough truly healthy, or is he not feeling 100 percent, as he has looked gassed in the last couple of games? Where has Deon Thompson disappeared to, and who is that imposter wearing No. 21? Bobby Frasor is having problems moving backwards trying to keep up with his man, and his shot selection has not been good. Ginyard is not in game shape, and no one knows how long—if ever this season— it will take him to get there, so don't count on him.

The Tar Heels have far more questions, it seems, than they have answers. Let's just take the first two ACC games they played. There was no team chemistry, and heaven forbid players should run plays on offense or play defense.

Lawson has taken his fabulous 5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and nearly reversed it. He is barely shooting 30 percent from the floor, and still tries to take the game into his own hands. The Eagles' Tyrese Rice and Wake Forest's Jeff Teague have torn him apart, and the Nevada point guard took it to him throughout that game.

I also noticed that Wake Forest coach Dino Gaudio had only one player assigned to rebound on North Carolina free throws, keeping the other players back on defense to stop the Tar Heels' primary and secondary breaks on misses. Smart move, as Lawson repeatedly played right into the Demon Deacons' hands by forcing his way into the lane and either missing or having his shot blocked. Lawson is playing like he did as a freshman, and making poor decisions.

Ellington has scored in double figures both games, but he has not shot well and has fallen in love with the three-point shot again. He needs to learn to create his own shot, drive to the basket, and also learn that making a 10- to 15-footer should be his first priority on offense. He also has not played good perimeter defense, as Teague also tore him apart consistently.

Thompson has gone soft and has been in foul trouble. Yet I feel that part of his problem has been that he has not gotten in deep enough position down low, and Lawson and Ellington have not looked for him either, instead choosing to shoot from the outside.

Hansbrough has not been getting the ball in good position for that same reason. North Carolina needs to start working the ball down low, or in high-low positions as teams have been playing zone, knowing that perimeter shooting has not been the Tar Heels' strength lately.

Now I am just a high school coach and have no designs on becoming a college coach, yet I am going to offer some suggestions to try to shake things up. Whether you agree with them or not, I feel something needs to happen.

Bench Ellington, move Danny Green to shooting guard, and start Ed Davis. This gives North Carolina three legitimate big men down low. Green has shown—especially this season—that he is a better perimeter defender and a better outside shooter than Ellington. This will also provide an offensive spark off the bench, as Frasor has shown he can't score and maybe it will light a fire under Ellington.
Play Will Graves more, as he has shown that he is not afraid to go to the hoop and play some tough defense. He is big and strong enough to battle down low, is quick enough to guard on the perimeter, and causes match-up problems for the defense.
Lawson needs to make better decisions handling the ball, and if the shot or drive is not there, bring it out. He needs to stop forcing the ball, as his shot selection for the last two games has been atrocious. Also, instead of thinking that he needs to prove himself—like he did at one point, going toe-to-toe with Teague—he should just play smart defense, keeping his opponent in front of him. There is a difference between being quick and being fast. Lawson has shown he is fast, by all means, but Rice and Teague are quick and Lawson needs to adjust to players like that. I can't remember how many times Teague left Lawson and Ellington standing there hanging on to their jock straps as he crossed over or juked his way to the basket. If Lawson can't adjust, then give Larry Drew II more playing time, as he is a better defender and moves better laterally on defense.
If having the three big men starting isn't appealing, then start Ed Davis instead of Thompson, as Davis is longer, a better rebounder and defender, and can score at least the six points per game that Thompson averages. Plus, that will open things up more for Hansbrough.
If North Carolina cannot defend man-to-man on the perimeter adequately, then play a match-up zone sometimes. Playing a zone is not a bad ploy, as teams have lit up the Tar Heels consistently, as North Carolina has proved it cannot get around picks properly over the last four games.
Instead of running down and jacking up three's five to 10 seconds into the shot clock, pass the ball around and run the offense. I am sure the Tar Heels have one, as I have seen the "JV" players go in and run it very well at the end of blowouts. As much as I like seeing North Carolina put up 100 points on a team, I would rather see them score 70-80, playing good defense and taking good shots. A win is a win, no matter how low the score is.
Look down low first, and then work it out. Hansbrough is not getting enough looks or touches. Also, I know that Hansbrough has developed a nice mid-range game, but whoever told him he was a 3-point shooter should be castrated. Don't let him shoot beyond 15 feet, as that is not his game. He took two 3-pointers that were horrible, and the second one just about killed any opportunity for a comeback win.

As a North Carolina fan, last night I gave thanks for offensive rebounding and Danny Green—the only things that kept the Tar Heels alive. Of course, if you are getting a lot of offensive rebounds, then you are missing a lot of shots, so they need to convert more consistently. Green played his best all-around game to date and even shut down Teague when given the chance.

It just seems that some players have been playing for themselves instead of being part of the team. There is no reason with the talent, experience, and depth that North Carolina has that the Tar Heels shouldn't still be undefeated or have at least one loss—the one last night. I do not mind seeing them lose, as long as they lose while playing smart and being competitive.

Can North Carolina turn it around? I believe they can, as Williams is a great coach and will not tolerate what has been going on. Can the Tar Heels win the ACC? Possibly, but starting 0-2 will not help them, as other teams like Duke and Wake Forest are playing hot right now. Can they get a No. 1-seed, and make it to the Final Four? Yes, they can, as the season is only half over. But they better start playing like they can, and playing like they want it.

Right now, taking it "one game at a time," is a good philosophy. I know that this team has been compared to the 2005 squad, but that team was smarter, more disciplined, hungrier, and improved as the season went along. Yes, they hit a few snags playing poorly, but they responded by playing better the next game and learning from their mistakes. Come on Roy, put this thing right.

BC-UNC: The Wake-Up Call

Michael Peila — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 12:35:13 -0500

Great game Rice, Sanders, Jackson, and the rest of the BC basketball team. You played a smart and tough game against the No. 1 team in the nation on their home floor and it showed on the scoreboard.

Thanks for giving UNC the wake-up call they needed to show them that just because they have "North Carolina" on the front of their uniforms, they can't just cruise through games. I would have thought that the Nevada game would have been the wake-up call needed for UNC to set up the tough ACC conference schedule they would have to go through.

Now, before anyone thinks I am a UNC hater or even, dare I say, a band-wagoner, please be assured I am a lifelong, loyal, die-hard UNC fan. I am realistic regarding their team and how they play, not willing to see things through Carolina Blue glasses.

I have written in several comments and in my last article that UNC would need to play their best game every game to be undefeated in the ACC and for the season. I have also pointed out that I did not think UNC would go undefeated for several reasons and tonight was the perfect example due to their play, or lack thereof.

UNC did not play good defense, especially on the perimeter where a senior, a sophomore, and a freshman drilled outside shot after outside shot. Lawson proved to be human, turning the ball over at inopportune times and allowing Rice to have his way with him.

UNC never utilized their size advantage inside by shooting from the outside quickly and not looking inside first. Too many turnovers and too many missed free throws.

Need I go on? BC is a better team than people thought even though they are young. 13-2 isn't too shabby, plus they play in the ACC which is no slouch of a conference.

I for one am glad to see the undefeated season go by the wayside. Too much pressure for any team to handle, much less UNC. No team will go undefeated this year. Sorry, Pitt fans.

I feel that UNC has got a monkey off their back and now can concentrate strictly on playing Tar Heel basketball. No laurels to rest on now or goals beyond their reach. I also feel that now that they have a sour taste in their mouths, especially at home, they will not be cocky or play on cruise control, but will just take it to the other teams they play the rest of the way.

I feel they will go through ACC play with three losses, but will still make the Final Four and have a great shot at winning the National Championship.

Which UNC team went undefeated winning the NC before this year? Hmmm...

So, in conclusion, thanks BC for humbling UNC and probably waking a sleeping monster for the rest of the season. I feel sorry for their next opponent, ACC or not.

GO HEELS!!!!

UNC-Nevada: Not a Great Showing...Jet Lag?

Michael Peila — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:53:50 -0500

I had the pleasure of attending the UNC-Nevada game on Dec. 31. My wife and I drove 10 hours from Idaho to Nevada so I could realize a life-long sports dream of seeing a UNC team play in person. I couldn't have picked a better year to finally do it, with UNC 12-0 and beating opponents by an average of 20 points per game.

We arrived early to watch warmups and I got to take pictures of the players warming up an hour before the game, except for Ty Lawson, who was the only player to not come out.

I watched Hansbrough get the superstar treatment and a trainer loosened him up for 10 minutes before he shot around. Ty Zeller looked good in a suit and tie, rebounding and passing the ball out to teammates but would have looked better in uniform. I got pictures of Danny Green, Ty Ellington, Ed Davis, Deon Thompson, and Bobby Frasor shooting around.

UNC players were loose and looked ready to have another blowout game. The other UNC fans, my wife and myself, were in awe and we all talked about the team and season like family even though we were from different parts of the country. I settled in and at tip-off was into the game.

Unfortunately, UNC started out like they did against Kansas, falling behind and playing with no intensity. Hansbrough was continually being beaten by Nevada's star freshman Luke Babbitt off the dribble and from the outside. Lawson played no defense and only Deon Thompson inside and Danny Green outside kept UNC close the first five plus minutes.

UNC only showed defensive tenacity in spurts and looked like the No. 1 team in the nation when they felt like it. I have read in some articles that UNC's defense was very good, which it was at times, but Nevada missed a lot of easy inside shots and open jumpers on their own that could have kept them closer in the first half and attributed to their low shooting percentage.

I know I am sounding negative regarding UNC's performance, yet I am being honest in my evaluations. If this was an ACC game and UNC played the same way they did against Nevada, they would have lost...badly.

Don't know if it was the long trip out west or something else, but even though I enjoyed the atmosphere, the company of fellow diehard UNC fans, the company of my wife and a win, I was disappointed with the lack of intensity and casual play of the team for most of the game.

If I had not watched the game and I was told UNC won by 23 points, I would have expected them to have played like they did in some of their previous wins. Don't get me wrong. I am a life-long, loyal, diehard UNC basketball fan, but I am also realistic when it comes to how they play and am not blinded by fan loyalty. I am going to give you some of my positives and negatives regarding the game and also postgame.

Positives

Ed Davis: Played tough on the inside altering and blocking shots plus rebounding very well. He took some good shots and almost got a double-double.

Wayne Ellington: Finally started taking the ball strong to the hoop getting fouled and opening up his outside shot opportunities. Played some solid defense on the perimeter fighting through screens and sticking with his man. His three pointer at the end of the first half was a thing of beauty.

Will Graves: Played solid offensively and defensively coming off the bench and ignited some fast breaks playing solid defense in the full court press.

Deon Thompson and Danny Green: Played solidly in the first half scoring and rebounding to keep UNC close and then ahead of Nevada. Green really stepped up his defense the second half making shots difficult for Babbitt and getting a monster block on a Nevada breakaway layup.

Negatives

Lack of defensive intensity in the beginning of the game and in spurts throughout the game allowed Nevada to have a lead most of the first 10 minutes hang around.

Hansbrough: He had the quietest 22 points of his career and only three rebounds. As I mentioned before, anytime he guarded Babbitt, he got beat. Not a typical Hansbrough performance, as he looked sluggish.

Ty Lawson: Also a quiet performance offensively but did get five rebounds and dished out seven assists. He also lacked defensive intensity as his man repeatedly took him to the basket and scored on short jumpers.

His free throw-shooting was also poor, as he did not take advantage of getting fouled driving to the basket.

Turnovers hurt UNC at times and even though they achieved their season average, they came at some critical junctures. UNC also played Nevada's game as Nevada slowed the tempo down and packed it in the middle.

Many times UNC shot the ball from the outside within five-10 seconds into the shot clock. As small as Nevada's front line was (6'8", 6'8", 6'6"), UNC should have had a field day inside if the perimeter players would have worked the ball around. The middle was open continuously but was not utilized.

I am glad I had the opportunity to watch the possible National Champions play yet feel that they really need to work harder and play smarter when ACC play starts.

Conference play will truly show what UNC is made of what kind of shot they have at a National Title. I have to give the Nevada team credit for playing hard and not giving up even when the lead was twenty points or more.

The Nevada fans should be credited for the way they supported their team and also never gave up. All in all a good game and great experience, especially after the game for me.

Postgame

There were about 20 UNC fans that stuck around after the game, mostly young kids. I stood by one of the doors that led to the locker rooms and waited to see what would happen. My patience paid off as Tyler Hansbrough and Wayne Ellington came out after they spoke at the postgame conference.

Feeling like a little kid, I still walked up to them and spoke with them briefly. I shook them by the hands and calmly walked away until I got to my wife which I then acted like a kid in a candy store. Hansbrough is a legitimate 6'9" and pretty buff. Ellington is about 6'4" and slender.

Roy Williams walked out and was very gracious to all the fans taking pictures with them and signing autographs. I spoke with him briefly and got his autograph. A great person and gentleman. Drew II and Deon Thompson came out but would not sign autographs for the kids. Pretty disappointing.

Bobby Frasor and Marc Campbell came out and signed autographs. The rest of the players stayed in the locker room. I walked around towards the scorer's table and there in all his 7'1" glory was Eric Montross wrapping up his commentary.

He stood up, looked down at me, said "hi" and started to walk away. I caught up to him and asked for his autograph as he was one of my all-time favorite players. He smiled and gave me his autograph.

All in all an awesome experience attending the game and meeting players and Roy Williams. Not that I want to, but I can die a happy UNC fan after this great experience. I also wish to thank my wife for providing me this opportunity. Now, bring on the ACC.

GO HEELS!!!!!

2008 USC Football Awards

Michael Peila — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:33:37 -0500

I am life long USC Football fan. I grew up in the Los Angeles area. My father and I attended many USC games at the Coliseum and several Rose Bowl games. I love the college football atmosphere and the excitement that it brings to games. I have read several articles regarding USC's program on this site and am impressed with the quality of writing and open-mindedness shown.

Since there are far too many weeks waiting for the bowl games, I thought I would give out some awards to members of the USC Football team to pass the time. Most are honestly how I feel, but there are a couple that are poking fun. For each award I will give my explanation as to why the player received the award, since most of these are not "traditional" awards. Feel free to add your own awards and have fun with this.

2008 USC Football Awards

“All Academic” Award - Garrett Green (3.43 GPA in business administration)
Backup QB who also plays different positions. Nice to see a true student-athlete.

“No Run Backs” Award - David Buehler
Kicker who doesn’t allow the opposition the chance to run one back all the way.

“Wrap Them Up, Beat Them Down” Award – Taylor Mays
Stud safety who either makes the sure tackle or makes a player regret getting open.

“Biggest Difference Offensive Player” Award – Damian Williams
Sure-handed fast receiver who surprised a lot of people with his impact.

“Most Outstanding Offensive Player” Award – Mark Sanchez
First full year starting and proved he is a quality QB and great leader.

“Most Reliable Offensive Player” Award – Stanley Havili
Does all the little dirty things well without fanfare or press recognition.

“I Don’t Get Enough Playing Time” Award – Broderick Green & Vidal Hazelton
Who knows the real reason they are transferring? Maybe they should have taken into consideration what happened to Moody at Florida after he transferred.

“Best Walk-On Player” Award – Clay Matthews
Not wanted by other programs and worked himself into a great versatile player.

“Best Return Run” Award – C.J. Gable vs Stanford (93 yds)
Great kick return by an awesome running back.

“Best QB Protection” Award – Kris O’Dowd
Great lineman who will only get better.

“Most Improved Offensive Player” Award – Patrick Turner
Didn’t show much in 2007, but became clutch possession receiver.

“Best Hands (No Fumbling)” Award – Stafon Johnson
Reliable back who takes care of the ball.

“Speed” Award – Ronald Johnson
Sarkesian needed to utilize him more down field, as he was a threat to break one open at any time.

“RB With Best Upside” Award – Marc Tyler
Showed flashes of what is to come; a very fast and strong back.

“Best Defensive Lineman” Award – Kyle Moore & Fili Moala
Both were monsters terrorizing the line of scrimmage and backfields.

“DL With Best Upside” Award – Everson Griffen
Needs a little more seasoning and will become a monster DL in his own right.

“Best Freshman Defensive Player” Award – Chris Gallipo
Showed potential of becoming the next great USC LB.

“Most Outstanding Defensive Player” Award – Rey Maualuga
An animal with a motor that never quits. Improved every year.

“Best Run From Scrimmage” Award – Joe McKnight vs UCLA
Great run that showed how good McKnight can really be when he runs forward, follows his blockers, and uses his speed in the open field.

“Best Freshman Offensive Player” Award – Blake Ayler
Was a good blocker and even better receiver before getting injured.

“Best ‘Pancake’ (Blocking) Award” – Jeff Byers
Flattens one or two defensive players every play, allowing the RB’s to run free.

“Intimidation” Award – Brian Cushing
Cushing is a beast, causing players run away from his side regularly.

“Waiting My Turn And Making The Most Of It” Award – Kaluka Maiava
What does it say about the USC linebackers when a player waits behind an All-American (Rivers) and plays just as well?

“Flying Under the Radar On Offense” Award – Anthony McCoy
Thought of as a blocking TE, but ended up being a very good receiver as well.

“Biggest Rip-Off Game” – Beating down Washington, then dropping in the polls.
The computers, polls, and the BCS all stink!

I hope you enjoyed these. Like I said at the beginning, come and join in with your own awards. FIGHT ON!!!!!

Let's Give UNC's Roy Williams Some Credit!

Michael Peila — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 06:08:28 -0500

Roy Allen Williams is head coach of the men's basketball team at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After averaging about an 80 percent win percentage in 15 seasons at the University of Kansas, he became the 18th head coach at North Carolina when he replaced Matt Doherty in 2003.

Williams is second all-time for most wins at Kansas behind Phog Allen, and third all-time in the NCAA for winning percentage. He earned his 400th win in January 2003, when Kansas beat the University of Wyoming. Coach Williams won his 500th career game against High Point University on Dec. 9, 2006 in Chapel Hill.

On April 4, 2005, Williams shed his title as "the most successful coach to never have won an NCAA ring" as his Tar Heels defeated the University of Illinois in the 2005 NCAA Championship game. Williams was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.

Pretty impressive resume, yet Roy Williams never gets credit for being the outstanding coach and person he truly is.

His "critics" always point out there have been lots of "loaded" teams he has coached that have never won a championship, and that he has only won one championship while winning with another coach's recruits. Never mind that it takes more than "loaded" teams to win a championship, as injuries, timing, playing as a team, players' mentalities, etc. all play into that scenario.

Also, he took a group of players recruited by Doherty who were talented and had lots of potential, yet were dysfunctional as a team, and he molded them into a championship team.

Still, Roy Williams is overrated as a coach. Sounds like either petty jealousies or his critics don't know what they are talking about. I feel both apply.

I never hear how overrated coaches like Lute Olson, Jim Valvano, Jim Boeheim, and others are for not winning with "loaded" teams and only winning one championship. Some great coaches never win a championship or even get their teams in the Final Four but have not come under the same scrutiny as Roy Williams.

It seems to me that some people are even at the point of loathing Williams. Why all the hate and scrutiny?

In 1988, Williams left North Carolina and became the head coach of the University of Kansas Jayhawks, replacing former North Carolina assistant and UCLA head coach Larry Brown, who had taken the position as head coach of the NBA's San Antonio Spurs. He was hired just months after the Danny Manning-led Jayhawks unexpectedly won the 1988 NCAA championship.

Weeks after taking the position, KU was placed on probation for violations that took place prior to his arrival. Yet Williams coached 15 seasons at Kansas (from 1988-2003). During that time he had a record of 418-101, a .805 winning percentage. Williams' Kansas teams averaged 27.8 wins per season.

Except for his first season at Kansas (when the team was on probation), all of Williams' teams made the NCAA tournament. Not bad taking over a program on probation with a depleted squad that still finished 19-12 with nothing really to play for.

Even though he did not win a championship at Kansas, he helped renew the greatness of a Kansas program that potentially could have fallen on bad times.

Coach Williams is not only an outstanding coach but also an outstanding person. He donates to charity, and he and his wife are involved in community affairs.

The Williams family has contributed $200,000 to the Carolina Covenant, an initiative at North Carolina that allows low-income students to attend the University debt-free. Roy and Wanda serve as honorary co-chairs of a $10 million campaign to endow the program.

I have read many articles concerning recruits who have said that they want to play for Roy Williams because he is honest, doesn't promise anything, and will ultimately groom them to be better players and persons.

In an interview with the parents of Larry Drew II, Drew's mother did not want him to play so far away from home, but after talking with Coach Williams, felt that her son would be taken care of because Williams cared about his welfare. The list goes on and on.

This year, I have been particularly impressed with how Williams has handled his team so far. There is a significant difference in the maturity level and skill level these young men are playing at. They are playing as a team and not looking to pad individual stats. Williams demands a lot from his players and they are responding.

I for one am proud to be a UNC fan and love that Roy Williams is the coach. I look forward to the rest of this year and the years to come, as the 2009 class looks to be outstanding and the 2010 class is rounding out to be another good one.

This year and the years to come will show how great a coach and person Williams is as he molds his players to play team ball and also assists them in becoming valuable members of society. GO HEELS!!!

Here are some of Williams' accomplishments as a coach.

* Williams won more games in the first 15 seasons of his coaching career than anyone else in NCAA history.

* Williams is the 12th coach to lead two schools to the Final Four and the third (with Larry Brown and Frank McGuire) to direct two schools to the championship game.

* Williams is third all-time in NCAA Tournament wins with 49 and has an NCAA postseason win percentage of .731, fourth-best among active coaches. Eight of his teams have been seeded No. 1 in a region in NCAA play.

* Williams has coached a team to 30 or more wins eight times, which is the second-most in NCAA history. He has won 20 or more games 18 times in 20 years (winning 19 in his first seasons at Kansas and North Carolina), including 14 straight seasons at Kansas, a streak that equaled the third-longest in NCAA history.

* He was the third-fastest coach in history to reach 300 wins and fourth fastest to 400. He reached 500 wins in his 19th season, faster than any other Division I coach.

* He has won more games than any coach after eight, nine, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 seasons as a head coach. He is the second-winningest Jayhawk coach in history behind Smith's college coach, Phog Allen.

* Williams earned National Coach of the Year honors at Kansas in 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1997 and was Big Eight/Big 12 Coach of the Year seven times (1990, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2002, and 2003). The New York Athletic Club presented him with its National Coach of the Year award in 2005. He received the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award in 2003 from the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

* Williams helped coach Team USA to a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece with fellow North Carolina alumnus (and former Kansas coach) Larry Brown.

* Williams is the winningest active coach by percentage among coaches with at least 10 years experience. His teams have a 566-134 record, a win percentage of .808.

* Williams captured his 100th overall victory since coaching in the ACC on March 4, 2007, against the Duke Blue Devils. Williams is the second-fastest ACC coach to reach 100 victories.

* Williams has won at least one game in the NCAA Tournament for 19 consecutive years (all-time record).