Roy Williams Compares Indiana's Crowds to UNC's After Loss vs. Hoosiers

North Carolina Tar Heels basketball coach Roy Williams was envious of Indiana after the Hoosiers earned a 76-67 victory over his team on Wednesday. However, his jealousy extended beyond the final score.

According to Andrew Carter of the News and Observer, Williams praised the fans at Indiana's Assembly Hall after his 1,000th game while also criticizing the ones back in North Carolina.

"It was a wonderful crowd," he said. "Gosh. I'd like to play in front of a crowd like that in the Smith Center every night other than the frickin' Duke game. And that was just—congratulations to them, their fans, their students. It was a big-time crowd."

Carter noted the sold-out crowd of 17,222 was so loud at times "it felt as though the building might be shaking."

While Williams would like to see that noise level in the Smith Center on a more consistent basis, there is something to be said about the importance of this game on Indiana's schedule. It is not every day a program with five national championships and 19 Final Four appearances pops up on the nonconference schedule for any team, even one as historically competitive as the Hoosiers.

Like Duke in Williams' comments, North Carolina is sure to create a buzz anytime it walks in to an opposing arena, especially during the nonconference portion of the slate, when fans don't get the chance to see the Tar Heels every season. 

Assembly Hall probably won't be shaking the same way on Friday when the Hoosiers host SIU Edwardsville.

Still, former North Carolina playmaker Brice Johnson took the opportunity to criticize the seating distribution inside the Smith Center:

Carter pointed out Williams has called for better crowd support at home in the past. In a different interview with Carter, the coach said the nearly 22,000-seat Smith Center is too large. He also suggested the abundance of games on television discourages fans from actually making the trip to see the game in person.

As for Assembly Hall on Wednesday, the fans were into it before the game even tipped off, with Chicago Cubs star and former Hoosier Kyle Schwarber in the house, per Andy Wittry of the Indianapolis Star:

Indiana fed off the energy and jumped out to an 8-2 lead within the first three minutes. It extended its advantage to as many as 17 points in the first half and essentially clinched the victory with a 10-3 burst late in the game after the Tar Heels climbed to within four at 61-57.

Indiana didn't give its fans reason to stop cheering with the fast start and impressive play down the stretch in crunch time.

Williams took notice.