Roy Williams: UNC Wouldn't Have Played Marquette If I'd Known We'd Lose

Another legendary ACC coach expressed some frustration with a reporter following a loss.

North Carolina head coach Roy Williams was asked to address those who were questioning whether the Tar Heels should have scheduled a late-February game against Marquette following Wednesday's 83-70 loss and seemed to take issue with the inquiry.

"Well if I'd known we were going to lose, God almighty, I wouldn't have scheduled the thing," Williams said. "C'mon. We can't operate in damn hindsight, God almighty. If you'd told me we were going to lose, hell yeah, we wouldn't have played the game. If you'd told me we're going to beat the Lakers, I would have scheduled them. Carolina fans are not that dumb. If they are, I got no answer."

This time of year is typically reserved for conference play as teams battle for positioning in the league standings and seeding for the eventual NCAA tournament.

Yet North Carolina scheduled this game against a Big East team that likely will not be in the Big Dance and paid dearly for it. David Cobb of CBSSports.com noted it was the team's first Quad 3 loss of the season, which will hurt it come Selection Sunday.

The Tar Heels are very much on the bubble and entered play as a No. 9 seed in the latest bracket projection from Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller. They were classified as a team with "work to do" in the bubble breakdown from ESPN's John Gasaway, and that was before this loss.

Marquette torched North Carolina's defense for 45 points in the first half and was largely on cruise control the rest of the way.

Williams isn't the first notable ACC coach to express some frustration with a reporter during a press conference following a loss this season. In fact, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski apologized to a student reporter after angrily responding to a question following a loss to Louisville.

North Carolina, which at least won its previous two games prior to Wednesday, will now be under the microscope even more in the season's stretch run.

It faces No. 11 Florida State on Saturday, which is an opportunity to add a marquee win to its resume to counterbalance this loss.