Ranking All UNC’s Tournament Runs Under Roy Williams
By John Bauman
Mar 19, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams reacts against the Harvard Crimson in the first half of a game in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Jacksonville Veteran Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
#8: 2004
Roy’s first tournament appearance as the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels was in 2004. Led by Sean May, Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants and Jawad Williams, this Tar Heel team had a lot of potential, but it wouldn’t be realized until the 2005 season. In 2004, the team went 18-10 in the regular season and earned a six seed in the NCAA Tournament. Carolina got past Air Force in round one, but Texas proved to be too tough to handle in the Round of 32.
This tournament and this year in general was an absolutely crucial step, however, in molding the 2005 National Championship team. In 2004, the Tar Heels reestablished a winning atmosphere in Chapel Hill. Roy got the Tar Heels ranked in the final AP Poll for the first time in three years and players like Sean May and Raymond Felton made great strides over the course of the season. Fans might have wanted a deeper tournament run in year one in the tournament from Roy, but they couldn’t argue with a National Championship a year later.
Next: 2013