NCAA Tournament: Roy Williams talks to media after Final Four victory

North Carolina head coach Roy Williams talks to media after Tar Heels survive Ducks in Final Four

The North Carolina Tar Heels beat the Oregon Ducks on Saturday night by the smallest of margins, returning to the National Championship game for the second time in as many seasons.

Led by Kennedy Meeks’ 25 points and 14 rebounds, the Tar Heels overcame a poor shooting night from starters Joel Berry II and Isaiah Hicks who were a combined 3-for-26 from the floor.

Meeks, though, was extraordinary.

Apr 1, 2017; Glendale, AZ, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Kennedy Meeks (3) grabs the rebound at the end of the game for the win over the Oregon Ducks in the semifinals of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Final Four at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

The senior power forward put the team on his back, tying a career-high in points and grabbing eight of his 14 rebounds on the offensive side of the court.

And although he missed two free throws that could have helped ice the game for the Tar Heels, he grabbed the final rebound of the game which kept Oregon from attempting a game-winning shot.

After the game, head coach Roy Williams spoke to the media about his team’s heart-stopping win and second consecutive trip to the national title game.

Williams was asked what it feels like to get back to the national title game this year with the opportunity to win where they came up short last season.

"“Two or three emotions,” Williams said. “I really don’t think about it a lot. I really don’t. It’s this team. I’m coaching a new group of kids. And making it back to the national championship game is amazing. Oh, you did it that last year? Well, that still makes it even more amazing kind of thing.But we really don’t talk about that all the time. Like I’ve told you guys ever since I got here and even in the regionals, the only thing I’ve said about it is when was you guys had the most fun in your life playing basketball? They said, last year. I said, let’s remember that. Let’s do the work. Let’s put in the time, the work, the sacrifices to make sure we get there.But no, it’s an amazing thing. And 351 teams start playing and this is the second year in a row we were one of two left.”"

And Williams was asked about how his team’s experience helps when facing Gonzaga, a team that has never been in the championship game before.

"“You know, on game night kids gotta play,” Williams said. “That’s the bottom line. I’ve never won a game from the bench. I may have lost some, but I know I’ve never won one. We’ve gotta go out and play and do the best we can and try to do the best we can on offense and then the best we can on defense, and the best we can on offense and the best we can on defense.I looked at the score at halftime as I was walking off the court for the first time, because I was trying to focus on the way we were playing. The question over here was how we struggled offensively. Their defense was better than our offense early. But what helped us later because we started defending a little better ourselves, and then we could run out and play against their defense before they got set. Their defense was hard to find the openings that we usually find a lot easier than we did today. But it’s very fortunate for us that we’re still here playing.”"

The Tar Heels have experienced their fair share of bumps in the road this season, particularly in losses to Georgia Tech and Miami, where they were uncharacteristically dominated in multiple facets of the game.

Apr 1, 2017; Glendale, AZ, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Joel Berry II (2) is defended by Oregon Ducks guard Dylan Ennis (31) in the semifinals of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Final Four at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /

It goes without being said, though, that North Carolina has grown this season, especially in the month of March.

It’s little surprise to anyone that a Roy Williams coached team would excel in the final month of the season, given his propensity for getting deep in the NCAA Tournament.

This is Williams’ ninth Final Four and fifth since returning to UNC in 2003. He’s taken the Tar Heels to four national title games and is looking to win his third NCAA championship in 14 seasons at his alma mater.

Williams on his team’s progression and growth throughout the course of the season:

"“You know, this team this year has been a stop and start — one step forward, one step back, two steps forward, one step back,” Williams said. “But they’ve really played pretty darned well on game day. I’ve been frustrated with them. Last year we got better and better and better. And we lost three or four conference games, four, I guess. But we lost at Louisville, at Notre Dame and lost to somebody else, and lost to Duke at home.But we kept getting better and better. I’ve been begging and pleading and cajoling and kicking and stomping and screaming, trying to get them better defensively. And I thought in the second half today we were better defensively than we have been in quite a while. So after 100 practices, I hope you get better a little bit or it means the coach is not doing a very good job.”"

The Tar Heels will savor tonight’s win for a few hours before beginning preparation to play Gonzaga at 9:20 ET on Monday night.

Stick with Keeping It Heel for continued coverage of the North Carolina Tar Heels and their march through the 2017 NCAA Tournament.

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