UNC Basketball: Will Roy Williams, North Carolina pursue graduate transfers?
Will Roy Williams and the North Carolina Tar Heels pursue graduate transfers for the 2017-18 season?
I’ve been asked several times recently about the possibility of Roy Williams signing a graduate transfer for the upcoming season.
Could it happen? What are the chances? Who might he consider?
And it’s not a bad question. After all, most of us have very fond memories of Alabama graduate transfer Justin Knox joining the team in 2010 and playing an important role for the Tar Heels.
Knox, who played three seasons for the Crimson Tide before graduating early and seeking a transfer, joined the Tar Heels in his final year of college eligibility.
He played admirably for a North Carolina team that won 29 games and the ACC’s regular season crown. The Tar Heels also made an appearance in the East Regional Final before falling to Kentucky, consequently ending their season.
Knox, though, is the exception to the rule. At least if you’re talking about Roy Williams and the University of North Carolina in regards to transfer players.
But here is my response, in general, to all of your questions.
Roy Williams, at heart, is a teacher. He likes to recruit players that he can teach and mold into guys that perform well in his system while representing the school with pride and dignity.
By the time a player has graduated and is preparing to exhaust his final bit of college eligibility at another school, there is very little left to teach said individual and limited time to even attempt to do so. The player is also much harder to untrain bad habits or blend into a completely different system than he is used to.
For Williams to bring a player on board that he has no prior knowledge of or experience with, would require a perfect fit in terms of skill and character. And when it comes to Williams, the character piece is ultimately far more important than the skill aspect.
Knox, for example, fit in well with a North Carolina team that already had talent and experience. He was coachable and well-received by his teammates. He was also a good leader to the highly touted freshman class of Harrison Barnes, Kendall Marshall and Reggie Bullock.
It’s also worth noting that Williams is not easily stirred. He won’t get nervous to make a move that isn’t completely sensible and well-thought-out. Particularly fresh off his third NCAA Tournament championship in 13 seasons.
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Having said that, I find it highly unlikely that you’ll see a graduate transfer wearing a North Carolina uniform in 2017.