Keeping It Heel
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UNC Basketball: Roy Williams’ comments out of line?

By Carson Brown

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 21: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after his players turned the ball over against the UCLA Bruins during the CBS Sports Classic at T-Mobile Arena on December 21, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Tar Heels defeated the Bruins 74-64. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 21: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after his players turned the ball over against the UCLA Bruins during the CBS Sports Classic at T-Mobile Arena on December 21, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Tar Heels defeated the Bruins 74-64. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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Roy Williams had some harsh comments for his UNC Basketball team following their embarrassing loss to Georgia Tech at home last Saturday. But how did his team respond?

“We stunk, OK. We were not very good,” Williams said. “The crazy thing about it is, our team, and we’ve had some very gifted teams, this is not a very gifted team. It’s just not.”

On Monday following the embarrassing loss to Georgia Tech Roy Williams said this on his weekly talk show, and it rubbed some North Carolina fans the wrong way. Were Williams’ sentiments warranted? And if so, should he have publicly stated them? He’s obviously got every right to feel that way, because, after all, he’s been around the college game for a long time. But do his comments ultimately help or hurt his team?

This team has as much talent on paper as most programs around the nation. I understand the injury to Cole Anthony (who was the headliner of this year’s recruiting class) was demoralizing, to say the least, but come on. Even with Anthony out, the lineup is still loaded with skill. Take a look at the current starting lineup, and how they were rated coming into college:

Jeremiah Francis (4 stars)
Brandon Robinson (4 stars)
Leaky Black (4 stars)
Garrison Brooks (4 stars)
Armando Bacot (5 stars).

No matter what injuries this team has been forced to endure, it’s still a talented roster. At the end of the day, what makes me question Williams blaming his team is the fact that he recruited these kids.

If they lack so much talent, then why did you recruit them? And honestly, you have the power of North Carolina basketball in the palm of your hands. One of the most prestigious sports teams in the history of the country — not just college basketball — in any league of any sport.

Williams pretty much has the ability to walk into a high school gym, and handpick his starting lineup for the upcoming year, yet he’s going to blame his players for not being talented enough? Granted, there were some down years on the recruiting trail due to the four-year-long NCAA investigation into the program, but he was still getting talent that most schools don’t regularly get.

The comment seemed like a bit of an excuse from Williams, and that’s something we’ve rarely seen from the Hall-of-Fame head coach. Is he waving the white flag on the season and calling it quits? I don’t know, but I do know that these are dark times for the UNC basketball program.

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At the end of the day, this team is struggling and the last thing this team needs is the head coach telling the whole world that it’s their fault, and that the team lacks talent. It makes the players feel like they’re on an island, and nobody believes in them. After all, if their own coach doesn’t believe in them, who will?

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