UNC Basketball: Top 15 moments under Roy Williams

Marcus Paige’s Senior Night speech

By Nick Delahanty

Senior Night is always a special occasion in Chapel Hill.

One of the best Senior Night traditions that the UNC basketball program has adopted occurs after the final buzzer sounds. Regardless of the game’s outcome, the senior members of the program have an opportunity to speak in front of a packed crowd at the Dean Smith Center.

Over the years, there have been some memorable speeches made by some of the most impactful players that have worn the Carolina blue. Among all these heartfelt speeches, none standout more than Marcus Paige’s Senior Night address back in 2016.
If you’ve been on social media over the last few days, there’s a very good chance you’ve seen the video of Paige’s speech at some point on your feed. If you haven’t had the chance to re-watch it, here’s a reminder of what Paige had to say about Coach Williams:

"“You just believed in me, and I can’t thank you enough for that, because that allowed me to be a confident person in my and help me grow as a person. And I know the most important thing, I know my mom’s going to appreciate this, is I’ve started taking note of the thought of the day every day in practice. “Because it’s a lot of words of wisdom. And I know one day (I’m not going) to walk through this tunnel and meet with you at the beginning of practice every day. And I’ve tried to be every bit the player you wanted me to be, but you’ve made me a better man. And that’s the most important thing. I’m 10 times a better man than when I got here. Thank you.”"

Paige was able to put into words just how much Coach Williams means to him. It’s safe to say that plenty of Williams’ former players (both at UNC as well as at Kansas) feel the same way about the legendary head coach.

Simply put, Roy Williams was much more than just a basketball coach. As we reflect on his illustrious career, it’s important to remember that Williams genuinely cared about each and every one of his players. Of course, Williams focused on getting the most of his players on the court, but was just as committed to helping his student-athletes become better men throughout the process.

There are plenty of special moments that occurred during Williams’ tenure as the program’s head coach. When you try to narrow down those moments for a list like this, it’s hard not to include this speech, as it shows just what type of person Williams is both on and off the court.

So many incredible moments. So many lives changed. So much good done.