Storyline: Villanova won the NCAA championship Monday night, edging UNC on a last-second shot. But what if the game had ended differently—with UNC wearing the crown? What would have been the significance for Roy Williams?
On Monday night Roy Williams and the North Carolina Tar Heels fell just short. After Marcus Paige hit a miraculous three—he had to double clutch just to get off the shot with 4.7 ticks left—it appeared that the Tar Heels would have a chance for another title (number six) in OT.
But Jay Wright’s Wildcats had other ideas.
Courtesy: WHNT.com
In a perfectly drawn-up play Wildcat junior Kris Jenkins caught the ball, squared up, and watched his shot fall through the net as the horn sounded.
That shot gave ‘Nova its second national title, the first in 31 years. The shot will be remembered as one of the biggest plays in the tournament’s 77 year history.
What a great way to wrap up March Madness!
What if the game had ended differently—with UNC wearing the crown? What would have been the significance of the championship for Roy Williams?
It would have been UNC’s third national title under Williams during his Carolina tenure, which began not long ago, in 2003 to be specific. And not insignificantly with that win Williams would have surpassed UNC legend, Dean Smith, in the overall number of NCAA titles.
Williams, from even his earliest college years, idolized the great coach. But can the student’s legacy surpass the teacher’s? Let’s analyze that question.
Titles and Winning Games
Courtesy: freerepublic.com
While Williams would have had edged Smith as far as NCAA titles goes, Smith still holds a comfortable lead in other statistical categories.
In overall career wins: Smith had 879 and is currently ranked fourth all-time in college basketball. Williams is 95 victories behind his mentor.
In number of conference titles: Smith won 17 during his time at UNC. Williams has won 7 with Carolina.
In number of wins at Carolina: All 879 of Smith’s career wins were with the Tar Heels. Many of Williams 783 wins came at Kansas; 365 have been at UNC.
Time at UNC
Roy Williams has spent a great deal of his life in Chapel Hill. Williams was a player on the Tar Heels’ JV team in the late ‘60s. He became a prodigy of Smith’s, taking countless pages of notes, making observations in practices, and keeping stats for the legendary coach.
After a five-year absence to coach basketball and golf at a North Carolina high school, Williams returned to UNC as an assistant under Smith. Williams left after serving ten years to accept the head coaching position at Kansas.
Smith began as a UNC assistant in 1958 and remained until he retired In 1997. He spent 39 years—nearly half of his life—in Chapel Hill. It’s not that Williams’ dedication to UNC is unimpressive; it’s just that Smith’s tenure on Tobacco Road is jaw-dropping.
Moral Ethics
Roy Williams is by no means a bad person, but compared to Dean Smith he’s like Al Capone.
Courtesy: bleacherreport.com
The University of North Carolina is under investigation by the NCAA for academic fraud, that is, offering “paper classes” or classes that basically don’t exist, taken to help keep players remain eligible. It’s alleged that Williams is a big part of this scandal.
While we won’t know, for sure, until the investigation is complete, “academic fraud” is definitely not part of “The Carolina Way,” Dean Smith’s philosophy on how basketball should be played and how life should be lived.
Smith had excellent scruples. He rarely cussed (an astonishing feat for a college basketball coach) and 96.4 percent of his players stayed all four years and received degrees. Of course, that was before the era of one-and-done, but it’s still impressive.
Finally, look at the imprint Smith has left on basketball culture. Just Google “basketball quotes” to find out. A good share of quotes are from Dean Smith. Roy Williams, on the other hand, is cited infrequently.
Roy Williams is an excellent coach who has left a mark on two of college basketball’s storied programs—KU and UNC. However, at the end of the day, it is still not enough to exceed Dean Smith. Whether it be from his success or character, Smith will always be considered one of the best coaches in the history of the sport.
Coach K has already surpassed his mentor, Bobby Knight. The question remains: Can Roy Williams surpass his? Or was this past Monday night the last opportunity for the 65-year-old Williams to do so?
Questions or Comments? Email me at cameronbrown647@yahoo.com
