Roy Williams is off to his seventh Final Four and the Tar Heels are installed as a 4-to-5 favorite to win the national title.
Yet, some UNC fans, or followers of Barack-a-tology, are worried Ol' Roy will screw up another Final Four.
Why?
In the grand scheme of things Ol' Roy is 1-for-6 at the Final Four but the overall record (4-5) and round-by-round numbers are more than respectable. Williams is 3-3 in the semifinals and 1-2 in the title game.
If you measure the six trips on the Ol'-Roy-o-Meter, it's more like: Acceptable Losses 3.5, Should Have Won 1.5, Won 1
Let's take a closer look at those individual years:
1991
Semifinals: beat UNC 79-73
Final: lost to Duke 72-65
Williams beats his mentor, Dean Smith, in the Final Four and then gets Duke, which just pulled off one of the biggest upsets in tournament history (and the biggest in the semifinal round).
Are you really going to hold this loss against Roy?
1993
Semifinals: lost to UNC, 78-68
How can you be mad at anyone for losing to Dean in the Final Four? Another acceptable Final Four loss.
2002
Semifinals: lost Maryland, 97-88
A veteran Maryland team on a mission against Kansas' junior-based team. Make that three-for-three on the Roy-o-meter.
2003
Semifinals: beat Marquette, 94-61
Final: lost to Syracuse, 81-78
Senior-based team and Roy's second-best group at Kansas (behind the Paul Pierce-Raef LaFrentz-Jacque Vaughn trio) destroys Marquette and Dwyane Wade in the Final Four and then loses a game it should have won against a freshmen-based Syracuse team.
Score one for the Ol' Roy haters.
2005
Semifinals: beat Michigan State, 87-71
Final: beat Illinois, 75-70
Score one for Ol' Roy.
2008
Semifinals: lost to Kansas, 84-66
Should UNC have been more prepared and should have been more motivated? Absolutely. But, honestly, Kansas was just a better team than Carolina.
Split the difference here: Half for the Ol' Roy haters, half for Ol' Roy.
Comments
WHO SHOWS UP!
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 23:26 — deanjohnson1967Its all about what players show up to play. You all put too much hype, respect, and disrespect on coaches (all of them). If Lawson, H-bro, and the rest of the cast "show-up" they have a legitimate shot at bringing home the hardware. Same for IZZO's mutts, Villanova's gang...so on and so on. Carolina does have them all beat in my opinion with "raw" talent and depth. But if they dont show up Ol Roy could call on Dean-o who could bring Gut back with him along with McGuire and they couldnt get a "W". This is the PLAYERS time of year...not coaches. GO HEELS...Show-up PLEASE!!!
It is written....
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 21:34 — occasionalIzzo....home court....revenge for a beat down earlier this year....don't lose that 2005 ring ol' Roy, because you won't get another one this year.....unless UCONN takes the Spartans out and whips your butt and then has to give it back due to ole' Calhoun and the cheating Huskies.
Kansas was the best team
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 19:39 — legend47Kansas was the best team because UNC was a tired teams when their played. Lets hope Roy learn from last year mistakes...don't leave all Energy in Practice before going too the Big Event !! Total agree w/comments on his crazy subs. Just don't make any sense !!!
He's some loser
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 17:03 — JohnA"ol' ROY BOY has gone to the Big Dance 19 times and 18 times with HIS recruits ....and he has come home a LOSER all 18 times."
Lol, I'll take loser Roy over anyone else at this point. You just can't please some people. Why don't you suit up and see if you can coach them better. Yeah, I'll take Roy.
Like my dad used to say...
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 16:24 — UNC1998Don't keep looking backwards, you might walk into a lamp post. I'll just be looking for this team this year to do well. In North Carolina speech, that's win the whole thing. Go Heels.
mdha1a
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 15:41 — unc1dmoi'll remember you........ this time next week
Hopefully the stars will all align and it will be with a new banner in the DD rafters...
BUT.......if not ....i'll send you a Case of Kool ade to help you drown in your sorrow.....
unc1dmo
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 15:28 — mdha1aThis guy is a piece of work. As we say in the South, bless his heart he just can't help it
Pleeze...."hold the Kool Ade"
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 15:18 — unc1dmoLet's not get carried away here...
ol' ROY BOY has gone to the Big Dance 19 times and 18 times with HIS recruits ....and he has come home a LOSER all 18 times...His 1 exception was with Doherty's recruits as the starters in 2005.....
Once you reach the Final 4 ....they're all talented teams ....all on a HOT RUN.,..and all with equally talented and creative coaching staffs.
The outlaw schools (Memphis and Louisville) are long gone....Once the defensive intensity picks up in the tournament and their sky dunks that look so hot to most on Sportscenter are defended ..they fold up like accordians when there are NO fundamental thoughts and skills to fall back on....
Unseen most of this regular season, The defense and coaching skills for all who are left ....has definitely picked up in a huge way,
That said, No team can put on the floor more weapons than what UNC has in their arsenal..... WHEN they are allowed to use all 5 bullets.
Only Williams can screw that up...... and whether he has the right combination of bullets on the floor is always a HUGE question mark.
You could see in the first :30 seconds yesterday that to have Hansbrough even in the same Arena zip code as Griffin was a HUGE mistake.......let Zeller ....Thompson.....Green...use their 15 fouls to check that guy...
Roy Boy now has started like years past....to make a lot of subs at almost every dead ball (I hate it!!!!) .....
And just once.... the wrong whacky combination can get Blitzed ....and this time ..... maybe....they can't come back...
-like in the 2nd half yesterday...... Okla with that 9-0 run they made against a whacky line up on the floor...but luckilly for Williams and NC....
THIS TIME...it was too little/ too late for the Sooners ........
Maybe NEXT TIME ...it won't be too little/ too late......for Nova...or Uconn/Mich ST
What will it be ....19 for 19 with HIS recruits?
or First time......bring home a Banner for the Rafters with his recruits....
Stay tuned.......
Just the Final Four
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 15:24 — joegiglio (author)Didn't say a word about the '97 or '98 Kansas teams. You can put those postseason failures squarely on Roy but as for his appearances in the Final Four, I stand by the analysis.
— JPG
Tarheel Nation
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 13:53 — rlhallGiG
The Tarheel Nation had old Packer ousted from CBS. We can surely have you ousted from the Observer. Stick to something you KNOW about, hockey maybe. Stay away from Tarheel Basketball.
RH
Giglio jealousy lives!
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 15:01 — JPDOhioCertain citizens of Tar Heel Nation feel left out. Everybody is jealous of UNC and they just can't take it any more.
So, JPG, they have turned their jealous eyes on you. Not as good as the nation's lonely eyes on Joltin' Joe, but you should still be proud.
I'm terrified
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 14:13 — joegiglio (author)But if you were indeed in the "Tarheel Nation" wouldn't you at least know it's "Tar Heel" two words?
— JPG
Roy
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 13:13 — heelsno1Of course, any team has to get to the Final Four before it can get a shot at the title. Look at the number of times Dean Smith's teams advanced to the Final Four yet they failed to cut down the nets. It made his two national championships that much sweeter.
Both Dean and Roy are coaching legends because their teams are consistently great. Hopefully, the Tar Heels will play well enough to win both games in Detroit.
In 1993 Kansas lost to
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 12:30 — danbrounIn 1993 Kansas lost to Carolina in the semis not Michigan. I think you have the Kentucky vs. Michigan score from the semis.
fixed
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 13:01 — joegiglio (author)transposed my "K" teams
was with you
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 12:24 — gvillegatrtill the last one. B/c KU won the title, you assume KU was better than UNC last year?? I disagree. UNC was better but simply didnt come out of the locker room in the 1st half.
I do agree, overall, Coach Williams hasn't done a bad job in the Final 4's. If the Heels win this year, I don't want to hear it ever again (unless he loses another six in a row) b/c it will make 2 out of 3 and 2 out of 7 overall. thats better than the mean, 2 out of 8.
of course uncdodo1 will come in hear and spew his hate about Roy Boy. I still dont think this guy is a Heels fan.
Be honest with yourself
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 14:15 — festerLast years Kansas team was better than the Heels. I didn't want to believe it but it's true.
been set-up!
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 14:14 — gvillegatrwheres my edit button for my above post!? it is on my other posts here at ACCNow.
No idea what you're talking about, Gatr
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 14:17 — joegiglio (author)What's wrong now?
wrong now?
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 14:43 — gvillegatras opposed to me having bunches of problems in the past??
I just do not have access to my edit button for my above post, but I have it for all my other posts here at ACCNow? was being sarcastic when I said I had been "set-up."
Hey crazy psycho 'gatr' guy ...
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 19:38 — mikbarrettTake a break and a deep breath.
hey obsessed mikbarrett guy ...
Tue, 03/31/2009 - 08:35 — gvillegatrhow bout posting something on this site that doesnt have anything to do with me!
don't make me go file a restraining order! lol.
Kansas '08
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 13:05 — joegiglio (author)Was a deeper, more athletic, more versatile team and better defensive team than Carolina's.
They also happened to be more prepared and motivated. They could have lost to Memphis and I would have said the same thing.
— JPG