CHAPEL HILL -- Most of the tickets for UNC's 80-73 win over Nevada on Sunday night were sold, a team spokesman said.
But the Smith Center appeared to be less than three-quarters full, and only half-full at tipoff, a rather embarrassing turnout for coach Roy Williams' 600th victory.
And Williams noticed.
"Six hundred wins, I've been very lucky,'' Williams said. "I've been at two great institutions, I've been at places that really are passionate about basketball. I wish some of our fans who weren't here tonight would get a little more passionate and get their rear ends here. That was discouraging at the start of the game. But I love those, the ones that were here. The other ones, I think I should take a camera shot, and anyone who wasn't here tonight — stop them at the door if they try to come in for Michigan State [on Tuesday]. Tell them I sold their dad-gum ticket."
LOSING THE TIE: Williams may have to go back to the mock-turtleneck look for the next month or so, until he can get rid of the sling on his left arm that he had to start wearing after his Tuesday shoulder surgery. He began the game in his customary shirt-and-tie, but had lost the neckwear by halftime, probably because it was bugging him with the hefty arm contraption.
Robbi Pickeral has covered ACC sports for The News & Observer since 2003. She can be reached at 
Comments
kansas probabtion ??
Mon, 11/30/2009 - 19:56 — hat_in_handi just checked and could not find anywhere a mention of kansas being on probation while roy was there. bluecat69, can give us a link to back up that statement ? i am a rockchalk jayhawk and would love to have some justification to stop my pining to have roy back in lawrence.
Never Happened!!!
Mon, 11/30/2009 - 21:28 — timwrennNo mention of a Kansas probation under ROY 'cause it never happened.This idiot will be on here next saying he is predicting a Duke victory in the Sugar Bowl!!
CHEATING OL ROY
Mon, 11/30/2009 - 17:56 — bluecat69bluecat69MAYBE OL ROY SHOULD DO AT CAROLINA WHAT HE DID AT KANSAS,CHEAT, AND PUT THEM ON PROBATION LIKE HE DID AT KANSAS, AND THAT WOULD CLEAN OUT THOSE FAIR WEATHER FANS, AND GIVE THE GOOD OL BOYS A CHANCE TO SEE CHEATING ROY AT HIS BEST, GO DUKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IDIOT!!!!
Mon, 11/30/2009 - 21:21 — timwrennWhere did you acquire this vast knowledge of Kansas basketball? Oh but wait a minute...you made it up!!!
mr. timewarp
Tue, 12/01/2009 - 11:42 — bluecat69bluecat69u need to take those baby blue glasses off and get in the real world, kansas was placed on probation for 3 yrs, after ol roy left and because ol roy handed out money and clothes to players ,but iam sure u knew that, why do u think he left kansas for a second rat job like carowhina???? go duke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
u need to take those baby blue glasses off, and facethe music, kansas was put on probation for 3 yrs, remember, because ol roy handed out money and clothes to kansas players, but u probably forgot that, right, maybe thats not cheating in carowhina. go duke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Figures....A DUKIE!!!
Mon, 11/30/2009 - 21:19 — timwrennDid not see the comment was made by a DUKE fan. Can't stand it can you...the basketball GODS have turned their back on you.Mikey "The Rat" had better beat our "youngans" this year,b/c when next year rolls around "The HEELS" will be right back where they have been for the past 6 or 7 years,ON TOP.You guys just might win enough games this year so they can take the "Tylers House" sign down and put the old sign back up.UNC owns Duke and the whole stretch of 15-501 that leads to Chapel Hill. DON'T HATE....Do as the rest of the country has learned to do.....get in,sit down,shut up and enjoy the view from behind. Their is a reason why UNC has won 20 more games than ANY other ACC team over the past 4 years and his name is ROY!!!!!
What?
Mon, 11/30/2009 - 21:09 — timwrennKansas was never on probation during Roys tenure!!!! Some haters will just make crap up b/c their jealous. Kansas has been on probation 1 time in basketball and that occured BEFORE Larry Brown got to Lawrence way back in like '86 or so.Anybody who says Roy cheated is just another hater.....probably a Wahoo!!!!!!
start the season!
Mon, 11/30/2009 - 20:12 — gvillegatrcollege baskets is officially here! ol bluecat is back! what an idiot, but you do keep the material flowing ...
thanks galligator
Tue, 12/01/2009 - 11:29 — bluecat69bluecat69you appear to be my only friend in carowhina country, i appreciate your compliment about me , but how could a duke man be an idiot, surely u have me mixed up with a NCSU fan, thanks for your support, friends forever, go duke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
lol
Tue, 12/01/2009 - 13:57 — gvillegatrdon't take this the wrong way (lol). but, don't mistake us for friends.
galligator
Tue, 12/01/2009 - 17:02 — bluecat69bluecat69if u talk nice about me in the future, maybe i can arrange to have u made an honorary dukie, go duke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! how could i be an idiot if i am a dukie????
OVER 17,000 attended
Mon, 11/30/2009 - 12:33 — Worz4UNCI still support Roy's expectation of a full house every game. I attended with my wife and gave two tix away and ensured someone was sitting in them. Others should do the same. After all, all they have to do is call the Ram's Club or ticket office and turn the tix over to be resold.
The students returning from break was also a factor in the empty seats BUT those tix should have been sold IF enough time was there. Good planning would have allowed that.
Funny
Mon, 11/30/2009 - 11:39 — YAR8packI hate carowhina, but I have the utmost respect for Roy Williams. I know his comments are a bit tongue-in-cheek, but there's some truth to them. Roy just needs to realize that the tarheel b-ball program's beat down of everyone since his tenure began has spoiled all the fans with assured wins against lesser competition. If you'd like to fix the empty seats, Roy, let unc lose their next 20 games. Thanks.
After so much turkey and
Mon, 11/30/2009 - 11:15 — unc098After so much turkey and travel it was just to dadgummmm hard to waddle over to the Smith Center.
ha!
Mon, 11/30/2009 - 00:37 — gvillegatrtoo funny.
I wonder if Coach Willimas has given any thought to saying, "the heck with this year. Robinson (or someone) take over. I want to go rest my hip. err, I mean, shoulder!"
Not a quitter!!!
Mon, 11/30/2009 - 21:34 — timwrennIf ROY did go home and rest his shoulder and turn the bench over to S. Robinson or whoever I'll bet he would still take credit for any losses.He would not pull a "MIKEY" and stick his bench with the losses.POOR BILLY HAHN!!!!!
don't you mean
Mon, 11/30/2009 - 23:29 — gvillegatrPete Gaudett.
Hahn is the old LaSalle coach who didnt report that one of the womens players had been raped by one of his players.