North Carolina is a team with a glorious past, but not much of a future this season if events of the last two weeks are any indication.
North Carolina went down for the third consecutive game in ACC play last night, losing 82-69 to Wake Forest. Coach Roy Williams is frustrated in his team's play and the losing streak, the longest at North Carolina since the 2003 season, and Will Graves is searching for answers.
"I just want to get back in the winning column," Graves said. "I just want to show that we have some heart and we're willing to compete. The standings will take care of themselves, if we just play hard."
Williams had a succinct message for his team in its locker room.
"I told them we have no chance if we fold," Williams said. "We have no chance if we give in. I'm not going to do that."
Williams said that the recovery effort will begin at 3:30 p.m. today at practice. North Carolina won't play again until Tuesday at N.C. State and Williams said he plans on getting a great deal of work done to iron out his team's numerous problems.
"My confidence level is that I'm going to work," Williams said. "I don't give a darn about what's going on. I'm going to coach my rear end off. And it's up to them to come along with me.... There's only so much I can do. They've got to come along. I'm going to ask them, ‘Do you want to keep playing?' If they don't want to, we can figure out something for them to do. But we're going to keep playing."
Williams endured an eight-game losing streak in his first season as Kansas' coach in 1989. He attempted to end the streak by having his team watch inspirational movies Hoosiers and Rocky III, and by making bologna sandwiches.
He's not desperate now, but won't rule out anything.
"Some way, somehow, we're going to try and find a way to fight out of it," Williams said. "If I live long enough, maybe it will help us a couple of years down the road, but I don't know if I can live through this."
bcole@wsjournal.com.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement