University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: Ice Cream And Dreams
March 16, 2015 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
By Adam Lucas
“Here we go, guys.”
And with those words from Roy Williams, the NCAA Tournament selection show began on CBS on the television in Williams' living room, and the focus at the team gathering at his home turned from the ice cream (important tip: put it on a brownie) to the brackets.
Players gathered in the front of the room, with Kennedy Meeks sharing a sofa with Williams. Assistant coaches and managers moved towards the back of the room. Wanda Williams had the important task of filling out a bracket for her husband for the inevitable moments when he wanted a recap of a specific region.
Other than the very large humans occupying the folding chairs around the room, the gathering was very much like the way you probably watched the selection show. Everything was seen through the prism of how it affected Carolina. When Virginia was assigned to play in Charlotte early in the show, Williams immediately said, “That means we'll be shipped out somewhere else.” And when Providence flashed on the screen, there were murmurs of “Bryce Cotton” as players remembered the Friar guard who scored 36 points in the Tar Heels' 79-77 win over Providence last year.
Everyone had a guess about where the team might go or what the seeding might be. Williams was hoping his squad might sneak up to a three seed. In the typical college kid way of searching for the weirdest possible outcome to occur, several Tar Heels became convinced they were bound for Portland. With a 4 seed coming up on the board and bound for Portland, the room got quiet…and then there were some exhales of relief as Georgetown drew that slot.
In the commercial break after two regions had been announced, Williams said, “I think we're going to Jacksonville.” This prompted a huge smile from Joel Berry, whose hometown of Apopka is approximately two hours from the game site and who played in front of nearly a dozen friends and family when Carolina won at Miami.
The inclusion of UAB, coached by former Williams assistant Jerod Haase, drew a big cheer, and then there was only one region left. In the final commercial break, there were three locations remaining: two four-team brackets in Jacksonville, a four-team slot in Omaha and a four-team slot in…Portland.
Berry eventually got his wish. “Send us hooooome!” he begged before the Tar Heels appeared on the screen, and then cheered when his team was indeed sent to Jacksonville. That preceded the always slightly awkward moment when the television analysts begin talking about the Tar Heels while the players actually sit there and watch. Marcus Paige looked embarrassed and waved his arms dismissively when his mammoth contributions were discussed. Doug Gottlieb said, “I see an easy path for Wisconsin in that region,” which drew a laugh from Williams and some looks exchanged by the players.
Once all 68 teams were revealed, Williams turned off the television and addressed his team. He told them about their schedule for the week and about the travel logistics that will be involved. He reminded them of the academic obligations in a short week of class. And then he asked them to look where they were sitting.
“Every one of those chairs is from a Final Four that we've been to,” he said as he pointed to the folding chairs. Marcus Paige was sitting in a 1982 Final Four chair. Joel James was in a chair from the 2008 Final Four. Sasha Seymore's chair was from 2005.
“Before you leave, I want you to understand one thing,” Williams told his team. “This team is good enough. You're good enough. If we play the way we're capable of playing, we can win the whole blessed thing.”
