University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Maggie Hobson
Lucas: Day One
September 26, 2019 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Carolina's first practice of the 2019-20 basketball season happened Thursday afternoon.
By Adam Lucas
It's the first day of Carolina basketball practice, and Roy Williams appears genuinely thrilled.
There aren't many Hall of Fame head coaches who would be so excited about the chance to throw bounce passes to Garrison Brooks and Walker Miller, but that's where Williams is on Thursday afternoon, the first of what the Tar Heels hope will be approximately 105 practices during the 2019-20 season.
Near the top of the daily practice plan in the space reserved for the Thought for the Day is one of Williams' favorite quotes—and not coincidentally, one of the Thoughts for the Day most likely to be repeated by players as one that sticks with them—"It's amazing how much can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit." It's a tradition to give that quote prime placement on the first day of practice.
It's equally routine for Williams to be downright giddy when he's finally able to do meaningful work with his team. Practice begins at 3:00, and by 3:06 he's firing post entry passes to the Tar Heel big men.
With so many new faces on this year's roster, it's inevitable that there's a little more instruction required than on more veteran-heavy teams. "It's the first day of practice," Williams says—seemingly to remind himself as much as anyone else—as he repeats the way he wants his guards to use a screen on the perimeter. Two plays later, senior Brandon Robinson executes the move perfectly, which leads to a wide-open three-pointer.
"Do you know how B-Rob got so open?" Williams turns and asks freshman Jeremiah Francis while extolling Robinson's attention to detail.
Freshmen have plenty to learn on the first day. Longtime assistant coach Steve Robinson takes an extra couple of minutes explaining the nuances of retreating in the direction of the pass to freshman Armando Bacot, then puts him through one extra repetition. "Everyone gets a hand up on every shot," Williams says as he watches Bacot. "And everyone boxes out on every shot."
Even with the newcomers, there are still expectations. Christian Keeling joins with Robinson and Garrison Brooks on a 3-on-3 screening game. He hoists a shot just a couple of passes into the possession. Williams, of course, wants to play fast, but he wants to play under control. This particular shot probably erred a little too much on the out of control side.
"Do you guys know how many seconds are on the shot clock?" the head coach asks. "It's 30. Not six. Thirty."
But being new doesn't necessarily mean being silent. It's noticeable that the most vocal player on the court is freshman Cole Anthony, who is the voice most often heard encouraging his teammates or directing traffic. Even when he receives a correction from Williams regarding his defensive positioning, he responds, "Yes sir, Coach."
Williams can't resist being competitive, even on the first day of practice. The final drill on the practice plan is one of his favorites, which requires the team to make 125 shots from a variety of spots on the floor in four minutes and 15 seconds. It also, this being a Roy Williams-led practice, requires plenty of full-court running.
If the team reaches the goal, he explains, they can subtract one 33 from their post-practice running. If they don't, they'll have to add one 33. It sounds like an attractive deal.
However, as most anyone who has seen an early-season practice could have guessed, they don't make it. The level of intensity required to run full-court for that amount of time, and the amount of focus needed to make every single layup while sprinkling in a healthy dose of midrange and perimeter jumpers, simply isn't present on the very first day of practice. The Tar Heels come in well short of the needed 125. It gives the head coach another coaching opportunity, as he explains the value of shot selection.
Williams is feeling generous and gives them a mulligan. He calls Brandon Robinson to the free throw line. "If B-Rob makes this free throw," he says, "you don't have to run the extra one."
Robinson swishes it. His teammates are too exhausted to cheer.
It's the first day of Carolina basketball practice, and Roy Williams appears genuinely thrilled.
There aren't many Hall of Fame head coaches who would be so excited about the chance to throw bounce passes to Garrison Brooks and Walker Miller, but that's where Williams is on Thursday afternoon, the first of what the Tar Heels hope will be approximately 105 practices during the 2019-20 season.
Near the top of the daily practice plan in the space reserved for the Thought for the Day is one of Williams' favorite quotes—and not coincidentally, one of the Thoughts for the Day most likely to be repeated by players as one that sticks with them—"It's amazing how much can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit." It's a tradition to give that quote prime placement on the first day of practice.
It's equally routine for Williams to be downright giddy when he's finally able to do meaningful work with his team. Practice begins at 3:00, and by 3:06 he's firing post entry passes to the Tar Heel big men.
With so many new faces on this year's roster, it's inevitable that there's a little more instruction required than on more veteran-heavy teams. "It's the first day of practice," Williams says—seemingly to remind himself as much as anyone else—as he repeats the way he wants his guards to use a screen on the perimeter. Two plays later, senior Brandon Robinson executes the move perfectly, which leads to a wide-open three-pointer.
"Do you know how B-Rob got so open?" Williams turns and asks freshman Jeremiah Francis while extolling Robinson's attention to detail.
Freshmen have plenty to learn on the first day. Longtime assistant coach Steve Robinson takes an extra couple of minutes explaining the nuances of retreating in the direction of the pass to freshman Armando Bacot, then puts him through one extra repetition. "Everyone gets a hand up on every shot," Williams says as he watches Bacot. "And everyone boxes out on every shot."
Even with the newcomers, there are still expectations. Christian Keeling joins with Robinson and Garrison Brooks on a 3-on-3 screening game. He hoists a shot just a couple of passes into the possession. Williams, of course, wants to play fast, but he wants to play under control. This particular shot probably erred a little too much on the out of control side.
"Do you guys know how many seconds are on the shot clock?" the head coach asks. "It's 30. Not six. Thirty."
But being new doesn't necessarily mean being silent. It's noticeable that the most vocal player on the court is freshman Cole Anthony, who is the voice most often heard encouraging his teammates or directing traffic. Even when he receives a correction from Williams regarding his defensive positioning, he responds, "Yes sir, Coach."
Williams can't resist being competitive, even on the first day of practice. The final drill on the practice plan is one of his favorites, which requires the team to make 125 shots from a variety of spots on the floor in four minutes and 15 seconds. It also, this being a Roy Williams-led practice, requires plenty of full-court running.
If the team reaches the goal, he explains, they can subtract one 33 from their post-practice running. If they don't, they'll have to add one 33. It sounds like an attractive deal.
However, as most anyone who has seen an early-season practice could have guessed, they don't make it. The level of intensity required to run full-court for that amount of time, and the amount of focus needed to make every single layup while sprinkling in a healthy dose of midrange and perimeter jumpers, simply isn't present on the very first day of practice. The Tar Heels come in well short of the needed 125. It gives the head coach another coaching opportunity, as he explains the value of shot selection.
Williams is feeling generous and gives them a mulligan. He calls Brandon Robinson to the free throw line. "If B-Rob makes this free throw," he says, "you don't have to run the extra one."
Robinson swishes it. His teammates are too exhausted to cheer.
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