GoHeels Exclusive: Pre-Miami Press Conference Notebook

By Pat James, GoHeels.com

Once a coach who strove to make his teams fear him and how much they'd have to run, Roy Williams has referenced in recent years how many of his former players tell him he's mellowed.

None, however, would likely say he takes losses any easier.

"The losses hurt more than the wins make you feel better," Williams told reporters Friday, ahead of Saturday's visit from Miami. "As soon as you win a game, you jump around the locker room and say, 'Who do we have next? Can you give me that scouting report? Can you give me that tape?' They just don't last long enough.

"I don't think any of (the players) will say I handle the losses any better. It still hurts the same. I think the older I've gotten … the losses hurt even more and stick with you even more. You feel the personal blame even more."

But while he's surely felt that a lot throughout this season, especially during North Carolina's current five-game losing streak, he's tried to ensure his players don't feel the same way.

"I keep telling them, in life, you're going to get hit and things aren't going to go smoothly and you've got to keep going," Williams said. "I'm old fashioned, I'm corny, but I believe people who play athletics enjoy the victories, but also handle the losses and bounce back and keep coming and keep coming. I think that prepares you for life. That doesn't mean somebody else who doesn't believe in that, it doesn't mean they're wrong. But I strongly believe that."

Here are five more notes from Friday's press conference:

Injury updates
After missing Wednesday's loss against Virginia Tech due to lingering neck soreness from a two-car accident he was in on Jan. 11, Brandon Robinson is questionable for the Miami game.

"He didn't do anything yesterday. …" said Williams, referencing Thursday's practice. "We're planning for him to go through the first part of practice and then reevaluating at that time. So, it just depends on how he feels."

Because Robinson's initial injury wasn't basketball-related, Williams was asked if anyone on his staff has sought counsel from non-athletics doctors.

"I don't do it, but I think they've already reached out and got some other opinions," Williams said. "The thing is, he felt so much better before we played Pittsburgh (last Saturday), but he got hit; it was one of the plays he got hit on the back of the neck, not in the back of the head. It tightened up and it's been bothering him more since, so we didn't even take him to Virginia Tech. So, what I just said, we'll just have to wait and see."

The same goes for Cole Anthony, who underwent arthroscopic surgery to treat a partially torn meniscus in his right knee on Dec. 16. At the time, it was estimated he'd miss four to six weeks. But coming up on the six-week mark Monday, he still hasn't done anything but shoot in practice.

"I don't have any doubts that he's coming back; it's just that we are waiting for the doctors to say it's time for him to do it," Williams said. "Again, I go into everybody's home and say, 'I'm going to treat your son like I'd want you to treat mine.' So why should we not be very cautious?"

Brooks' outburst
With Anthony sidelined the last nine games, Garrison Brooks has averaged 18.8 points and 10.7 rebounds in 36.9 minutes per game. In the Virginia Tech game, the junior forward tallied 28 points and 13 rebounds, extending his double-double streak to six games. That's the longest double-double streak by a Tar Heel since John Henson had nine in a row in 2011.

"I think he's confident," Williams said. "He's worked hard to get better. Out of need or just the fact that I like the ball to go inside, we're trying to emphasize it more. If your shooting percentages aren't really good, then throw it to the guy whose shooting percentage is good. I do talk to them about common sense a great deal. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

"I think it's something that he worked hard to improve, and he's showing people that he has improved. We have a tremendous need for somebody to step up. I think he's trying to fill that."

Leaky Black said what Brooks is doing isn't a surprise.

"Before the games, sometimes at night, around 10 p.m., he and I will come back and we'll get some managers and shoot for a couple of hours," Black said. "I know his work ethic. I knew it was just a matter of time before it showed."

Ball bounces Black's way
Hampered by injuries for much of the season, Black started his third straight game at point guard Wednesday and recorded a career-high 12 points and eight rebounds, one off his career high.

The sophomore went just 3 for 10 from the field against the Hokies. But all three makes were 3-pointers, giving him a new career high. That was a welcome sign for Black, who entered Wednesday shooting 28.6 percent from behind the arc this season.

"It definitely felt good, just trying to get something to go my way a little bit," Black said. "Like I said, we're in the gym at night for hours just shooting. It's like, if you put the work in, you might as well just put it up in the game."

Signees earn prestigious honor
Carolina received some pleasant news Thursday, when four of its 2020 signees (R.J. Davis, Walker Kessler, Caleb Love and Day'Ron Sharpe) were named McDonald All-Americans. No other school in the country had four, which tied for the most in a single class in program history (1990 and 2009).

"We feel good about it, but as I've said to everybody else, too, I hope I live long enough for them to get here," Williams said. "I'm very proud. I talked to all four of them last night and they were very happy. I'm still going to see them play. I saw Day'Ron play twice last weekend, and I'll see Walker play this coming week. If you tell me how they can make me better tomorrow, I'd be even happier."

Scouting Miami
Miami enters Saturday's game at 10-8 overall and 2-6 in the ACC. The Hurricanes have lost three straight games and five of their last six, the most recent being an 89-59 defeat at Duke on Tuesday.

Chris Lykes, a 5-foot-7 guard, leads Miami in scoring, averaging 15.7 points per game. Throughout his career, the junior has excelled against UNC, averaging 17.7 points and shooting 41.9 percent on 3-pointers (13-for-31) in four games.

"Chris has made it difficult on about everybody he's played," Williams said. "I think he's played very well against us and last year we were lucky and got both of them. But he's really hard to guard because he's so quick, he shoots from so deep. You go out there and get him and he goes by you and you say, 'Where did he go?' It's like the Road Runner trying to figure out where he's going. So, you try to slow him down and hope he doesn't shoot a high percentage.

"(Dejan) Vasiljevic is 43 percent from three, and I think he's 97 percent from the foul line. So one of my coaching tips is going to be don't foul him. It's pretty simple. But you hope their percentages aren't as good and you try to make things that you do well again more of a factor in the game."

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Leaky Black

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