Roy Williams
ACC fails to measure up as best conference
Tom Shanahan Mar 20 2017The bottom fell out of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The top capsized, too.The mighty USS Duke and Louisville both went down on Sunday among eight ACC teams eliminated the first week of the NCAA Tournament. Only North Carolina is left hanging on and hoping the shell will stay...
Thumbs up and thumbs down on the ACC
Tom Shanahan Mar 7 2017The ACC enters the postseason with the potential to have 10 teams earn NCAA bids. The conference has a good chance to end up with two Final Four teams for the second straight year. Here’s what was to like and not like about the 2017 ACC basketball season. ... Click here for...
Tar Heels winning without the one and dones
Tom Shanahan Feb 26 2017Two years ago it looked like the one-and-dones had won. The college basketball world was theirs to rule.Duke captured the NCAA title behind three freshmen who left early for the NBA Draft: Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones. In that same 2015 Final Four, Kentucky – led...
North Carolina needs healthy Joel Berry
Tom Shanahan Dec 11 2016North Carolina knew what it had last year when fourth-year starting point guard Marcus Paige missed the first six contests with a hand injury, or in any game the rest of the way when he needed a breather.The Tar Heels had Joel Berry II. He would have started at most other ACC...
Beamer and Fuente make it work at Virginia Tech
Tom Shanahan Nov 3 2016Following a legend is never easy. Some coaches handle it better than others. Count among them retired Virginia Tech legendary coach Frank Beamer and his successor, Justin Fuente.An egregious example of how not to do it involved North Carolina basketball at the turn of the...
Tar Heels again enjoy senior advantage
Tom Shanahan Oct 31 2016Duke basketball possesses the No. 1-ranked recruiting class, with three freshmen projected as first-round draft picks. Add junior Grayson Allen as a first-rounder, and the Blue Devils are everyone’s favorite to win the national title.North Carolina – picked second to Duke in the...
North Carolina moving on from NCAA cloud
Tom Shanahan May 13 2016North Carolina football is coming off an ACC Coastal title and a No. 15 national ranking. North Carolina basketball is coming off an NCAA Tournament runner-up finish, along with ACC regular season and tournament titles.NCAA investigation? Who says there are dark clouds over...
Roy Williams wise man among Final Four coaches
Tom Shanahan Mar 29 2016Mark Twain observed in a timeless quote, “When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”College basketball coaching doesn’t quite...
Time for Gottlieb to apologize to old Roy
Tom Shanahan Mar 28 2016It’s time for Doug Gottlieb to apologize to Roy Williams.A month ago, the CBS basketball analyst said on air Williams might retire at the end of the season. His inference was the game has passed by Williams due to the team’s up-and-down play. ... Click here for the rest of...
Dean Smith would have loved Marcus Paige
Tom Shanahan Mar 23 2016In three short years, North Carolina senior guard Marcus Paige went from All-ACC first-team his sophomore season to second-team as a junior and honorable mention as a senior.But don’t begin to suggest Paige’s stature among the Tar Heels ever slipped. ... Click here for the...