I still love the Heels and I have all my life. I will still watch every single game and hope these guys can get it together and prove everyone (even the coach) wrong about their heart and abilities. Just really hard when you see kids playing that wouldn't sniff playing time on most of the other schools in our league. I love Coach Williams he is my favorite of all time however: he created this team whether or not for the injuries or the kids that left last year. This is his team and the one he put together. He needs to look at him sucking just as bad as the kids he put on the floor.
Gonna Be A Hard Year To Be A Tar Heel
- Thread starter diehard34
- Start date
I hope our players and coaches keep their heads up and weather this storm. If this season is the worst thing that ever happens to them, they'll be just fine.
It is never hard to be a Tar Heel! This is a difficult season, but nothing about it changes how I feel about my Heels!
We just have to suffer through the season like the 8-20 season. I hate that my hopes for a better season next yr. is dependent on a group of freshman though. I will continue to pull for the Heels and hope they can win a few games this yr. Go Heels.
Yep it has been the Perfect storm that has hit us, BUT keep rooting these kids on. I had low expectations going into this season,,but did not expect these difficulties to take over.
But make no mistake I will cheer for these young men and look forward to a win this Saturday. KEEP THE STREAK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But make no mistake I will cheer for these young men and look forward to a win this Saturday. KEEP THE STREAK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A very talented group of freshmen, who when added to the guys we have coming back(Brooks/Black/Francis at least), should make for a formidable team.
I agree but since he said they suck and he didn't say he is sucking makes me feel like he is in denial..
Gonna be a tough year. So be it. But it goes to show that as good of a coach as Roy is (the best), you gotta have talent to win. I hope the players that are coming back learn how hard you gotta fight to get a win. They better come back next year mad as hell and ready to get after it. Go Heels !!!
I just hope that the Clemson streak doesn’t end under Roy.
Saturday has me really nervous.
Saturday has me really nervous.
I remember on several occasions in speaking with him, and I know for a fact, that he has said this publicly, "that his preferred way of team play was to outrun and outscore opponents" , and the fact that he has said that he is not as a defensive minded coach as other coaches, helps me, and I would think, others, to understand why our defenses year over year are not what everyone knows that they could be even when we do, or don't have a surplus of talent.
This is most likely why many are dumbfounded over the years about losses where that, just adequate defense would have sustained a win, only to wind up losing. This is probably the greatest difference in the playing philosophies between He & DES. Coach Smith took more pride in a team's ability to keep opponents from scoring, and then score enough to just win. On the other hand, you have Roy, who wants to bury a team under an avalanche of fast breaks, designed to wear the opponent down so they miss shots, we get rebounds and race back up the court and score time after time... sound familiar?
Well, as many have noticed, and rightly so, Roy has peed in his Wheaties in regards to the talent that currently resides with this UNC basketball team. While there are various reasons for this, and none are all on Roy and the staff, such as injuries and talent deciding against playing in CH just to name a couple, I personally take him to task for not implementing some form of a stop gap measure with this group that might mitigate the horrible play we have seen since Cole's injury.
While our putrid play is not 100% on Roy, he has to shoulder 100% of the results & responsibility for where we are..., he is the CEO of the UNC program, and the successes and failures must always land at his feet, not to mention he gets payed fairly well to do what he does. This is the truth as I see it, and while I don't in any way want this construed as an attack on his program, jeez, the man has won 3 NC's for us and has given all Tar Heels much, much joy over the years that he has been our coach. Although our season is only half over, I am not the least bit confident that it can be salvaged, so I will consider this "the season from basketball hell".
My friend, a long time NC State fan, suggested I should ignore the quality of our play this season and just blame the refs for all our losses. Apparently directing one's ire at the zebras with as much profanity and coarse vulgarity as possible, will cause micro-neurologic changes in the brain, allowing one to achieve the same level of satisfaction from waving childish hand signals as others get from cheering for a winner.
I told him I might try cussing the refs but that hand sign shyte was way over the line.
I told him I might try cussing the refs but that hand sign shyte was way over the line.
I have not read all the comments, but it will not be a difficult year to be a Tar Heel supporter for me. It is going to be tough in the win column, but geeze, the level of sustained success UNC has had is remarkable. I am a fan of many sports, lifelong UNC, as well as others in pro sports. If it is tough to deal with a down year, then you are only a front runner. Don't have to like it, but not tough at all to support this team for me. I can weather the slings and arrows of rival fans.
I have already stated this time and again, he's going to do what he has always done because it worked, and for the one year it doesn't work he's not going to show future recruits that he slows down the games... I mean a 5 star recruit that can run like a deer and jump out of the gym doesn't want to see 49-42 games I get it, its just from a personal standpoint its so bad right now its hard to make it through the whole game watching..
But realistically if that game last night meant anything and it was the last game of the year and a must win, I am sure with a 14 point lead and knowing his team he would have done way more in game philosophy to make sure that's a victory...
Agree to a point.
However, it does not explain why he, after witnessing the deficiencies of this team, does not see it necessary to make an adjustment or two that might possibly help improve their chances of being competitive and maybe win a few extra games this season. I am hoping that this squad can win enough to finish above .500, but, as I have also stated time, and time again, does not appear likely, given the performances we have been forced to watch and endure in the 1st 15 games
I just would like to see him try a different approach. Might work, and..., it might not. But, if he is as frustrated as I know he is, why not try to slow it down, and insist that the guys not play "hot potato, hot potato" with the ball, and make sure 1st, 2nd, and 3rd offensive sets get a mandatory look to the big men. So far, this is the only consistent chance that we have to score points. This team might very well be uncapable of doing this, I don't know, as I haven't seen them try. Bottom line: do something to create some offense from somewhere, we need points.
As far as future recruits go, they know UNC's reputation, one season does not nor, will not, affect a recruit or influence him in another direction.
Come on Space, all games mean something. Although, I do agree that when special circumstances arise, players do have a tendency to play above their talent levels at times, it's unusual but not unseen before, for it to carry a full game. Wish we could have about 6-8 of those type games going forward.
If it was a tournament game and he had this same team and needed to win to advance I truly believe he would have changed at half and shortened the bench and slowed it down to insure victory.. Instead he just let them try and do it his way without the skill set.. In a full basketball game this team will eventually implode in a 3-5 minute span that they won't recover from... I know this because they have in every loss...
If Harris stayed healthy that would have pushed them to victory over Pitt for sure, Probably Not GT.. So injuries are the un doing of the season, a Healthy Cole , Harris and Francis with Bacot and Brooks is a legitimate 20 win team...
Well..., there it is. Stubborn Roy vs make a change Roy. Although Roy has, in the past, made adjustments during games and has been somewhat successful, although most times he changes methods of play a little late and the changes do not result in wins. But, that happens to all teams & coaches. I'd personally like to see a little mixing up of defense and offense, so that we are not so predictable to our opposition.
I can't imagine that many teams wouldn't struggle after losing an NBA - bound point guard to injury; not to mention Ant and Sterling out for the season and Leaky and Brob (and probably Armando) hobbled to some degree.
It's hard to effectively practice without a full squad, and Roy (as others have stated) isn't usually amenable to game plan with a strategy that doesn't fit his style.
Then, there are those teams whose doors we've consistently blown off vowing to get the Heels this season; those young men are on scholarships too.
Reasons, not excuses. We still have to play much better, and certainly much, much harder.
I'll be at the game with my brothers and buds vs Clemson for our seventh annual "Brotherhood" (and a big f u to the dookies for co-opting our trademark) game. All of them have been victories so far, including an extraterrestrial comeback vs Louisville (Marcus!!!) in 2015 and the 2017 game in Greensboro where our land-rush strategy snagged us third row seats in a victory over Notre Dame. Fun times, so far.
Go Heels. Keep your ears open if you attend or watch the game. You WILL hear us supporting our Tar Heels.
It's hard to effectively practice without a full squad, and Roy (as others have stated) isn't usually amenable to game plan with a strategy that doesn't fit his style.
Then, there are those teams whose doors we've consistently blown off vowing to get the Heels this season; those young men are on scholarships too.
Reasons, not excuses. We still have to play much better, and certainly much, much harder.
I'll be at the game with my brothers and buds vs Clemson for our seventh annual "Brotherhood" (and a big f u to the dookies for co-opting our trademark) game. All of them have been victories so far, including an extraterrestrial comeback vs Louisville (Marcus!!!) in 2015 and the 2017 game in Greensboro where our land-rush strategy snagged us third row seats in a victory over Notre Dame. Fun times, so far.
Go Heels. Keep your ears open if you attend or watch the game. You WILL hear us supporting our Tar Heels.
You add Manley to the list of healthy players and we are back at the top of the ACC like usual! The level of talent on the team right now is unfortunate, but can't honestly be blamed on anyone but fate!
Roy is going to be Roy and 99.99% of the time that is a blessing; this season falls into the .01% on many levels. BUT, all that being said, I expect peeps to finally figure out the level of consistent effort it takes at this level at some point and make these games more enjoyable. I saw evidence of increased effort/aggressiveness in Bacot so...... I fear we might never see a period of sustained health so peeps could get settled in their roles, however so....
In any case, every day is a GDTBATH!
Roy is going to be Roy and 99.99% of the time that is a blessing; this season falls into the .01% on many levels. BUT, all that being said, I expect peeps to finally figure out the level of consistent effort it takes at this level at some point and make these games more enjoyable. I saw evidence of increased effort/aggressiveness in Bacot so...... I fear we might never see a period of sustained health so peeps could get settled in their roles, however so....
In any case, every day is a GDTBATH!
In most years, heck every year Roy has been the head coach, Roy has always had the talent to “outrun and outscore opponents.” This year it’s pretty apparent to everyone who has watched a few games, he doesn’t have that level of talent. This team is not going to score 80 a game and thus to win games, needs to hold opponents to 60 points or so. Good coaches adjust their style and approach to the players they have. Roy is a great coach and as such, just don’t understand why he doesn’t change his defensive approach this year.
Plus any improvement in defense this year, like my pet peeve of over rotating and giving up wide open 3s, can be leveraged next year when there is more talent. Is Roy just to stubborn to admit, this team needs to employ a different defensive approach in order to have a chance to win many of the remaining games?
Very curious that we're seeing so many first time posters over here sharing their opinions on Roy these last few days. 
Roy has tried a few new wrinkles but so far to no avail. But yeah, just do your thing Heels, and win or lose, at least some guys will get experience for next year.
FTR: Coach Roy has made changes to both the offense and defense so.... At some point the Jimmys and Joes need to execute, but since nobody knows from practice to practice much less game to game who will be healthy enough to play, the guys just never get into any kind of rhythm.
I like the idea that we need to suck it up and take our punishment like men; keep all heads up high; and go into every game thinking , "this is the day we turn it around and I will work my butt off to help!"
I like the idea that we need to suck it up and take our punishment like men; keep all heads up high; and go into every game thinking , "this is the day we turn it around and I will work my butt off to help!"
