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The truth is a tough pill to swallow

Roy does better with lower ranked players who stay 3 or 4 years.. which is why the 2017 team won the title and why the 2019 team was a #1 seed (Cam Johnson, Luke Maye, Kenny Williams). Roy needs to stick with what he’s good at. He’s always won with experienced seniors. He is not good with young talent.

You people on here saying he dealt the cards he was handed.. not necessarily. He TRIED to recruit the big name players and failed on a lot of them and then was left scrambling with nobody left. No reason or excuses on why he can’t land 3 or 4 star wings all day long. Get them early and quit going after the big names who won’t stay more than a year anyways.

You can mix a big name in here and there but don’t try to get all big names only.
 
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we've got to be somewhere in the middle. get the cream of the crop outside of the clear one and dones, but he must also recruit to our needs. we certainly cant get in the position like we did currently where we are simply waiting it out until half our scholarship roster graduates and moves on, aka that junior and senior class.
 
The eye test is what usually wins you a lot of games. It’s a lot of guys who are 5 stars that get out played by lower ranked kids on the regular.

Yeah but you’re not going to win a lot of games without a good deal of top tier talent. And as it stands, Roy has pissed off a lot of our best players.
 
Players like RJ Davis and Puff Johnson is more of Roy’s type of players he needs more of. Those are 4 year players who will end up being really good players.
Right and wrong. Those types of guys are normally the glue guys who complement the junior and senior 5 stars he’s managed to keep around when they win championships. Roy needs both.
 
Roy does better with lower ranked players who stay 3 or 4 years.. which is why the 2017 team won the title and why the 2019 team was a #1 seed (Cam Johnson, Luke Maye, Kenny Williams). Roy needs to stick with what he’s good at. He’s always won with experienced seniors. He is not good with young talent.

You people on here saying he dealt the cards he was handed.. not necessarily. He TRIED to recruit the big name players and failed on a lot of them and then was left scrambling with nobody left. No reason or excuses on why he can’t land 3 or 4 star wings all day long. Get them early and quit going after the big names who won’t stay more than a year anyways.

You can mix a big name in here and there but don’t try to get all big names only.

This is a great point....we go for the 5 stars and spend a great deal of time on them...lose out on many them scramble.....but now those 3 star players are gone.

imagine if we make a great shooting 3 star player a priority....they would jump on the opportunity....not so much if they are an afterthought
 
So, in your opinion, what exactly does Roy need to change about his coaching style?
Recruit point guards who are true point guards and who will stay to become upperclassmen. Not one and done shooting point guards, so these would probably not be the NBA bound high school five stars. Recruit at least one big man who will stay, play back to the basket, work in the weight room, and become upperclassmen. So, these are probably a little short or slow. The elite NBA players who won’t stay can play at the other positions without disrupting things so much every year.
 
Roy’s title teams have McD’s AA players that stick around. His best players are borderline NBA guys and great college players. His teams aren’t typically long term NBA guys. He’s recently gotten into the one and done guys WITHOUT having the stable upperclassmen that are legit. That’s more of an outcome of the recruiting missed tied to the scandal. Roy’s system works when he has the great players that stick around. As more and more kids leave early and want it now, he has to modify a little bit.
 
The truth you refer to may be what you consider to be truth but that does not mean it is fact.

There were folks here spouting their version of the truth when duke and Ky were dominating recruiting classes every season, we need to get talent like that! Well how did those 2 teams do this season, with their 1&D systems? This team struggled all season when we faced very experienced back courts. I see everyone screaming about how poorly we defend 3pt shooters, we were bathed in drive and kick all season. Now all the sudden Roy is the problem, Roy's defense is the problem, Roy not having enough shooters is the problem, with little mention of the fact that we had freshman back court and our key reserve front court guys as freshmen as well executing Roy's system, a system that historically freshmen struggle to learn.

Folks fussed about Brooks but the truth is on a team with so little game experience, a team that had ONLY 4 non-freshman in it's rotation; Brooks was by far our most experienced player, he may not have had the ACC POY season some seemed to expect ( I never saw him as that) he didn't have a bad season, he was in a way watered down by all the rest of the talent we had in that front court, talent but very raw, as well as freshman guards not really savvy in getting the ball to our front curt guys in good position to finish.

Know what I find really funny, ask folks here how much they love and embrace the NBA game and the majority will tell you they are not really NBA fans, for fact I am not a NBA fan because I hate the way the NBA plays now days. And yet so many today clamor for the college game to be played just like the NBA, shoot treys all day, shoot them early or late in the shot clock but don't waste time on a 2 pt basket? The NBA has done al it could do to destroy the college game and now fans seem to want to take it the rest of the way to total destruction and I take issue with that.
I don’t disagree about the NBA, except that it’s already been done. The NBA and tv have succeeded in turning top level college basketball into a subsidiary Of the NBA. We can adjust, but not go back.
 
I want a guy who hits homeruns but never strikes out.

I want a perfect 10 that would never step out on me.

I want a job that pays me a ton but I don't want any responsibilities.

Seems likely.
 
Were you mad when our opponents bombarded us with 3s in 05, 09 and 17?

im not “mad” about anything haha . Just stating facts. I love roys offensive system and the teams you mentioned were just that talented and especially 09 and flaws in the defensive system were covered up by the extreme amount of talent on the offensive end of the floor.

but it’s simply a fact that we struggle guarding the perimeter under Roy. Was a statement made with no emotion involved.
 
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im not “mad” about anything haha . Just stating facts. I love roys offensive system and the teams you mentioned were just that talented and especially 09 and flaws in the defensive system were covered up by the extreme amount of talent on the offensive end of the floor.

but it’s simply a fact that we struggle guarding the perimeter under Roy. Was a statement made with no emotion involved.

I agree with you and literally everyone else that is complaining about the way we defend the 3 point shot. My comment was simply a way to remind us all that we have to take the good with the bad. No coach or program does everything right. And while I wish we defended the 3 better, I'll take the maddening beating from the 3 point shot because I believe so strongly in other aspects of Roy's philosophy. I love that rebounding is the staple of Roy's teams. Rebounding has won games and titles for us. That would go away if we changed the way we defend the 3 point shot. There's no way to do both at a high level.
 
Right and wrong. Those types of guys are normally the glue guys who complement the junior and senior 5 stars he’s managed to keep around when they win championships. Roy needs both.
I would put RJ Davis, Kerwin Walton, and Puff Johnson as juniors and seniors in the same category as Cam Johnson, Kenny Williams, and Luke Maye which got them the #1 seed in 2019. I know they had Coby White and Little also but I would bet that a senior RJ Davis is just as good as a freshman Coby White.
 
we have struggled to defend the 3 for a long time and i think it is part of our defensive philosophy - the help D we play. we have also struggled to defend dribble penetration for a long time - which is probably while we have to help so often. it's like we don't trust our bigs to defend the rim and pull someone else down to help. our bigs don't hedge out as well as many other teams and our guards don't get over picks as well as many other teams do. all of our recent teams (including the really good ones) seemed to struggle at points during the season on D. and seems like we've completely abandoned the zone as a change of pace and very rarely apply 3/4 or full court pressure. we need a commitment to defense.

on offense our system is still the same and maybe it's old fashioned but i think it can still work and work well. but our system was never intended to be used for 99% of our possessions. we have lost the transition part of our offense and it's put too much stress on our offense - playing half court all game. we've got to find a way to get into transition more and how many times did you see our secondary break this season - maybe 4 or 5 times all season? strange how we're such a good rebounding team but can't turn that into transition baskets. our outlet passes are generally to a guard 3 feet away now, not to someone on the run nearer half court. when we're running our offense seems to flow. and when we're scoring in transition it seems like we hit more shots in the half court. and we get very few transition baskets from steals - see above.
 
I would put RJ Davis, Kerwin Walton, and Puff Johnson as juniors and seniors in the same category as Cam Johnson, Kenny Williams, and Luke Maye which got them the #1 seed in 2019. I know they had Coby White and Little also but I would bet that a senior RJ Davis is just as good as a freshman Coby White.

Yeah that’s why I said the comment was both right and wrong. That team also didn’t get to a final four or win a championship.

his championship teams without exception have junior and senior 5 star/McDonald’s aa talent.
 
we have struggled to defend the 3 for a long time and i think it is part of our defensive philosophy - the help D we play. we have also struggled to defend dribble penetration for a long time - which is probably while we have to help so often. it's like we don't trust our bigs to defend the rim and pull someone else down to help. our bigs don't hedge out as well as many other teams and our guards don't get over picks as well as many other teams do. all of our recent teams (including the really good ones) seemed to struggle at points during the season on D. and seems like we've completely abandoned the zone as a change of pace and very rarely apply 3/4 or full court pressure. we need a commitment to defense.

on offense our system is still the same and maybe it's old fashioned but i think it can still work and work well. but our system was never intended to be used for 99% of our possessions. we have lost the transition part of our offense and it's put too much stress on our offense - playing half court all game. we've got to find a way to get into transition more and how many times did you see our secondary break this season - maybe 4 or 5 times all season? strange how we're such a good rebounding team but can't turn that into transition baskets. our outlet passes are generally to a guard 3 feet away now, not to someone on the run nearer half court. when we're running our offense seems to flow. and when we're scoring in transition it seems like we hit more shots in the half court. and we get very few transition baskets from steals - see above.

excellent post
 
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we have struggled to defend the 3 for a long time and i think it is part of our defensive philosophy - the help D we play. we have also struggled to defend dribble penetration for a long time - which is probably while we have to help so often. it's like we don't trust our bigs to defend the rim and pull someone else down to help. our bigs don't hedge out as well as many other teams and our guards don't get over picks as well as many other teams do. all of our recent teams (including the really good ones) seemed to struggle at points during the season on D. and seems like we've completely abandoned the zone as a change of pace and very rarely apply 3/4 or full court pressure. we need a commitment to defense.

on offense our system is still the same and maybe it's old fashioned but i think it can still work and work well. but our system was never intended to be used for 99% of our possessions. we have lost the transition part of our offense and it's put too much stress on our offense - playing half court all game. we've got to find a way to get into transition more and how many times did you see our secondary break this season - maybe 4 or 5 times all season? strange how we're such a good rebounding team but can't turn that into transition baskets. our outlet passes are generally to a guard 3 feet away now, not to someone on the run nearer half court. when we're running our offense seems to flow. and when we're scoring in transition it seems like we hit more shots in the half court. and we get very few transition baskets from steals - see above.

Riverswe......great post.
 
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Look our perimeter defense has been bad for a long while no matter the experience level....and it’s because of that help defense. We simply don’t defend that 3 ball well and it’s an on going issue.
I recall it cost us a title
 
You can put your head in the sand like Roy has done and think nothing is wrong and the system is fine. You can use the experience line to justify it's ability to function, but I disagree. The game is not played today the way Roy's system teaches it and the players coming into the program have not played that way in AAU or high school ball. Playing two bigs at one time does not work as it has it the past. Two bigs casues problems on the defensive end as one big will have problems guarding the perimeter. The game today is a drive and dish game. That said, playing two bigs only clogs up the lane on drives to the rim. Kessler issue was about playing time and the system. Roy giving more minutes to the less talented player. Should Brooks have gotten all those minutes this year instead of the three better bigs (Bacot, Sharpe and Keesler)? Roy's loyal to a fault and today's kids will not sit behind lesser players just because they are upperclassmen. You can say the same issues for guys like Black and Platek.

Older coaches like Roy can adapt and succeed, if they choose. Look at Nick Saban as an example at Alabama. He was not running the RPO when Auburn and others were running it and succeeding. Saban realized even though he had the best players he had to adapt and change choosing to run the RPO. Look what happened since the change. They continued to win and win more championships at an elite level.

Roy can plant a stake in the ground and not change. If so, he will not go out in any blaze of glory but rather as a washed up coach who could not adapt to today's game.
Has the game changed since we won the natty in 2017, I do not think it has. Has it changed since Dean coached, yes, the 3pt threat has become more engrained. But Roy won a natty 3yrs ago with the very same system we played the last 2 seasons with, the only thing that is different is that we had very experienced players then, we have not had that the last 2 seasons. Clearly, what Roy wants done takes a while to both learn and get comfortable in, freshmen, even including Coby, Cole, Joel Berry all struggled out of the gate. Covered up by the fact that Coby was a great scorer was the fact that he was not a great defender nor the classic example of how you want to see our team ran by your PG. Cole same thing actually, they struggled early, heck Joel didn't start till his soph season a single game.

Clearly, duke and Ky have adjusted their systems to allow for freshmen to not just be featured but to be able to have a shorter learning curve, not the case with Roy. Roy runs things the very same way when you are a senior as he did when you were a wide eyed freshman, you have that consistency, you are able over time not just to learn what you should do in a given situation but all of the little nuances that play in to it all. You learn your teammates both their responsibilities but also what uniquely works best for them, their strengths AND WEAK POINTS.

Roy's defense is like a line dance, looks great when everyone does their part, looks awful when someone is out of step. The key is timing of your actions as much as what to do the exactly when to do it is vital and that is the hard part.
 
im not “mad” about anything haha . Just stating facts. I love roys offensive system and the teams you mentioned were just that talented and especially 09 and flaws in the defensive system were covered up by the extreme amount of talent on the offensive end of the floor.

but it’s simply a fact that we struggle guarding the perimeter under Roy. Was a statement made with no emotion involved.
Do you really believe that Roy teaches his players to ignore 3pt shooters? He actually doesn't, what he teaches is to rotate over to cover the primary pass, which with a driver is usually going to be the slip to a big when our big rotates over but the defending guard that drops down to give the double Roy wants the lost guard to at very least get in to that back out passing lane, he prefers that guard rotate straight all the way back to that open shooter. What you have seen so much this season is guys rotating either to late or not at all. That is lack of execution, not a design flaw. Can't count how many times this season I have watched Love or RJ have the ball handler get by them, no longer in position to defend that driver and rather than rotate just stand there and watch?

The primary problem is either our guard does not move his feet and allows the driver to get an angle to to the lane (which happens to much) or we suck (and we do suck) at handling the high screen, last few games Roy even went to switching off most of those screens rather than keep trying to get his bigs to hold the proper hedge.
 
This is a great point....we go for the 5 stars and spend a great deal of time on them...lose out on many them scramble.....but now those 3 star players are gone.

imagine if we make a great shooting 3 star player a priority....they would jump on the opportunity....not so much if they are an afterthought
I get that, but you also just described Andrew Platek.
 
Do you really believe that Roy teaches his players to ignore 3pt shooters? He actually doesn't, what he teaches is to rotate over to cover the primary pass, which with a driver is usually going to be the slip to a big when our big rotates over but the defending guard that drops down to give the double Roy wants the lost guard to at very least get in to that back out passing lane, he prefers that guard rotate straight all the way back to that open shooter. What you have seen so much this season is guys rotating either to late or not at all. That is lack of execution, not a design flaw. Can't count how many times this season I have watched Love or RJ have the ball handler get by them, no longer in position to defend that driver and rather than rotate just stand there and watch?

The primary problem is either our guard does not move his feet and allows the driver to get an angle to to the lane (which happens to much) or we suck (and we do suck) at handling the high screen, last few games Roy even went to switching off most of those screens rather than keep trying to get his bigs to hold the proper hedge.

i dont really get your point. I never once said Roy tells his guys to ignore shooters. Do you disagree that roys teams routinely don’t guard the 3 well? I get what they are “trying” to do defensively, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s been an ongoing issue regardless of personnel. So that leads me to believe it’s his philosophy defensively causing the problem.People keep responding acting as if this year was the only time it’s been a problem.
 
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We just need to stick with the script. If you build a strong culture recruits that fit that culture will come.

College basketball is about to return to a 3-4 four year deal again. Recruit players like Styles and Dunn who as 4 stars which would seem to say they will be here a few years. Both NC guys. We have got to win our state in recruiting the rest will take care of itself.

I bet a 20 dollar bill that next years class will choose D league over any college.

As I have said for 3 years. Take note of college baseball. Stars still play college baseball, but the 1st-10rounds are going minor league.

College basketball has got to recreate itself. Covid 19 spead up what we all saw happening to our game. It's not just UNC allot of blue bloods are hurting. I have had a day to digest Kessler news, and lets be honest he prolly is a 2nd round pick on potential which means. KESSLER IS GOING PRO!. Took me a second but that is my final answer.
 
Here is what a senior Berry said about that 22 defense that left shooters opened::


Despite his efforts to have this year’s roster adequately execute the 22 set, opposing teams have capitalized against UNC’s passing lane pressure with penetration and kick outs for good looks beyond the arc. The Tar Heels currently rank 325th nationally in three-point field goal percentage defense (38.4).There has been a subtle change made to No. 14 North Carolina’s defensive set in recent weeks intended to mitigate the team’s struggles in defending the three-point shot.

OK a senior led Berry and Pinson team having trouble defending the 3?....uuhhmmm

Also notice that Roy made a change...he can change!!!!!
Here’s what Berry said:

“The 22 is you’re just trying to deny the ball so the guy won’t get it, and if somebody ends up driving, you’ve got to help in, and then if they try to kick it back out, you’ve got to try to get back out and close out for a three,” senior guard Joel Berry said following UNC’s 83-66 win on Monday. "That’s a little tough. So now in 21, you’re just sitting in the gaps. It just messes with the defense a little bit, but it gives us a chance to where we don’t have go from out to in to out. We’re just going from in to out and that simplifies everything.”
 
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The day Ol’Roy starts letting 18 year old kids, their parents or disgruntled fans determine how he should coach is the day he should quit coaching. Who else among active coaches has his resume?
A kid unhappy with his PT or our playing style should go elsewhere. Why would we want an unhappy camper on our team? The cancer will spread. Kid goes to another school and they can deal with a quitter’s mentality. I’d rather have 13 three stars fighting for my alma mater!
 
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was gonna stay outta this --- as there are some internal dynamics at play that I just can't put on the board at this point --
Then don't say this. U know it just starts shit talking. U seem to always say you know something that nobody else can know. There is no one here EXCEPT Tarheel 75 that knows anyone on the staff. No one here is heading to Chapel Hill to rat u out. Well Gary-7 said blah blah. U did this same crap when Felton did whatever he did.
 
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Then don't say this. U know it just starts shit talking. U seem to always say you know something that nobody else can know. There is no one here EXCEPT Tarheel 75 that knows anyone on the staff. No one here is heading to Chapel Hill to rat u out. Well Gary-7 said blah blah. U did this same crap when Felton did whatever he did.
Gee, nice contribution... well, except that literally the only thing you got right was that 75 indeed knows a lot.

Oh, and, not that it matters now, but everything I posted about Jalek was true, and came from players on the team at the time.... so there's that.

So, you have a nice day now, ya hear?
 
Then don't say this. U know it just starts shit talking. U seem to always say you know something that nobody else can know. There is no one here EXCEPT Tarheel 75 that knows anyone on the staff. No one here is heading to Chapel Hill to rat u out. Well Gary-7 said blah blah. U did this same crap when Felton did whatever he did.

Hey HeelzLover, hope all is well with you.

Gary is correct that there are some internal dynamics that are a bit too sensitive to put on a public message board at present. I would think that we would all be remiss if we are not patient enough to wait this out. I know that many, including myself, are not happy with what is taking place within the program currently, and most likely there will be more of the same coming in the next few days to weeks, so ready yourselves for it.

Sometimes a house gets in real disrepair and needs to be refurbished and that's how I see it personally. Does not mean I am right though, but some real tough decisions on the horizon and not just for players mind you.
 
Yeah that’s why I said the comment was both right and wrong. That team also didn’t get to a final four or win a championship.

his championship teams without exception have junior and senior 5 star/McDonald’s aa talent.
Yeah I know but thats why I also said its ok to mix in a big name here and there but dont go for only the big names lol.. Meeks and Hicks were lower 5 stars or maybe even high 4 stars. Thats more of Roy's comfort zone. Every 5 star he has brought in since then has left after 1 year outside of Bacot.
 
Yeah I know but thats why I also said its ok to mix in a big name here and there but dont go for only the big names lol.. Meeks and Hicks were lower 5 stars or maybe even high 4 stars. Thats more of Roy's comfort zone. Every 5 star he has brought in since then has left after 1 year outside of Bacot.

I agree. In my opinion, it appears we have suffered without the consistency of a point guard since Berry left. UNC has had great success with our PG's who were highly rated undersized guards who were excellent in college and not quite big enough for the pros to lure them out of school. Felton, Paige and Berry come to mind. Hell even back to Cota or Ty or McInnis. Starting with Jalek and then Coby, Roy got the larger guards to commit but that hasn't worked out for his system as they don't hang around long enough to lead the team anywhere. Jalek was unfortunate and no one knew Coby would be Coby but it didn't work out. Cole was one and done from the jump and Caleb is a mystery as if I understand correctly has never played PG before this year. So, i guess my point is to return to finding the highest rated 4* to 5* talent you can that doesn't quite fit the mold for NBA and things probably improve quickly. RJ seems to fit that mold if he chooses to hang around. Actually, undersized wings and power forwards work out well usually for UNC as well. Great college players, role players at best for NBA. Lynch, Donald, Hansbrough, Jawad Wiliams, Ellington all come to mind in that regard. UNC thrived when those upperclassman were combined with talented future pros like Barnes and Marvin Williams. There needs to be some adjustments in scheme but a lot of issues go away when UNC gets back to scoring 80+ per game and frequently flirts with 100 point outings. Those uncontested 3s don't sting as bad when you run it up their backs 3 seconds later for a dunk.
 
Hey HeelzLover, hope all is well with you.

Gary is correct that there are some internal dynamics that are a bit too sensitive to put on a public message board at present. I would think that we would all be remiss if we are not patient enough to wait this out. I know that many, including myself, are not happy with what is taking place within the program currently, and most likely there will be more of the same coming in the next few days to weeks, so ready yourselves for it.

Sometimes a house gets in real disrepair and needs to be refurbished and that's how I see it personally. Does not mean I am right though, but some real tough decisions on the horizon and not just for players mind you.
I never said there wasn't anything going on internally. I just didn't think it was necessary for him to say what he said in the quote I put up. So what if he knows something. If u can't say anything then just don't comment that u know something is wrong internally without being able to spill the beans. This is a message board for those of us who love the Heels. Don't add to the anxiety by saying that crap
 
I never said there wasn't anything going on internally. I just didn't think it was necessary for him to say what he said in the quote I put up. So what if he knows something. If u can't say anything then just don't comment that u know something is wrong internally without being able to spill the beans. This is a message board for those of us who love the Heels. Don't add to the anxiety by saying that crap

Some of us like getting those nuggets of info, & after all, to quote you “this is a message board for those of us that love the Heels”.
 
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I never said there wasn't anything going on internally. I just didn't think it was necessary for him to say what he said in the quote I put up. So what if he knows something. If u can't say anything then just don't comment that u know something is wrong internally without being able to spill the beans. This is a message board for those of us who love the Heels. Don't add to the anxiety by saying that crap

Ok, as you wish, I will refrain from divulging any reports or anything that I deem too sensitive for most posters to receive. Much better this way, as it can start a firestorm of unwarranted criticisms for both player and coaches.
 
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