With the cloud of the NCAA investigation now in the rearview mirror for head coach Roy Williams and the UNC men’s basketball team, the focus at the Tar Heels’ media day on Tuesday started to turn toward the future.

For the last six years and change—depending on the timeline you want to use—Williams and UNC have battled endless criticism on the recruiting trail related to the investigation.

While the Tar Heels watched the nation’s top high school players continuously choose other schools such as Duke, Kentucky and Kansas, Williams was forced into winning with recruits who would stick around in college and develop over time.

Joel Berry answers questions from reporters at UNC’s media day on Tuesday. (Photo via Avery Trendel)

The 2014 class consisting of Joel Berry, Theo Pinson and Justin Jackson, however, gave UNC the best of both worlds—talented players who also stayed in school.

Despite facing constant backlash upon committing during their junior year of high school, the trio stuck with Williams and what he was offering in Chapel Hill.

Fast forward to 2017, and now the group is responsible for bringing UNC its first national championship since 2009—a moment made all the more special to Williams because of all the junk that preceded it.

“They had people telling them they’d never play in an NCAA Tournament game,” Williams said. “So the feeling of pride and satisfaction that those guys’ faith and trust in us worked out alright—it was a big part of my feeling.”

Jackson used his breakout junior season to become a first-round selection by the Sacramento Kings in this past June’s NBA Draft, but both Berry and Pinson ultimately decided to come back for their senior campaigns.

The duo now represents the bridge from UNC’s clouded past to its suddenly bright future.

This past Friday at Late Night with Roy, Berry had tears visible in his eyes as the 2017 national championship banner was revealed.

It was the same on Tuesday, facing a large crowd of media in the Smith Center bleachers. The point guard couldn’t help but get a little emotional when thinking about the journey they’ve taken to reach this point.

“A lot of people—before I got here—were telling me it’d be a bad decision to come here because of the academic scandal and all that stuff,” Berry said, choking up ever so slightly. “When that news came out [of UNC being cleared], that meant the most to me.

“That’s why when we dropped the banner the other night, I tried to hold back,” he continued. “But the tears just fell down my face, because of all the stuff we went through.”

Now that the NCAA situation has been resolved, basketball can once again take center stage in Chapel Hill.

Berry, of course, enters this year as the Tar Heels’ unquestioned leader in the backcourt.

The newest addition the rafters in the Smith Center. (Todd Melet)

Injuries have kept Pinson from reaching his full potential so far, however the 6-foot-6 wing will be counted on to contribute in many different positions this season with the Tar Heels’ lack of experience down low.

Forward Luke Maye, graduate transfer Cam Johnson and guard Kenny Williams will provide much-needed veteran leadership. Beyond that, this will be a young, but talented, Tar Heel team.

Still, though, the mission remains the same—to win a national championship.

Only two teams—Duke in 1991 and 1992, and Florida in 2006 and 2007—have repeated as champions since UCLA won seven in a row from 1967-1973.

Having played in two straight NCAA title games already, Berry understands the difficulty of the challenge at hand.

“It’s not easy at all,” Berry said. “It’s a journey and it’s a process, but the last couple years–as we’ve gone through the season–we got better and better and became close as a team.

“I’m not expecting it to be as easy as it was last year—when we had an experienced crew,” he added. “But I think we have what it takes to get to that point.”

 

 

Cover photo via Todd Melet

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