It’s been nearly a month since a trying season for the UNC men’s basketball team ended with a blowout loss to Syracuse in the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, a game that ultimately turned into the last one any ACC team would play—as the rest of the season was canceled the next day due to fears surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.

Sporting a brand new, never-before-seen beard, head coach Roy Williams met with the media via Zoom on Tuesday morning for what would have been his normal press conference to mark the end of the college basketball season.

He discussed how the current crisis is affecting the Tar Heels, and how they can come back better next season.

While he’s been quarantining himself at home in the mountains with his wife, Wanda, Williams has stayed busy on the phone with everyone from coaches to prospects to his players.

Using Zoom, Williams has been able to have face-to-face sessions with his team—mainly to talk about academics and what they need to do in that regard. He also makes sure to stay involved with what’s going on in their personal lives.

“I asked them three questions at the end of it this Sunday night,” Williams said. “I said, ‘How’s your family?’ first. Secondly, ‘Are you being smart and staying away from people?’ And third, this is a very simple question, give me something positive that you’ve done this week.”

To this point, Williams said no players have had any of their immediate family members infected with the COVID-19 disease.

While everyone is away at their homes, though, the training staff led by Jonas Sahratian and Doug Halverson are doing everything they can to help the team stay healthy.

“Jonas, our strength and conditioning coach, has given everyone an individual workout plan with whatever materials they may have,” Williams said. “If they’ve got a ball or a band or, if nothing, just working on body weight [exercises].

Players like Anthony Harris and Sterling Manley—who are both coming off of major knee injuries—have maintained constant contact with Halverson, the head trainer, in order to keep their rehab processes moving as smoothly as possible given the situation.

As it pertains to next season, the Tar Heels are expected to rebound in a strong way after posting the first losing season in Williams’ 17-year tenure.

With a recruiting class led by four McDonald’s All-Americans, it’s been a point of emphasis for Williams to connect with his incoming freshmen and keep in touch as much as possible—especially since they’ll be unable to come to campus in June with the cancellation of summer school at UNC.

For the players expected to return—including forward Garrison Brooks and guard Leaky Black—Williams hasn’t dwelled too much on last season. He said he gave them a plan following the loss to Syracuse, but it was one filled with doubt—knowing how often it would change as the coronavirus situation rapidly evolved.

Williams did say he takes the blame for how last season went, offering that he did the worst job he’s ever done of getting guys to play up to their potential while also mentioning the team’s terrible luck with injuries.

“There was a lot of factors,” Williams said. “I don’t think there’s one simple answer other than the fact we just got our tails beat. We’ve got to put it behind us, learn from those mistakes and not do those same things again.”

For the time being, however, the only real concern for Williams is making sure the country can make it through this pandemic—saying he doesn’t mind doing as many public service announcements as he needs to in order to do his part to help.

“It’s so weird because you can’t see it,” he said, about the virus. “You don’t know what to fight. So, just trying to take the advice of the scientists and the medical people—and not the politicians—I think is the best thing that can happen in the world right now.”

Williams also was quick to praise the health care workers serving the state and country too.

“As I was growing up, all of my biggest heroes were my teachers and mentors I’ve had. But now all my heroes are all the healthcare people and providers. I can’t imagine those doctors and nurses going to work everyday, worrying about their own health and how it’s going to affect their families. And yet, they still keep going, so they’re definitely my heroes right now.”

Photo via AP Photo/ Mark Wallheiser.

 

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