Monday, February 8, 2010

What's up? No call for the firing of Roy Williams?

The last time we looked, the North Carolina roster was still chock full of Parade and McDonald's All-American basketballers. Another peek tells us that the Tar Heels are 13-10 overall this season, 2-6 right now in Atlantic Coast Conference play.

So with tongue but partially in cheek, why no commotion along the lines of "Roy Williams as lost it"? -- no hullabaloo about getting somebody else in there "who knows how to coach"?

Here's an article detailing why Carolina is woeful this season:

Terrapins Insider
Steve Yanda
Washington Post
February 6, 2010

A coach's view on the Tar Heels

In an effort to ease the task of replacing four established Division I stars -- three of which were drafted in the first round of the 2009 NBA draft -- North Carolina Coach Roy Williams has had to shorten and simplify his playbook, according to a coach whose team already has faced the Tar Heels this season.

Last year, North Carolina could rely on guys like Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green to execute the team's offense precisely. But they're all gone now, and what remains for Williams to work with are few developed products and many raw pieces.

"They don't run as many things this year, and I think that's out of necessity," said the coach, who was granted anonymity in return for his candor. "I don't think they have as much in their playbook this year, and they lost a lot of people that were really good last year, too, that had been in that system three or four years. Now they're trying to do it with inexperienced kids..."
Go here for the remainder.

Anomalies do happen (thankfully!) but talent and also playing experience are the two top factors in success or lack thereof. All the rest is still important but of lesser and varying degrees.

Surface-wise, it appears to PTW that Hawaii and Boise State are currently offering the least amount of overall physical skill and basketball talent plus game experience and both teams currently reside at the bottom of the WAC. Would Jim Calhoun or Coach K as the head coach at each school be making any difference? Our answer: minimal at best.

Now recruiting would be another story and that leads us back to skills and talent.

No comments: