Lessons learned should pay off for Heels
College basketball fans should appreciate what Florida and UCLA basketball accomplished these past two years.
In a time when players come and go quickly, faster all the time, the Gators and Bruins have done well in the NCAA Final Four.
North Carolina lost the ACC rookie of the year to the National Basketball Association after two of the last three seasons. The third person who won the award during that stretch was Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough, and he's still in school.
Billy Donovan of Florida identified the correct players, and kept them together for consecutive titles. What the Gators accomplished should be genuinely applauded and appreciated, just as we appreciated UCLA's run under John Wooden and Mike Krzyzewski's back-to-back titles in 1991 and '92.
The Bruins probably present the greatest obstacle in the basketball season ahead for Kansas, Memphis and the Tar Heels. UCLA signs the same level of talent as Carolina, and the two schools often go head-to-head in recruiting for the best players. Ben Howland is reassembling the correct pieces rapidly at UCLA, and the Bruins are among the true elite once again. Consecutive Final Four appearances and a home arena, located in sunny Southern California, the country's most populous state, full of championship banners, all make for a perfect draw for college athletes of all shapes, sizes and any other dimension a coach would find attractive.
This year, it's Roy Williams' turn to work with veteran players, or least his next opportunity has arrived. He was the last person not named Donovan to win the national championship, and Carolina has its most experience on the roster since 2005.
He should be able to teach advanced classes this time.
"There is no question that with experience you can move faster," Williams said, "and make little changes from what you've done in the past. It's easier for them to grasp. It will be more fun for me because I can push them harder. I always think you can push more talented, more successful, more experienced teams than you could push teams that are hesitant.
"Last year, Alex Stepheson, for one, told me that the first two-thirds of practice he was just trying to get through practice," Williams said. "He didn't care what he found out, learned or whatever. He just wanted to be alive at the end of practice."
This time, everyone on the team will know what's coming. There are no freshmen recruits.
Carolina still has some of the best depth in the country. UNC has enough talent on hand to win a national championship.
"I'm extremely excited for next year," Hansbrough said. "We have high standards always. We worked extremely hard over the summer."
Hansbrough, a two-time All-American, All-ACC big man, will not be easily pushed aside.
In order to become an even better leader, Hansbrough will have to talk more, although he's never been all that big on the speaking parts.
"That's what came to me at the end of the year," he said. "I started being more vocal. It will be part of my leadership role next year, being vocal and being more of a leader."
Then there is Tywon Lawson. His coach is as good as it gets for teaching point guards to push a team to the red line on every possible possession. Tywon Lawson just didn't always care for the lessons.
This time, he says he's a more willing pupil, and therefore a smarter ballplayer as a sophomore.
"Coach, I love him," Tywon Lawson said. "I think our relationship is going to be a lot stronger this year. Last year, we did butt heads a lot, probably 10 or 11 times at the beginning of the season. It was kind of rough."
Williams says Tywon is a long way from being a "Ty-Ler" in terms of strength and leadership, but he's getting there.
"His freshman year was really, really a good year," Williams said. "I thought the last three or four regular-season games through the tournament were some of the best basketball he played all year. ...
"I think he understands all those little things now that go into him being the kind of player he wants to be and I want him to be. I really think he'll have a great, great year. He'll be much more focused. That year of experience as a point guard will be invaluable to him. I'm expecting a great, great year from him."
Tywon Lawson gradually learned last year that Williams was, and is, in charge -- and that Ol' Roy knows what he's doing.
"As I got used to him coaching me, I could see everything was for the best and everything was good," Tywon Lawson said. "I like him for that. I have never had a coach like that."
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