UNC basketball media day notes and quotes

North Carolina held its annual basketball media day on Monday. One of the main themes that emerged from it: the motivation the Tar Heels have found in their (many) losses last season that came after they’d led games in the second half.

UNC has placed signs in the locker room and in the weight room reminding players of what happened in those games.

There was a lot more that came out of our first press conference with Roy Williams since last March when UNC ended its season with a loss against Wisconsin in Los Angeles. Some quick-take news, notes and quotes from Williams’ session with reporters on Monday:

▪ One of the questions a lot of people have wondered approaching the start of the season: Is Theo Pinson healthy after having foot surgery last spring? The answer: “No.” Said Williams: “Theo has not done one full-court drill yet. He didn’t play a pick-up game all summer. We’ve restricted him to half-court stuff the first six practices … we’re still trying to be very cautious with what we’re doing.” The hope is for Pinson to be fully cleared after the first three weeks of practice.

▪ Justin Jackson, the sophomore forward, has come a long way and is “far better” now than he was last year at this time, Williams said: “I think he’s much more confident now. But still, I’ve seen some guys that were the greatest players in the world out there on the court in the practice area. I want to see how it is when the lights are on and you’ve got to play somebody else. So I don’t think you can truly see what a guy’s done until you start the games. But he’s far better than he was last year at this time.”

▪ Williams touched UNC’s difficulties in recruiting and about the uncertainty over the program given the NCAA case: “It hasn’t been very pleasant in some of the things that have happened recruiting-wise and some of the negative things that have happened but still you’ve got to play.” On what he’s telling prospects amid NCAA uncertainty: “Tell (them) what I know, and that’s that the NCAA thing is not over with yet. We have to wait and see. And no allegations toward men’s basketball. We feel good, but it’s not over with yet.”

▪ Williams has liked what he has seen in terms of improvement. He mentioned, in particular, Marcus Paige (now healthy), Brice Johnson (who “has done some better things in practice”) and Joel Berry (who “has done some really nice things”). But then came the obvious: no one will know how much better UNC has really become until it starts playing other teams.

▪ Finishing games has been a huge point of emphasis. Asked what UNC could do to become better in late-game situations, Williams said, “Do what I tell you to do. That’s a pretty simple thing.” But he also noted that sometimes teams simply get beat, too, by the opposition rising to the challenge. Which is what happened, in some ways, at Duke last season.

▪  It’s clear that UNC will enter the season as something of a throwback team – at least for programs of UNC’s caliber – with a nucleus of seniors and juniors. “It’s good and bad,” Williams said of having a strong core of seniors and juniors. “You know, nobody was beating their door down to try to get them to leave. You like those guys that people want them to leave and they decided they’re going to stay, that’s really a nice moment.”

▪ Out of context Roy-ism of the day came about 14 minutes into his press conference: “Every time somebody says something it’s made out to be like I’m quoting Lincoln. And hell, he died a few years ago.” In 1865, to be exact.

▪ Is there a special sense of urgency for this team amid the uncertainty of what might happen with the NCAA case? Williams answered it this way: “No.” And then started talking about his knees. “There’s a sense of urgency getting my dadgum knees feeling better,” he said. “I had two knee surgeries this summer. I’m not moving around as well as I’d like. So I haven’t got down in the defensive stance yet this year. I haven’t showed them how to deny … two knee surgeries, my golf game was terrible all dadgum summer. That’s a sense of urgency.”

▪ Expect to see Marcus Paige playing a lot off the ball, as he often has the past two seasons. But, Williams said, “I want the ball in his hands when the game’s being decided.”

▪ It was a happy moment for Williams and his program when Kenny Williams committed to UNC last spring. He had been headed to VCU but then reopened his recruitment after Shaka Smart left VCU for Texas. Kenny Williams probably won’t play a tremendously significant role on this team but he could come in for five to 10 minutes a game and add something. “First game I ever saw him play, he made five 3s and took three charges in one game. And that sort of catches your eye. And his ability to shoot the ball was the first thing that caught my eye.”

This story was originally published October 13, 2015 at 1:02 PM with the headline "UNC basketball media day notes and quotes."