Chansky’s Notebook: The Islands – Chapelboro.com

On November 23, 2024By Littum

Art Chansky’s Sports Notebook is presented by The Casual Pint. YOUR place for delicious pub food paired with local beer. Choose from 35 rotating taps and 200+ beers in the cooler.

Happy 20th Anniversary to Roy Williams.

In 2004, Williams was in his first full calendar year as head coach of the Tar Heels. He left Kansas in the summer of 2003 and quickly rebuilt a program that had been engulfed in controversy under Matt Doherty, who was hired after Ol’ Roy turned down the job in 2000.

Williams inherited a talented roster that was short on fundamentals and a penchant for hard work that was his identity. Sophomores Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants and Sean May were returning starters with seniors Jackie Manuel and Jawad Williams, who were on the infamous 8-20 team in 2001-02. The key addition was 6-11 Marvin Williams, the freshman his namesake had recruited at Kansas but followed him to UNC.

In Carolina’s return to the 2004 NCAA Tournament after a two-year absence, the Heels lost in the second round to 12th-ranked Texas in Denver, where Williams spent as much time teaching his players on the bench and in timeouts as he did coaching to win.

The offseason was total dedication to defense and playing hard, and when Marvin arrived in the summer from Washington, UNC had its sixth man and eventual ACC Rookie of the Year. Carolina opened the season against Santa Clara in Oakland en route to the Maui Invitational. Without Felton, the Tar Heels lost 77-66 with Quentin Thomas at the time.

Maui has long been Williams’ favorite road destination for its beaches and golf courses. But his teams were all business at the Lahaina Civic Center, beating BYU, Tennessee and Iowa, all by double figures. Carolina went on to win three NCAA titles, all prefaced by taking home the trophy and commemorative surfboard from Maui.

With college basketball starting earlier these days, the Tar Heels are 2-1 when they stop in Honolulu for an 11:30 EST game at the University of Hawai’i, who are 4-0 plus two exhibition wins and will not be a cakewalk for mainland visitors. They will miss Justin McKoy, who transferred out of UNC as a fifth-year senior, started all 34 games for the Rainbows and averaged 12.4 points and 6 rebounds. Hawaii is led by 6-10 grade student Tanner Christensen, averaging 17.5 points, and three others who are in double figures.

The tough stuff begins Monday in Maui against unranked Dayton, but No. 10 Carolina is committed to playing two ranked opponents that could include two-time defending NCAA champion UConn in Wednesday’s title game.

All-time, the Tar Heels are 22-4 in eight Maui invitationals, trailing only Duke’s 18-1 mark in six appearances. Bill Guthridge’s 2000 (and last UNC) team won the Maui title. Dean Smith lost twice in Maui but won two Rainbow Classics in Honolulu previously. Let’s give Roy a happy 20th anniversary present!

Featured image via Todd Melet

Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including bestsellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to the WCHL for decades after making his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see at Chapelboro? Let us bring you free local news and community information by signing up for our newsletter.