There is plenty for analysts Eric Bossi, Corey Evans and Dan McDonald to discuss in the Rivals Roundtable this week. This week, what to make of Roy Williams comments about his North Carolina team, which team’s sluggish conference start is most worrisome and what program is getting overlooked so far this season?
What do you make of Roy Williams' comment that this is his 'least gifted' team he's had at North Carolina?
Bossi If you have followed Roy Williams over time, you know he can be a bit on the ornery side and that he’s not a huge fan of social media and how things can travel because of it. But, that’s today’s world and comments like that are going to cause some waves.
What surprised me, though, is that after losing to Pitt the other night, Williams didn’t back off and said that he was telling the truth. While he may have been doing just that – especially with freshmen guards Cole Anthony and Anthony Harris out with injury -- I could understand his players being a little upset by it, but it’s up to them to try and prove him wrong and up to Williams and his staff to get the best out of them.
Since coming back to Chapel Hill, Williams is arguably the most successful coach in college hoops and he’s a top 10, maybe top five coach in the history of college hoops, so I’m not going to trip too much and in the long term, I seriously doubt it’s going to cost him recruits or anything like that.
Evans: There has been worse said in the past. Williams is definitely not happy with how things have gone thus far and rightfully so. Losing four of their past five games, NCAA Tournament chances are not too promising and even qualifying for the NIT may be difficult with how things are trending.
Do I believe that it is not a gifted team? No, but it is all relative. For UNC’s sake? Possibly. The Tar Heels should never have to rely on two graduate-transfers. Toss in the injuries of Anthony and Harris, a hobbled Armando Bacot, and an unproven backcourt, and this is what you get. I am not sure they will be able to turn it around this season but as I stated on Friday, next year might be a little different in Chapel Hill.
McDonald: It probably wasn’t the best statement to make about your team when they aren’t playing well. Anybody who has watched North Carolina play lately, particularly with Anthony out, and has ever watched basketball knows this team isn’t one of his best. I’m not outraged by the comment, but I’d also probably not make that comment if I was in his shoes.
2. Which team's slow start to the conference season should be most concerning?
Bossi: There is legitimate cause for concern Austin where Texas has dropped its first two Big 12 games. It only scored 44 at Baylor in its opener and then got beaten at home by Oklahoma. The Big 12 is down this year and Texas like many has a roster with some holes in it. But they’ve got legitimate ball-handlers in Matt Coleman and Courtney Ramey and some good enough pieces to go around them.
At worst, it should be a top five team in the conference this year. It’s early, but hosting Kansas State this weekend and traveling to Oklahoma State during the week are looking like must-win games to get the ship righted.
Evans: Florida has to get it together during league play and thus far, they have done so. It started off with one of the biggest comebacks in school history, trailing by 21 points late in the first half before taking down Alabama last week. Going to Columbia and defeating South Carolina, a team that has already beaten Virginia, was another momentum builder.
However, the Gators, a program that was on many preseason Final Four watch lists, has not lived up to its preseason expectations just yet which is why how it succeeds the next two months will correlate to potential March glory. The Gators are now coalescing and at the right time. Andrew Nembhard, Keyontae Johnson and Scottie Lewis are playing their best college ball yet, Kerry Blackshear has become a reliable double-double threat, Omar Payne has started to see the light and Noah Locke is beginning to knock down shots. If there was ever a time for the Gators, it is now.
McDonald: Ohio State at 1-3 is a little concerning. A road loss to Maryland isn’t unforgiveable and losing at Minnesota isn’t crippling, but teams the caliber of Ohio State need to beat Wisconsin at home. The Buckeyes have now lost three straight, including a loss to West Virginia at home too. Chris Holtmann is a terrific coach, so I’d bet him on getting things right, but it needs to happen soon.
3. What team is floating somewhat under the radar?
Bossi: I’ve already been on the bandwagon of Auburn, Florida State, San Diego State and Texas Tech, but it’s time to throw Wichita State into that mix. Gregg Marshall has the Shockers rolling right now and after taking out Memphis on Thursday night they are up to 14-1 and off to a 2-0 start in a pretty good AAC this season. They are tough, they play hard and they are flying well under the radar. I’m looking forward to seeing them battle with Memphis again and how they do with teams like Houston and SMU that are also looking like NCAA teams to me. We’ll see how they close out, but the Shockers are looking dangerous to me.
Evans: This might be the deepest the Big East has ever been, that is at least since it was reconfigured earlier this century, which is why what Creighton is doing has gone unnoticed. It shouldn’t. The Blue Jays have lost their past two league games but the three-headed monster in the backcourt, led by player of the year candidate Marcus Zegarowski, a now eligible Denzel Mahoney who has brought much-needed toughness and free-wheeling coach Greg McDermott, makes Creighton a Final Four dark horse.
McDonald: Maybe it’s just the part of the country I live in, but I don’t feel like Baylor is getting the credit it deserves. Scott Drew doesn’t get the credit he deserves for the job he’s done with the Bears either. This is a really good team with a really good coach that I feel like is not only capable of making the Final Four but potentially good enough to cut down the nets in Atlanta.
