Tag: Roy Williams

North Carolina to host golf tournament honoring legendary basketball coach Roy Williams

The Williams Cup will debut in October.

Legendary North Carolina men’s basketball coach Roy Williams is getting a special honor from the Tar Heels men’s golf program.

The Williams Cup presented by Stitch Golf will be held Oct. 25-26, 2021 at Eagle Point Golf club in Wilmington, North Carolina, and will feature a strong 10-team field including Georgia, Houston, Indiana, Iowa, Louisville, Michigan State, NC State, UNCW and Vanderbilt.

“We wanted to acknowledge in a special and memorable way Roy and Wanda’s generosity that has made an enormously positive impact on college athletics, the University of North Carolina and our golf program,” said men’s golf head coach Andrew DiBitetto.

“As many people know, Roy and Wanda watch as many of our Carolina teams compete as their schedules allow and support our teams in many ways, but what most don’t know is he has been and continues to be a mentor to numerous Tar Heel coaches, including me. Beyond his passion for golf, the significant financial commitments the Williamses have made to fund scholarships for students are simply extraordinary.”

After a 15-year tenure at Kansas, Williams took the helm in Chapel Hill in 2003 and led the Tar Heels to three national championships. Over 18 years, the Williamses donated more than $5.8 million to the university.

“Coach Williams really cherishes the traditions of our game and is a tremendous supporter of amateur and collegiate golf,” said DiBitetto. “He’s spoken to the players at two U.S. Amateurs, tracks how our team is playing and is often the first to offer his congratulations after a tournament. The Williams Cup presented by Stitch Golf will have special meaning not only to our players, but players on every team in the field.”

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Oklahoma Sooners’ top 12 moments in football from the Big 12 era

With migration to the SEC on the horizon, take a stroll down memory lane with the top 12 moments from the Oklahoma Sooners time in the Big 12.

One of the best things about sports, and college football, in particular, are the memories it creates for the fan that last a lifetime. In the Oklahoma Sooner’s dominance of the Big 12 since its inception, they’ve created quite a few memories.

With migration to the Southeastern Conference on the horizon, the Sooners’ reign at the top of the Big 12 will be concluding. Collecting 14 Big 12 Championships, the Oklahoma Sooners have created quite a few memorable moments along the way.

And as their future is headed to the SEC, let’s take a look back at the top 12 moments from the Oklahoma Sooners time in the Big 12 Conference.

Oklahoma Sooners on Bleacher Report’s All-Big 12 Team of the 21st century

The Sooners have provided some of the best talent in the history of the Big 12. Which of them make this 21st-century All-Big 12 team?

Since the turn of the century, the Oklahoma Sooners have had some of the best players in college football on both sides of the ball. Quarterbacks Jason White, Sam Bradford, Landry Jones, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts have been some of the best at the position in the last 20 years.

The star-studded Sooners have found success between the lines and at awards ceremonies. In the Big 12, no team has come close to their sustained level of excellence over the last 20 years. Though it’s been 21 years since their last national championship, their dominance of the Big 12 can’t be understated.

They’ve been as talented as anyone in the country, even if that hasn’t always translated to national championship success.

It’s no surprise then that when Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller put together the All-Big 12 Team of the 21st century, Sooners of the past were quite prevalent on the team.

Here were the guidelines he put in place to define the 21st century.

The 21st century began on January 1, 2001. That means the 2000 season does not count. Only seasons in which the program was part of the Big 12 counted. That means players from Nebraska and Colorado from 2001-10, Missouri and Texas A&M from 2001-11 and West Virginia and TCU from 2012-Present were eligible for consideration, but not for the years outside of those ranges. – Miller

Let’s take a look at the Sooners that made Bleacher Report’s All-Big 12 team of the 21st century. Unfortunately, not every spot could be filled with a player from Oklahoma. However, several Sooners could make an argument for inclusion on this list.

Deciding which Cowboys WR trade was worse, Joey Galloway or Roy Williams

The Cowboys made 3 huge WR trades in the last 20 years; they’re 1 for 3. The wrong failure may be getting more press than the true villian.

It’s a time of inaction for the NFL as OTAs and minicamps are over and teams are preparing for training camp. A quiet period during the offseason means a myriad of lists to stoke the fires of fans who otherwise have little distractions.

Bleacher Report recently ranked the seven worst trades since 2000, and the Dallas Cowboys found a place on it with their storied acquisition of WR Joey Galloway.

The Cowboys needed help at receiver after star WR Michael Irvin was forced to retire with a spinal cord injury that he suffered against the Philadelphia Eagles in 1999. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones decided to make a splash move and traded two first-round picks to the Seattle Seahawks for the speedster Galloway.

Unfortunately the trade never paid dividends for the Cowboys. Galloway tore his ACL in his first game with Dallas and never made the impact the team was expecting. The trade was listed as the fourth worst since 2000 as the Cowboys went “all-in on Galloway:”

“Through four years in the NFL, Joey Galloway averaged more than 1,000 yards per season and totaled 36 touchdowns. The wideout wanted a new contract from the Seattle Seahawks badly enough that he held out for half of the 1999 campaign.

In the following offseason, Seattle slapped the franchise tag on Galloway and engineered a massive trade win.

Galloway went to the Dallas Cowboys for a pair of first-round picks. One of those picks turned into Alabama running back Shaun Alexander, who would eventually win NFL MVP while setting a league record for single-season touchdowns. Alexander smashed Seattle’s franchise records for yards and touchdowns.

On the other hand, Galloway missed most of 2000 because of a torn left ACL. He managed 2,279 yards and 11 scores over the next three seasons before Dallas traded him to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.”

The trade was clearly a bust for the Cowboys, who felt the sting of not having first-round selections in back-to-back drafts. Not having those picks hurt even more as the team tried to then replace quarterback Troy Aikman, who retired in 2000 and never really got to play with Galloway.

However, as bad as that trade was for the Cowboys and Jones, was there a trade that might have been worse since then? During the 2008 season, the Cowboys might have made an even bigger trade mistake by acquiring WR Roy Williams from the Detroit Lions in exchange for first, third and sixth-round picks in the 2009 draft. The team then immediately signed Williams to a six-year, $54 million contract.

The trade and the contract turned out to be huge mistakes. The Cowboys needed a star WR, and Williams never worked out. In his 2.5 seasons with the Cowboys, Williams never topped 600 yards receiving or had double-digit scores as he struggled to mesh with the Dallas offense under QB Tony Romo. Really, he was one of the few receivers who had this issue, as Romo routinely made lesser receivers into stars.

Further troubling for the trade was the Cowboys found their No. 1 receiver in undrafted receiver Miles Austin when Williams was brought in. During 2009, Williams’ first full season in Dallas, he caught just 38 passes for 596 yards and seven touchdowns. By comparison, Austin racked up 81 receptions for 1,320 yards and 11 scores that same year and Williams became the second option.

The Williams trade was likely worse for the Cowboys.

Galloway, although he never hit 1,000 yards receiving with the team, did have productive seasons. In Galloway’s three full seasons with Dallas, he went over 600 yards in each and approached 1,000 yards (908) during the 2002 season. And that was with quarterbacks Quincy Carter, Ryan Leaf, Clint Stoener, and Chad Hutchinson.

With Aikman under center for his only game in 2000, Galloway had 64 yards and a score, so it seems fair to assume he would’ve been more productive with Aikman at QB and if healthy.

Williams was never close to being what the Cowboys traded for at WR, despite playing with Romo as his QB. The Cowboys expected a Pro Bowl WR, but Williams didn’t come close to getting that level of play, catching just over 48% of the passes thrown his way during his time in Dallas.

Neither trade will be remembered fondly, but the deal for Williams turned out worse for the franchise. The Cowboys needed Williams to help during Romo’s prime and when the team was legitimate contenders. Galloway came on during the end of an era and when the Cowboys probably weren’t competing for the Super Bowl.

Ironically, neither failure ultimately stopped Jones and the Cowboys from being aggressive in acquiring receiving talent. The 2018 deal for Amari Cooper was one that finally worked out. The team has gotten from Cooper what they needed from Galloway and Williams.

You can chat with or follow Ben on twitter @BenGrimaldi.

 

Tom Izzo has no intentions of retiring anytime soon

With the recent announcements of legendary head coaches retiring, people have started to wonder if Izzo is going to retire soon as well.

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With the recent announcements of legendary head coaches Lon Kruger, Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski retiring, people have started to wonder if Tom Izzo is also on his way out at MSU. Izzo put that to bed as he said he has “no intentions” to retire.

Izzo noted that he does not plan on following his compadres footsteps into retirement. He acknowledged his worry for the future of college basketball due to the new transfer rules. Kruger and Williams admitted that the sport’s changes have played a little role in their decision to retire.

Izzo does not like how the transfer rule changes have made it easier for players to leave their current school and immediately play at the next. He brings up how this could have wide-ranging consequences on academics, player development, fan experience and more. It may also drop the number of three- and four-year players.

Izzo did say that once the “annoyance level supersedes the enjoyment then it’s time to go.”

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Cole Anthony ‘super happy’ Roy Williams, Hubert Davis saw him play live

Roy Williams and Hubert Davis saw Anthony play in person for the first time on Friday, something he was very excited about.

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Now that Roy Williams has retired from the University of North Carolina, the Hall of Famer has had the opportunity to watch some of his former players live in action.

On Thursday, Williams was on hand at Spectrum Center in Charlotte to watch Coby White and the Chicago Bulls face the Hornets. White helped the Bulls to a 120-99 win over the Hornets with 14 points, six assists and four rebounds.

One night later, Williams saw the Orlando Magic with Cole Anthony arrive to play the Hornets.

Anthony produced 20 points, five rebounds and one assist in 29 minutes of work during the 122-112 loss to the Hornets. The performance marked his third 20-point game of the season, and the second during the month of May.

In addition to Williams, new Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis was also in the building to watch Anthony play. It marked the first time Williams and Davis got to see Anthony in person, something that he will definitely remember for a long time.

“It was pretty cool,” Anthony said. “Coach Hubert Davis was here on the other side so I got a chance to talk to both of them from probably about 20 or 30 feet, but I was still able to see them. I’m super happy about that. I will be going back to Chapel Hill after the season to hang out with my guys. I’m super happy. That’s the first time they got to see me play in person this season.”

While the result certainly wasn’t what Anthony and the Magic wanted, the 15th overall pick finally had the opportunity to play in front of his college coaches. He may have only spent one season in Carolina Blue, but the impact Williams and his staff had on him will certainly stay with him throughout his career.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Darren Woodson urges Cowboys to invest early in ‘playmaker’ safety

The legendary safety believes his former team has relied on trying to develop late-rounders at the position instead of drafting stars.

The Cowboys have developed a reputation for undervaluing safeties, especially early in the draft. But one of the franchise’s all-time greats at the position believes the club should change that mentality.

“I think if you want a safety and you feel like you need to fill the void of playmaker in that position, then you probably have to get one a little early,” Darren Woodson told 105.3 The Fan recently. “If you’re looking for a playmaker, go get one early instead of thinking through the process of, ‘I can turn a special teams player into safety,’ or, ‘I can go in the fourth, fifth round and find a guy that’s serviceable to play that position.’ If you want a big-time playmaker, it’s just part of it. You roll the dice and go early and hopefully you get a playmaker.”

Woodson was a second-round pick out of Arizona State when Dallas selected him in 1992. He went on to become a five-time pro Bowler and three-time Super Bowl champion with the organization over his 13-year career. He remains the Cowboys’ all-time leader in tackles. While he’s in the team’s Ring of Honor, Woodson is, inexplicably, still waiting on induction in to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Does the 2021 draft class feature a future Darren Woodson? Only time will tell, of course, but safeties Trevon Moehrig (TCU), Elijah Molden (Washington), Jamar Johnson (Indiana), Richie Grant (UCF), and Jevon Holland (Oregon) all find themselves in the Top 50 on PFF’s Big Board just ten days before the draft.

Last year, the Cowboys were rumored to be looking at safeties Xavier McKinney, Grant Delpit, and Antoine Winfield Jr. All were taken in the second round before the Cowboys drafted cornerback Trevon Diggs at No. 51.

Woodson knows elite safeties that are truly worthy of an early pick are rare. He allows that the Cowboys could still dramatically upgrade their secondary by using their first-round pick on a cornerback, but the key is to get an impact player.

“I mean, when you look at some of the guys over the years, specifically at the free safety position, the guy who can really turn the ball over, you’re looking for the Ed Reeds, you’re looking for, you know, phenomenal players that have ball-hawking skills and they don’t come a dime a dozen. So I get it, I get it, but there are also options like- you don’t have to just look at the safety position, you can look at a guy like Patrick Surtain II. You look for a playmaker on the outside, maybe at the cornerback position but you could solidify some of your your secondary by going early in the draft.

“I’m a big believer in: if there is a guy at the position- safety or cornerback- and you know you need help on a different side of the ball, [and] there’s a difference-maker, you go get them. And that’s been my philosophy. I strongly believe there are some corners early in this draft that they could probably go out and could be game-changers, you could have two bookend corners. There’s some options out there. I just think if you want to fill the void, you want someone that’s gonna make a difference and not just be a special-teamer or fifth-round pick, you will get somebody early that can make plays for you.”

Over the past 20 drafts, the Cowboys have used a first- or second-round pick on a DB eight times, out of 38 picks. Three were top-ten selections: Morris Claiborne in 2012, Terence Newman in 2003, and Roy Williams in 2002.

Only one of those top-ten picks played safety.

“For five years,” Woodson said of Williams, “he gave you Pro Bowls. He gave you one of the hardest-hitting players ever to play the game. He was a turnover factory for the team. So, you want to get a playmaker? You got to go get them early. It’s no different than any other position. If you want to fill the quarterback position, it would behoove you to go early in the draft and find that spot. Exactly the same thing for any other position.”

For Woodson, it’s a simple matter. The Cowboys will likely get what they pay for when they find themselves on the clock on the night of April 29. If they want a playmaker on the back end, they shouldn’t be afraid to invest in a top-shelf safety.

Not doing so hasn’t worked all that well.

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Chuma Okeke starring for Orlando Magic, surprising no one

Chuma Okeke is getting his chance and now shining for the Orlando Magic after sitting out all of last season with an injury.

Things were going quite well for Chuma Okeke and the Auburn Tigers in spring 2019.

The Tigers defeated Tennessee 84-64 to win their first SEC Tournament championship in 34 years thanks in large part to 18 points, 3 steals, and 13 rebounds from Okeke. His NBA draft stock was surging and all signs indicated that he would be Auburn’s next lottery pick.

Auburn entered the 2019 NCAA Tournament as the No.5 seed in the Midwest region. After the Tigers narrowly escaped defeat at the hands of New Mexico State it appeared to many that their road to the Final Four would be near impossible with 4-seed Kansas, 1-seed North Carolina, and 2-seed Kentucky standing in their way.

The morning that Auburn faced off against Kansas in the second round of the tournament there were three perfect brackets remaining. Unfortunately for one of those brackets, the Tigers couldn’t miss and Kansas fell 89-75 thus ruining that individual’s perfect bracket.

The Jayhawks season came to an abrupt end at the hands of Bryce Brown, Jared Harper, and Okeke. Kansas head coach Bill Self struggled to scheme around the Tigers’ sharpshooting point guard duo in Brown and Harper who combined for 43 points, 3 rebounds, and 8 assists against the Jayhawks. It was a futile effort on Self’s part as Auburn’s offensive firepower surged through Okeke who was averaging 12.5 points, 3.5 steals, and 5 rebounds per game.

As the Tigers headed into the Sweet Sixteen to take on North Carolina there was one perfect bracket remaining. The bracket belonged to 40-year-old neuropsychologist Gregg Nigl who had managed to correctly pick 49 games in a row. His bracket would have been busted by Auburn’s victory over North Carolina, but it was the Purdue Boilermakers thrilling overtime win over Tennessee that occurred first.

I watched the Auburn vs North Carolina game with my father. With 8:08 remaining in the second half we knew Auburn was up big, but had somehow lost at the same time. Okeke collided with UNC’s Cameron Johnson beneath the basket before falling hard to the floor. I don’t remember the fall, I just remember Okeke screaming while grabbing his knee before he was escorted to the locker room and taken for x-rays.

Okeke exited the game with 20 points, 2 steals, and 11 rebounds. I knew then that was the last time we’d see Okeke play in an Auburn uniform.

The Tigers went on to defeat Kentucky in the Elite Eight to advance to the first Final Four in program history. I vividly remember shots of Anfernee McLemore shooting free throws against Virginia and mouthing to himself, “do it for Chuma.” The Tigers fell to Virginia in Minneapolis, but the benchmark for success within Auburn basketball was officially set and Chuma Okeke was an integral part of it.

As the dust of the NCAA Tournament had settled and the NBA Draft drew closer, it was apparent that Okeke’s torn ACL would hurt his chances at being a lottery pick. The Orlando Magic knew exactly what type of player they would get in Okeke and took him 16th overall in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft.

ESPN analyst Mike Schmitz announced that it was, “the steal of the draft.”

And boy was he right. After a one year stint with Orlando’s G-league affiliate in Lakeland, the Orlando Magic announced that they had officially signed Okeke. In the last five games Okeke has recorded a total of 79 points (22-point career high vs Portland), 6 steals, and 29 rebounds (10-rebound career high vs New Orleans). The Magic have gone 3-2 in those five games proving Okeke as a catalyst for success at the professional level.

He’s back to where he was before that tragic fall in the second half against North Carolina. For Okeke the road to where he is now has consisted of two years of rehab, perseverance, and patience. The opportunity that Chuma Okeke has worked and prayed for is now.

Welcome back big Chum!

Legendary ACC coach retires

Hats off to one of the GOATs of college basketball.

Legendary North Carolina basketball coach Roy Williams is retiring, effective immediately according to a release from the University of North Carolina.

Williams spent 18 years at North Carolina where he won three national championships (2005, 2009, and 2015).

The 2007 Naismith Hall of Fame inductee won 903 games between his two head jobs at Kansas (15 years) and North Carolina (18 years). He’s the only coach to ever win 400 games at two programs.

As North Carolina head coach, Williams went 12-4 all-time against Notre Dame, including in this season’s ACC Tournament in what wound up being Williams second last career victory.

Williams is one of the absolute legends of the sport and his retirement means the Carolina opening is as big of an opening as there has been in college basketball in years.

What else is crazy to think about is that Williams, who is 70, is retiring as the fifth-oldest coach of an ACC men’s basketball team today as Jim Boeheim, Leonard Hamilton, Mike Kryzewski, and Jim Larranaga are all older.

All the best to Roy Williams in retirement.

For everyone else in the future though, can we make a gentleman’s agreement to not announce such big news on April 1?

 

 

Cole Anthony reacts to North Carolina head coach Roy Williams retiring

Anthony, who played the 2019-20 season at North Carolina under Williams, called it heartbreaking to see his former coach retire.

Hall of Fame head coach Roy Williams on Thursday announced his retirement after 33 years of coaching at the collegiate level, including the past 18 years at the University of North Carolina.

Williams, 70, finished third all-time in victories by a Division I head coach with 903 between North Carolina and Kansas. He posted the sixth-highest winning percentage in NCAA history and reached 900 wins in fewer games and seasons than any other coach in history.

He led the Tar Heels to three national titles and a 485-163 record while the program advanced to the Final Four three other times under his guidance. Williams leaves as the second-winningest head coach at North Carolina, behind only Dean Smith.

Prior to North Carolina, Williams spent 15 seasons as head coach at Kansas, amassing a 418-101 record. The Jayhawks made four trips to the Final Four with Williams, including two appearances in the national title game in 1991 and 2003.

With the news that Williams will retire, the decision had a profound impact on dozens around the sport, including his former players. Cole Anthony, who played the 2019-20 season under Williams, called it heartbreaking to see his former coach retire.

“Roy was a figure in my life who I could just talk to when I just wanted to put a smile on my face when I was down,” Anthony said. “He was my favorite coach that I ever played for. I’m really heartbroken to see him retire but he gets to spend time with his family now and I get to go bug him while he’s not coaching.”

During his 33 years as a head coach, Williams helped 32 players become first-round picks in the NBA with 52 players total in the league over that time. His legacy will go unmatched by only a few as his impact was greatly felt throughout the sport on and off of the court.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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