Coach Williams on loss: I don't think you can ever get over it
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) -- Roy Williams held a news conference Tuesday afternoon where he talked about several topics, including the loss to Villanova in the championship game, players returning, and his health.
He said a loss like the one to Villanova is something you don't get over, commenting the low was about as low as you can be.
He complimented his team's performance, saying senior guard Marcus Paige's shot to tie the game with only seconds left was "tremendous," and that the shot was in the ballpark of surpassing Michael Jordan's famous shot. Jordan hit the title-winning shot in the 1982 NCAA championship game against Georgetown.
Read more: Armstrong: Paige not a champion, but still a winner.
Coach Williams said he doesn't want anything thinking Isaiah Hicks "screwed up" on the last play of the game, where Kris Jenkins made the winning shot as time expired. Williams explained how Hicks was taking too much responsibility after the game and during team meetings. Williams said Jenkins was not his man to guard.
Williams told reporters that in the last practice before the championship game, his players ran a "must stop" drill, simulating the defense needing to stop a last-second shot.
"We didn't do it very well," he commented. He said the defense finally got a stop on the fourth try.
Overall, he said he "really enjoyed this team" and that getting to Houston for the Final Four is something the players will remember for the rest of their lives.
Read more: North Carolina, Marcus Paige still haunted by 4.7 seconds.
As far as next season and who is coming back, Williams doesn't expect his players to give him a definite answer until next week. He said he assumes some players will go to the NBA combine without hiring an agent. In a new rule, players without an agent are allowed to attend the combine and still return to school if they choose.
"We're not responsible for keeping them or letting them go," said Williams. He noted that he supported the players decision's to attend to combine.
Williams was asked about his own health and possibility of retirement, which has been a frequent question during the season.
"I hope to coach until I can't. I don't know what else to say," he responded. He speculated he has another 5 to 9 years left.
He said he had four doctor's appointments coming up for his knee and could be headed for a replacement, which Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski had after the season.
