HOUSTON — Whether or not Roy Williams cuts down the nets here late Monday night, he may already have won this Final Four.
The feisty North Carolina coach, who is seeking to become just the sixth coach to win three NCAA Tournament titles, has been on an absolute roll on the podium when speaking to the media.
Here are a few examples from the last few days.
**Williams gave a shoutout to several deceased friends after Saturday’s win.
“I’ll get something out of the way first tonight. I really wish Stuart Scott was here tonight. I really wish Dean Smith and Bill Guthridge and my best friend in Chapel Hill, Ted Seagroves, was here. It’s been a difficult year and a half because of all of that. They’re up there smiling somewhere and having a good time. Stuart is saying Booyah, so I like that.”
**Here’s Roy to Malcolm Moran, formerly of The New York Times and now the Director of the Sports Capital Journalism Program at IUPUI.
“Malcolm, I know who you used to write for. I have no idea who the crap you’re writing for. Nowadays there’s people that say, So-and-so, so-and-so.com, hyperspace, Google data, Yahoo. I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
**On Saturday night, after the win over Syracuse, Williams had this gem for the media:
“Well, take this the way it’s intended, not to be critical. But I’m a hell of a lot smarter about basketball than you guys are. I mean, I’m serious. What do you do after basketball season’s over with? You cover baseball. What do you do after baseball? You cover football. I don’t take any breaks.”
**He then threw this one in about moccasins and full moons.
“I mean, you think about that. I would never criticize somebody about something that they know a heck of a lot more about. Bill Guthrie has the best statement, Do not condemn thy neighbor unless you’ve walked in his moccasins for two full moons. I have to explain that to my guys to explain what moccasins are and how long a full moon lasts.”
**Williams followed Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim onto the podium on Saturday after Boeheim was asked if he had any plans to retire.
“If I’m going to retire, I think I’ll retire in the next two minutes. How good do you think the chances of me retiring in the next two minutes? So don’t ask me that stupid question either.
“Other than that, it’s been a great afternoon, a great night.”
**Williams then joked that he might stay coaching until 2035 and then become an analyst on TV where he wouldn’t criticize his colleagues.
“When I retire — in 2035, OK? — I want to be an announcer one year ’cause I want to be the only announcer to never criticize coaches acting like I know more than they do when they’ve been with their team every day.”
**When some of the North Carolina players asked about doing media obligations every day, Roy chimed in with this.
“I mean, one of our guys, the big rascal sitting right here, What are they going to ask me tomorrow that they haven’t already asked? Why do we have to do that? I said, Do you want me to call another player from the ACC to come in and take your place? I did mention one specific player. If I told you, I’d have to kill you, so…”
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