The blank stares from North Carolina players in the locker room could mean they’re zoned out because they’re so focused on the task at hand like in their win over Louisville. Or it could mean they’re zoned out because they’re aloof as they proved in Wednesday’s loss to Marquette.
Head coach Roy Williams is still trying to play interpreter as the Tar Heels (14-8, 8-5 ACC) prepare to face No. 11 Florida State (14-3, 10-2) on Saturday in the Dean E. Smith Center.
“I get so tired of saying it myself, but it’s hard to read this team with seven freshmen,” Williams said in a video call with reporters Friday.
According to Kenpom.com, the Heels rank 325 out of 347 Division I teams currently playing in the category of experience. Only Louisville (338) and Duke (344) are younger among ACC teams.
Williams said he thought the Heels would be “fired up” to play Marquette following such a good performance against the Cardinals. Instead, he joked as the coaching staff heads to the court, their youth has made predicting their demeanor useless.
“We just laugh about it, because we don’t know if they’re being fired up, or if I’m getting them fired up or if I’m putting a damper on it, because they just sort of look at me with a blank stare,” Williams said. “But I think that youthfulness we got to got to get through that because we got a big-time game.”
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The Seminoles have won nine of their last 10 games, despite the program being put on pause twice due to COVID-19 protocols. That included FSU’s 82-75 win over UNC on Jan. 16 in Tallahassee. The Noles are alone in first place in the ACC standings.
FSU didn’t have its 6-9 freshman point guard Scottie Barnes, who averages 10.1 points and leads the team in assists. Barnes is considered by many a first-round talent should he choose to declare for the NBA draft.
Carolina will unveil for the first time this season, a Smith Center crowd not limited to family members and guests of players. Thanks to the state’s scaled back restrictions, 15% or about 3,200 fans, will be in place — the majority of which will be students.
“I’ve been there before when it’s 21,750 screaming and going crazy and it’s a phenomenal feeling running out the tunnel,” Williams said. “It’s not going to be that, but it is going to be a lot better and I think the kids will enjoy it more.”
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And he hopes it can be a lift for the Heels, especially if they are struggling. Things got so bad during the Marquette game, they either blatantly disregarded a play Williams called, or their attention span was so short they forgot what he said. Either way, they ran a different play altogether, which drew Williams’ ire.
“The only thing I know, is I don’t believe we’ll see that happen again in my lifetime,” Williams said. “That’s one way to put it. I believe in total freedom, but don’t go out there thinking that you’ve watched six games like (assistant coach) Steve Robinson did and think you know what’s best to run at that particular time.”
A win for the Heels would be their first in four tries against ranked teams this season. It would also mean career-win 900 for Roy Williams. He said tying Dean Smith at 879 was the only milestone that has made him emotional. Williams added he’s more concerned about Carolina getting their 15th win of the season.
“I’m in the moment,” Williams said. “Maybe — I’m gonna say it’s a big maybe — down the road while I look at some numbers I’ll say yeah, that was pretty cool.”
