Tar Heels are back on friendly turf
North Carolina basketball coach Roy Williams is delighted to be back in Memphis. Not that he's superstitious or anything.
"In 2009 (the last time the Tar Heels were in Memphis) we had a nice run that got us to the Final Four," he said Thursday. "But I came here probably in the mid- to late-70s recruiting several times. I stumbled into the Rendezvous and I found the best ribs I'd found anywhere in the country. Love the golf courses, love the people, love the music.
"But yes, (the) Regional Tournament in 2009 was a very big part of that."
Williams left out a key bit of information; not only did that 2009 team reach the Final Four coming out of Memphis it went on to win the championship, defeating Michigan State for the fifth — and most recent — title in school history. The Tar Heels resume their quest for No. 6 Friday at FedExForum against Butler in the NCAA South Regional.
Along with Memphis, deep tournament runs are familiar territory for Williams. This is his 17th trip to the Sweet 16 or further.
"You know, it's ... I'm greedy," he said. "I'd like to go all the time. It doesn't happen that way.
"Got in last night and (someone) said, man, what a great regional. North Carolina, UCLA and Kentucky and I said, 'and Butler.' We're 0-2 against those guys so they're pretty doggone good too ... I happen to think Butler is better than any of them and that's the team we're getting ready to play."
North Carolina enters Friday's 7:09 p.m. contest following a 72-65 victory over Arkansas Sunday in the round of 32. It certainly wasn't a vintage Tar Heel performance — North Carolina shot 38.1 percent from the floor and turned it over 17 times. But it was a game Williams said was good for his team as it prepares to face the Bulldogs, who advanced with a victory over tournament-darling Middle Tennessee State.
"We were really good for the first 16 minutes," he said. "Then we were really terrible for the last four minutes of the first half and the first (16) minutes of the second half.
"But those last four minutes, I think we got six straight stops and they missed a couple of free throws too and that really helped us to say the least. But we were more active too; we used our brain and our heart both."
The Bulldogs will provide an altogether different challenge. Not only is Butler talented and battle-tested, the Bulldogs are eager to prove that they're not here in town just to fill out the numbers.
"They just play hard; that's the biggest thing," said Tar Heels junior standout Justin Jackson. "They do the little things, like (getting to) 5050 balls, being there to take charges, just play solid defense. And they don't try to do anything outside of what they can't do."
Added junior swingman Theo Pinson, "We played them our freshman year, very physical game. It's sort of like a Virginia game."
Virginia is already out of the tournament along with every other team from the ACC, leaving the Tar Heels to carry the banner for what Williams said is "still the best league."
"We have a lot of good teams and to be the only one standing, I mean, that's what you want," said junior guard Joel Berry, who went through a full practice on Thursday despite being hobbled by an ankle injury.
"To be the last team from our conference representing, it's a great thing ... (but) we just want to get farther than where we are now.
Or where they did last year when they lost to Villanova in the championship game in Houston.
Reach John Varlas at john.varlas@commercialappeal.com.