North Carolina blew a big lead late and lost to Clemson at home on Saturday for the first time in program history. Nobody took the loss harder than Roy Williams.
Williams blamed himself for the loss and was incredibly hard on himself after the game.
“I’d say that right now that this is my lowest (moment). Losing this game was my fault,” he said.
Roy Williams took today's UNC loss really hard. Choked up several times in his postgame presser.
"That loss is my fault. No question, no doubt in my mind."
Said this is the lowest point he's had in his 32 years as a coach. pic.twitter.com/yeT0PMw8qy
— Kyle Boone (@Kyle__Boone) January 12, 2020
Williams called the loss his biggest regret of his coaching career.
North Carolina was up 68-58 with 2:08 left, which helps explain why Williams was stunned and taking the defeat so hard. One of his biggest mistakes was not telling his players to foul in the final 10 seconds with his team up 70-67. Instead, they let Clemson’s Aamir Simms take and make a 3-pointer to tie the game and send it to overtime, where the Tar Heels lost 79-76.
Roy was really kicking himself for not reminding his team to foul at the end of regulation when UNC was up 3. They didn't, and Clemson hit a 3 in the final seconds of the second half to send it to OT.
"A coach is supposed to help his kids, and I didn't help them very much." pic.twitter.com/I4Iwv97GNj
— Kyle Boone (@Kyle__Boone) January 12, 2020
North Carolina is now 8-8 and 1-4 in conference play this season. This is the worst team Carolina has had in Williams’ entire tenure and their worst seasons since Matt Doherty’s 2001-2002 (8-20) and 2002-2003 (19-16) squads.
