| NCAA Midwest: Jayhawks pay back loyalty in regional 03/23/2001 By Rana L. Cash / The Dallas Morning News SAN ANTONIO – Roy Williams was a wreck. The Kansas coach, just months ago, was all torn up inside, his emotions frayed beyond recognition.
The turmoil Williams endured last summer while agonizing over whether to stay with the Jayhawks or leave for his alma mater and first love, North Carolina, is not so distant that folks have stopped talking about it.
Especially not now that Kansas is in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1997. Williams, after choosing the darker shade of blue, is reaping the reward for his KU loyalty.
And Matt Doherty, North Carolina's first-year coach and Williams' former assistant, left the tournament last week in tears after the Tar Heels were ousted by Penn State. The turn of events – UNC's surprising departure and KU's unpredictable late run – has Williams, in his 13th year, reflecting on what he says was the most important decision of his life.
"It is something everyone is asking about now," Williams said. "Once I made the decision, I did not look back. It is something I don't know that I'll ever get over because it was so hard and so stressful. I'm the coach here. I don't wonder what it would have been like at Chapel Hill. I haven't done that a single time, and I will not do that."
Why should he, when the Jayhawks' play has caught up with the expectations routinely set before them? Kansas broke its three-year, second-round losing streak when it defeated Syracuse, 87-58, last weekend. Williams brought a stuffed monkey to the post-game news conference and announced the proverbial monkey was finally off his back.
Kansas plays Illinois in the Midwest Region semifinal Friday, opposite Arizona and Mississippi. No matter the outcome, Williams' presence has added luster to a season that has seen KU win more games than it had since the 1997-98 season.
Many wonder if any of this would have happened if he had returned to his roots, to the ground where his mentor and idol, Dean Smith, had ruled. It was because of Smith's insistence that Williams left UNC as an assistant and went to Kansas. Last year, Williams didn't know how much or what exactly he owed Smith and the rest of the Carolina faithful.
It was a matter of loyalty. But to whom?
"When he came to my house in high school," senior center Eric Chenowith said, "he told me that he'd be my coach at Kansas as long as I was there. When he stayed, that was a sign of commitment. He kept his word. It was the ultimate test for him, and he passed."
Now it is up to the players to pass an equally difficult test: getting by top-seeded Illinois.
"Initially, we all felt we owed Coach Williams something for staying with us," senior swingman Kenny Gregory said. "But everyone has to want to win for themselves, too. You have to want it as individuals, not just for Coach Williams."
They are why Williams returned. He did his part. Now he hopes they can do theirs.
"There are always tremendous expectations," Williams said. "Everyone said, 'Those guys will kill themselves playing for you now.' But just because Kansas wants something, doesn't mean they will always get it. There are others out there who want the same thing we want." |
