Leftovers from Tar Heel land
For the record, it hasn't all been recruiting trips and rubber-chicken circuit for UNC coach Roy Williams since the Heels won that championship a couple of months ago.
Some tidbits from Wednesday's news conference:
He took in some golf at the U.S. Open last Friday, following Davis Love III and Fred Couples for a while. He bolted Pinehurst No. 2 before Tiger Woods teed off, he said, because Tiger's tee time conflicted with his own at nearby Forest Creek.
He had a chat with former Tar Heel Mitch Kupchak, now the GM of the LA Lakers. Kupchak reportedly said Roy turned him down for the third time. Steve Kirschner, associate AD for communications, said: "Isn't that four times?" Williams said he knows what the number really is, and left it at that. Phil Jackson was named, or renamed, Lakers coach last week.
Williams called the NBA's new age minimum of 19 "window dressing," and said he wouldn't change the way he recruits. Look for more on that in the N&R at a later date.
David Noel, the Heels' de facto veteran leader, expects 6-10 freshman Tyler Hansbrough to start right away at center and to have an impact. "He's a banger," Noel said.
Center Damion Grant, who's spent more game time in street clothes than in uniform because of injuries, now has a sprained ankle. Again, his coach isn't holding out high expectations from Grant this season, though he will be counting on bigger things from Byron Sanders in the post.