SAN ANTONIO — North Carolina called only one, 30-second, timeout during Kansas’s 25-2 game-breaking run in the national semifinals on Saturday, leading to comparisons of the timeouts it didn’t call during Georgetown’s double-digit comeback in the Regional Finals last season.

Why doesn’t coach Roy Williams call them more? In an interview with The News & Observer in early March, he explained that it is part of his coaching philosophy.

“I truly believe that we practice every day for the kids to be able to handle those things,’’ he said. “We practice every day for me to be able to give them instructions without having to call a timeout.

"We didn’t call timeout with 2 seconds left in the Clemson game [a 103-93 double overtime victory on Feb. 10], and some coaches would’ve to make sure they had their defense set when they had the ball out of bounds. But they had no more timeouts, so why should I call a timeout to allow them to set up their play? So it’s something we practice every day.”

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He also said in that interview that he had no regrets about not calling more timeouts against the Hoyas last year. After all, he had used the same philosophy when the Tar Heels rallied from a 16-point deficit to beat USC the game before.

“If I were a coach that believed that it was necessary for you to do that – but I’ve never believed that, so why should I change what I truly believe in?” he said. “At Clemson, half those people in the stands wanted me to call timeout … but I had the timeouts when I needed them.

"I didn’t need them when they were kicking our tails or turning it over six times in the first five minutes. So I don’t think you can get outside what you truly believe.”

Against Kansas on Saturday, the Tar Heels eventually chipped a 40-12 deficit to as a little as four, but never got any closer, losing 84-66. Sunday night, after attending the NABC awards with forward Tyler Hansbrough, Williams described his day as “not very pleasant.”

“Most of the time in big games, my teams have come out and played really, really well,’’ he said. “And for some reason last night, [there was] something I didn’t do the right way, I’m sure, but we just didn’t come out right off the bat with the kind of intensity and urgency that we always had, and we dug a hole that was too big to get out of against such a quality team.”

04/07/08 at 16:54
Generally I agree with Roy's philosophy. But in those first few minutes of the Kansas game, it became apparent that the Heels were completely overwhelmed and unsure of themselves.

When it becomes clear that the players are not sure what to do, that's when you call time out. Roy needed to call a couple of early timeouts just to calm them day and subdue some of the energy that Kansas had out of the gate.

04/07/08 at 18:51
There is not an active or retired coach in this country that would not have called a timeout in the situation UNC faced. Even Dean Smith, from whom Roy learned his craft, called early timeouts when clearly called for.

04/07/08 at 20:00
JB,

Coach Smith taught Coach Williams, and others, NOT to call timeouts early. cmon dude.

04/07/08 at 20:25
You don't call timouts during the season because you are teaching the players how to get through tough situations on their own. However, in a one and done tournament you are done teaching and only have survival to think about. Why isn't there any mention of Roy being too caught up and too in love with Kansas to prepare his team properly?

04/07/08 at 23:45
prolly a valid statement Damin.

04/08/08 at 13:52
I agree that this was a situation in which a timeout was desperately needed. Generally I understand what Coach Williams is saying about not bailing out his team from a situation it knows better than to get itself into. But this was clearly an extenuating circumstance. It was the Final Four, dadgumit. It's disturbingly similar to politicians sitting back and telling themselves that the economy will fix itself eventually and there's nothing we can do about it. (Sorry, had to tie that in).

04/08/08 at 16:00
Roy always tries to wait for the TV timeout when his team is in trouble. I never really understand it in the first half because the timeouts really serve no other purpose than to let you regroup. The team was absolutely reeling and it went on for a good 10 minutes.