McCants behind bars after 'Late Night' soundbite

Correction
Due to a reporting error, the Oct. 20 sports column "McCants behind bars after `Late Night' soundbite" stated that UNC basketball player Rashad McCants made comments about his time at the University after the team's "Late Night With Roy" event, held Oct. 15. McCants actually made those comments Oct. 14 during the team's Media Day.

Based on a Tuesday press conference that addressed comments basketball player Rashad McCants made after "Late Night With Roy Williams" on Friday, in which McCants compared North Carolina basketball to prison, you could have come up with the following headlines:

"UNC coach Williams doesn't trust his players."

"Williams calls former Jayhawk Scot Pollard 'wacko.'"

"McCants hints at media conspiracy to defame character."

Taken out of context, they're sensational. Placed back into it, they're anything but.

The first headline came in the context of Williams discussing his coaching style, saying that he keeps his players tightly reined in until they show self-discipline.

The second occurred as Williams emphasized his confidence in McCants' ability to handle himself during interviews.

Williams said he doesn't worry about McCants the way he used to fear the comic results of former Kansas forward Scot Pollard's interviews.

The comment is further tempered by the fact that Williams uses "wacko" as a term of endearment and that his players are no more "wacko" than Williams himself.

The third came when McCants said that if someone saw the full transcript of comments he made Friday, they wouldn't interpret them as selfish and unappreciative.

Reading the entire interview proves him right.

The quote in question follows, as told to WRAL-TV:

"You're not allowed to do certain things," McCants said. "You're not allowed to say certain things, but once you get out of jail, you're free. (I'm) in my sentence, and I'm doing my time."

Those are the last two sentences of a 12-sentence response in which McCants discussed the realization that he can only control his own actions, perceptions and expectations - not anyone else's.

"I'm just here to complete a goal," he said. "I have a 9-to-5. It's to get up and go to school, get here and lift weights and play basketball. That's my 9-to-5. As my uncle said, 'I'm in jail right now.'"

McCants used a poor choice of words. It seemed clear from watching the video that he was attempting to express that his freedoms are more limited than those of the average UNC student.

It was a sentiment Williams agreed with, citing McCants' inability to travel to Jamaica with friends during Fall Break because of practice.

Nowhere in the entire interview does McCants directly say, "Playing at UNC is like being in prison."

He never implies as much, either. He merely compares the lack of freedoms in the two situations.

"I love North Carolina," McCants said. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't. You guys know the story - childhood dream, Michael Jordan, Vince Carter and all that. Three years with my teammates, I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.

"I wouldn't ask my sister to re-evaluate going to UConn or Tennessee and come to UNC (unless) I knew this is a place that feels like heaven."

It might feel that way now, but McCants felt the searing fury of Roy Williams when the comments reached the Tar Heel coach.

Williams said he was madder at McCants than any other player at any point during his career. He banned McCants from practice Sunday because he didn't want to coach him.

He also adamantly refutes the comparisons to prison and 9-to-5 jobs - saying that playing college basketball is easier than the factory job his mother worked for 51 years.

McCants disputed the direct comparison with prison and acknowledged poor word choice, but never distanced himself from the statement itself.

Most UNC fans are probably excited that Rashad McCants started this season playing good defense.

It's just too bad it wasn't on the basketball court.

Contact Ben Couch at bcouch@email.unc.edu.