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The Daily Tar Heel

'You have to keep going': No excuses for Roy Williams and company amid losing streak

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Head Coach Roy Williams speaks at a post-game press conference after a 94-71 win against Miami. The victory broke the Tar Heels' losing streak and allowed Williams to surpass Dean Smith in all-time wins.

With an 8-10 record and a 1-6 mark in the ACC, the North Carolina men's basketball team is undergoing one of the roughest starts to a season in recent memory. Consecutive losses to Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, Clemson, Pittsburgh (again) and Virginia Tech mean the Tar Heels have  yet to win a game in 2020.

One might forgive them for being demoralized. But you won’t hear any whining or complaining from this team, and certainly not from head coach Roy Williams. 

“We have to bounce back and prepare for the next game,” Williams said. “We may not be successful, but if we don’t do that, then we have no chance.”

To hear Williams tell it, motivation and work ethic are needed now more than ever. Despite the team’s struggles, Williams said the desire to improve is just as strong as always among the players.

“What you gotta do is say, ‘Coach, at three o’clock today I’m going to go out onto the court and give it the best of my ability,’” Williams said. “You have to go out there and think that you can get better."

Injuries have been an issue plaguing the team, with first-year guard Cole Anthony still out and senior guard Brandon Robinson sitting out against the Hokies due to "persistent neck pain" suffered after a car crash.

“He didn’t do anything yesterday,” Williams said. “We’re planning to go through the first part of practice today and reevaluate after that.” 

As for Anthony, Williams did not give any medical updates but said that the team is “just waiting for the doctors to say it’s time to go.”

The player filling the hole left by Anthony is junior forward Garrison Brooks. After averaging 7.9 points per game in 2018-19, Brooks has seen his scoring numbers skyrocket and is currently averaging 15.2 points per game this season. He's taken on a new role offensively, having posted almost as many shooting attempts this season (196) as last season (202), in only half as many games.

“He’s worked hard to get better,” Williams said. “(Shooting) is something that he’s worked hard to improve, and he’s showing people that he has improved. We have a tremendous need for somebody to step up, and I think he’s trying his best to fill that.”

Teammate Leaky Black isn't shocked by how Brooks has responded.

“I don’t think he’s changed at all, he always plays hard,” the sophomore guard said. “It’s not surprising. I know his work rate, so I thought it was a matter of time before it showed up.”

As for the team as a whole, Black said the team is "still trying to get better." It's this attitude the Tar Heels will take into their next game, at home against Miami on Saturday noon.

“In life, you’re going to get hit, and things aren’t going to go smoothly,” Williams said. “You have to keep going.”

Hannah Lang contributed to reporting for this story.

@pjdaman12

@DTHSports | sports@dailytarheel.com

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