March 26, 2005

By Bill Doherty
Special to CSTV.com
Courtesy of The Sports Xchange

If North Carolina coach Roy Williams can somehow beat Wisconsin in the Elite Eight on Easter Sunday, he'll owe Danny Manning a huge thank you.

Yes, the same Danny Manning who led Kansas to a national title in 1988.

Eight years ago, Manning thought he was helping his alma mater to another national title when he first suggested to then-Kansas coach Roy Williams that Marvin Williams, then a 10-year-old middle-school kid from Bremerton, Wash., who Manning had at a basketball camp, was the real deal.

On Manning's recommendation, Roy Williams went to see Marvin Williams play in an AAU Tournament later that summer and started recruiting the special athlete to be the next Danny Manning at Kansas. However, when North Carolina -- Roy Williams' alma mater -- asked him to return to Chapel Hill, N.C., Ol' Roy just couldn't say "no."

Neither could Marvin Williams when Roy Williams offered him a full ride to play for Tar Heels. So, 6-foot-9 freshman Marvin Williams will be the first player off Roy Williams' bench on Easter Sunday against Wisconsin in an Elite Eight matchup in Syracuse. The addition of Marvin Williams to an already star-studded roster has transformed the Tar Heels into a super team. He would start for most teams in the country and will be a NBA lottery pick, if he chooses to leave Chapel Hill after one college season.

"Sometimes you really have to get paid for coaching, but I'd coach Marvin Williams if you just gave me food to eat," said Roy Williams of his unselfish superstar.

Marvin is one of those almost-too-good-to-be-true types. He stocked shelves at the local supermarket, the Red Apple, his last two years of high school. And it wasn't just for spending cash. He did it to help support his mom, who divorced Marvin Williams Sr. when Marvin Jr. was a toddler and supported three children on her own.

One day, maybe sooner than later, Marvin Williams will decide it's time to start sending NBA-type money home to Mom.

"Marvin's a beast, man," said North Carolina junior David Noel. "He's beyond his years, for real."

And that's the irony. The 6-foot-9 teenager seems to be in no hurry to grow up. He came to college to enjoy the experience, and he is. And he believes there's still much to learn from Roy Williams and his staff.

"He's the same guy," Marvin Williams said. "When I met him in the eighth grade, he was the exact same man."

The only change? Roy Williams appears to have a real chance at his first-ever national title, thanks to that eight-year-old assist from Danny Manning.

After surviving a scare on Friday night from a game Villanova team, next up for the Tar Heels (30-4) is an Elite Eight date with vs. Wisconsin (25-8). The strength of the Badgers is their frontcourt, led by two likely pros in 6-8 tough customer Mike Wilkinson and 6-5 sophomore Alando Tucker, who combined for 39 points in the Badgers' Sweet 16 win over N.C. State.

That's why the play of the teen star Williams as well as 6-9 inside horse Sean May will be critical, as will the pace at which the game is played. North Carolina has lost only four games this season, and three of those games were played in the 70s.

There is no secret that the Tar Heels want to play as fast as possible. The fast pace allows the Tar Heels, a team that has five legitimate NBA prospects to have a ton of possessions in each game. And more times than not, the more talented team wins in that scenario.

"As a coach, you have negative thoughts all the time," said Roy Williams. "I couldn't be a football coach where you have 30 seconds between plays. When you play at a real fast pace like we do, you're not worried about what happened 30 seconds ago, because that's three plays ago. I like that part. I don't have as much time to worry."

MAN OF THE MOMENT: Wisconsin's 6-foot-5 sophomore Alando Tucker. He was a huge key as the Badgers overcame a 30-21 halftime deficit to defeat N.C. State 65-56 Friday night. Tucker scored eight straight points to key a 13-0 second-half run for the Badgers, a run that won the Sweet 16 game for coach Bo Ryan's team.

HOT MATCHUP: North Carolina's defense vs. Wisconsin's deliberate "swing" offense. This game will be a test of wills. North Carolina likes to play an up-tempo game with the score in 80s or 90s. The Badgers prefer the game to be in the high 60s or low 70s. The Badgers' offense features great spacing and five guys who can handle the ball, much like a team in North Carolina's league (N.C. State). It'll be interesting to see who sets the tempo.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's all about winning and surviving at this point. Every national champion has to survive a scare or two along the way. Hopefully that was our big scare." -- North Carolina forward Sean May on his team's 67-66 Sweet 16 win over Villanova on Friday.