Fansided

5 reasons North Carolina will return to Final Four

By Brad Weiss

GLENDALE, AZ - APRIL 03: The North Carolina Tar Heels mascot celebrates in the confetti after defeatin ghte Gonzaga Bulldogs during the 2017 NCAA Men's Final Four National Championship game at University of Phoenix Stadium on April 3, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Tar Heels defeated the Bulldogs 71-65. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - APRIL 03: The North Carolina Tar Heels mascot celebrates in the confetti after defeatin ghte Gonzaga Bulldogs during the 2017 NCAA Men's Final Four National Championship game at University of Phoenix Stadium on April 3, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Tar Heels defeated the Bulldogs 71-65. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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CHAPEL HILL, NC – MARCH 04: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels celebrates as he cuts down the net after defeating the Duke Blue Devils 90-83 to clinch the ACC regular season title at the Dean Smith Center on March 4, 2017 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

2. Roy Williams

When you think of Carolina basketball, the name Dean Smith always is the first you think of. Smith led his Tar Heels to two national titles, while going to 11 Final Fours. Roy Williams quietly passed Smith in titles on Monday night, as his third championship puts him in rare air in the history of college basketball coaches. While Williams will never say he is a better coach than Smith, his numbers do not lie, and the program is in great hands with him at the helm.

Playing in the NCAA Tournament is so different from the rest of the season, as one bad game means the end. Not only has Williams been able to navigate the early rounds better than nearly every coach in America, he is such a great game manager when on the biggest stage. Williams has led his team to six Final Four appearance, and the former assistant under Smith has certainly brought the program back to the top of college basketball.

Williams’ players love him, and that is certainly evident by all the videos of him coming into the locker room after big wins. He has built a program based around players that stay for multiple years, giving him guys who truly buy into the program. The 2017-18 season is going to be a transition for Williams, as some of his biggest contributors will be gone, but you can be sure he will have them playing meaningful games in March once again.

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