Williams looked back on his recruitment of Duke’s Matthew Hurt and Vernon Carey Jr., who both considered UNC seriously before choosing Duke.

“I don’t just do it flippantly,” Williams said of recruiting a player. “I try to give everything I have. So it hurts when you spent that much time. The best thing a guy can tell you is yes. The second-best thing he can tell you is no but do it early. If you finish second or third, it just means you’ve spent a lot of time and money. I thought we were very close with both of them. They chose not to come here.”

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski has said on multiple occasions that Carey is just learning to play the post, because he didn’t play it at all before coming to Duke.

Williams has a different recollection. When asked if Carey played post or back to the basket in high school, he replied, “A lot. He killed people. He would come down and shoot some threes trailing, secondary (break), but he’s good (in the post).”

The Tar Heels have struggled on offense this season, and Williams blames UNC’s shooting.

“You don’t have to study it a lot,” he said. “When you’re not shooting the ball from outside, they gang up on you from inside. In the game the other night, Jeremiah had a wide-open three (and missed). Next possession Justin Pierce had one wide-open on the other side (and missed). If they don’t go in, they don’t go guard them the next time either. When you’re not shooting the ball in the basket, that makes it more difficult to score, because lanes are clogged up. Like Garrison (Brooks, UNC power forward), he’s getting everybody’s attention. now. It’s more crowded in there.”