Just about everyone is looking forward to Friday night's Midnight Madness, few more than North Carolina coach Roy Williams.
The Tar Heels coach has dealt with the university academic scandal, saw Tyler Hansbrough's mother lose her job as a fundraiser at the school over impermissible business trips and then had a major health scare last month. All in this past offseason.
"I'm anxious to get started," Williams said.
First to the health issues. Williams, who had surgery to remove a benin tumor on his kidney three weeks ago, said he's still limiting how much he goes into the office. But he'll be at the Friday night festivities at the Smith Center and intends to be back for the first real practice on Saturday.
"It changes your life, changes your outlook," Williams said on SiriusXM's Midnight Madness Special on Wednesday night.
Next up are the issues that have rocked the Chapel Hill campus recently.
The North Carolina football program was hit with a postseason ban, among other sanctions, as a result of an NCAA investigation that included players -- and former assistant John Blake -- accepted improper benefits from agents. Then irregularities were found in 54 African and Afro-American classes, many of which concerned athletes. Those classes were questionable, and some even of the no-show variety. North Carolina has conducted its own investigation, former governor Jim Martin is finishing his independent review -- and the NCAA has not closed its investigation into the issues in Chapel Hill.
"It's a very small problem, but it's a big problem," Williams said. "It's something we're not proud of, but we're fighting through it and doing as much research as we can and making changes that we need to make.
"We're keeping in touch with the NCAA all along. Right now, it's inside our university what we're doing. We've made a lot of changes -- personnel and policy changes."
Changes have been the norm in Chapel Hill -- on and off the court. Williams said there will likely be stricter requirements in place for athletes who choose North Carolina -- and he's already started to recruit a little differently.
"We're probably going to go a little bit in the other direction and go overboard with some things," Williams said.
Williams said he's dealing with negative recruiting of some schools in light of the news that has hit the Tar Heels program, but it's unlikely it'll impact recruiting all that much. While this year's North Carolina team might struggle with the departure of four first-round picks last June, the Tar Heels still have enough talent to win the ACC. Williams said he expects this group won't put as many points on the board but will play faster -- and will be improved on the defensive end. He also said he intends to hand the ball to freshman Marcus Paige.
"He'd better adapt quickly," Williams said, "because I'm going to give him the ball. I love him. I think he was the best point guard in high school basketball last year. … He's a marvelous player with wonderful savvy, and he plays like a very, very mature guy."
Williams admitted, though, that there is no shortage of unknowns entering the season with this group. Dexter Strickland and Leslie McDonald are both coming back from major knee surgery and James Michael McAdoo, Reggie Bullock and P.J. Hairston will all have completely different roles.
"We've got plenty of questions," Williams admitted.
On and off the court.
