Video: Roy Williams staunchly defends basketball program's academics

We're now in the thick of it, the UNC academic scandal that's too hazy to warrant blatant accusations. Quite frankly, what's happening at UNC with its athletic department, its academic department, and the attempt by the local press to uncover possible/proven grade fraud from the past is one massive undertaking.

With the news trickling out, and a bit more coming with each week, a lot of people are starting to turn their head from the football program to the basketball one. What began with Butch Davis' lack of institutional control has led to raised, cautious eyebrows facing toward Roy Williams. Our own Gregg Doyel already has seen enough and wants banners taken down at the Dean Dome. (To me, it seems way, way too early for that.) Just how many players were enrolling in possibly fraudulent classes? How far back does it date? How much does Roy Williams know?

All along, Williams has been mostly mum, but when spoken, been definitive in his belief that he and his program are in the right. After taking in a round of golf at Sedgefield Country Club Wednesday for the pro-am portion of the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, N.C., Williams met with the press.

Williams did not respond to questions about Julius Peppers, saying he didn't have a reaction to Peppers' falsified transcript from more than a decade ago, because obviously Williams did not coach and has no relationship with the current Chicago Bears defensive end.

But he can speak for the past eight years of UNC hoops. And on that, he is not mincing a word.

"It's a bunch of -- you can fill in the blanks. I feel extremely, and I'll say it like this ... I feel extremely good. Extremely good," Williams said.

If you want the tone of the question/Williams' response, just check the video above, if you haven't already. Oh, and then we're injected into the interview, as Williams is asked about last week's poll question here on the blog -- the one where he was picked as the most overrated coach in the country. Do I hear a patented daggum in there?

At this point, if you're Williams you can't hide from the questions. And if he's right, if UNC's players -- at least under his watch -- were not getting grades in a fraudulent way, then why not comply with a few tough questions?

Few things look worse for a coach than when they dodge the media or refuse to answer questions when legitimate things need to be asked. Williams is taking it. And he'll have to take it a bit more. There's still more to be uncovered here, or at least more that needs clarification.

It's good to know Williams won't run from the horde that's still looking for more. Let's hope it stays that way.