Williams' career accomplishments prove his worth

Parrish: No surprise | Freeman: Spartans no match | Dodd: Heels all the way

DETROIT -- Tom Izzo forgot about the pregame handshake. Not sure how that happens after 14 years and 473 games as Michigan State's head coach, but no matter. He forgot. So there was North Carolina's Roy Williams, standing outside the Spartans' huddle, when Izzo finally realized what was happening. He laughed at himself and trotted over to Williams, grease board still in hand.

And then Izzo showed Williams the grease board. Seriously. Seconds before the 2009 NCAA title game was set to start, Izzo showed the opposing coach his last instructions to his team, as if to say, "Like it matters." Izzo was laughing.

Williams was not.

Apparently, Williams had already memorized that sucker.

As for us, after watching North Carolina demolish Michigan State 89-72 Monday night, can we finally forget that whole notion that Roy Williams isn't a great "game" coach? You know that criticism is out there. I've heard it. You've heard it. Maybe you've even said it. A stupid criticism like that starts to swirl, and soon even smart people believe it.

Well, believe this:

North Carolina didn't batter Michigan State just because the Tar Heels had better talent. They did have better talent, but Louisville had better talent than Michigan State in the regional final, and UConn had better talent than Michigan State in the Final Four. It takes more than superior talent to beat the Spartans. It takes smarts.

Roy Williams joins elite company as his two titles rank fifth all time. (US Presswire)

So enough of the dumb Roy stuff. He's a pretty smart guy. Pretty good coach, too. Not just a great recruiter, though he is without question that. He is an incredible recruiter. Look at the team he put together Monday night, with five eventual draft picks in the starting lineup and at least one coming off the bench. But lots of guys can get NBA talent. John Brady got it at LSU, and got himself fired. Tim Floyd gets it at Southern California. Rick Barnes gets it at Texas. What have they done in March?

Not what Williams has done. Only four coaches have won more NCAA titles than the two Williams has now won, and they are acknowledged coaching geniuses, no first name needed: Wooden, Rupp, Knight, Krzyzewski. Williams deserves to be there, and that's not even allowing for the fact that he's only 58 years old. He has another ridiculous recruiting class coming in. He could coach another 10 years easily, and if he does that, who would bet against him winning a third title? Or a fourth?

Williams' numbers are silly -- seven Final Fours; 28 wins per season for 21 seasons; a lifetime .812 winning percentage -- but it must take more than silly numbers for Williams to be considered a great game coach. So here's something more than numbers. Here's what Williams did to make sure his team beat Michigan State:

• He took Michigan State star Kalin Lucas out of the game. Lucas had 14 points and seven assists, and if you think that means he was effective Monday night, I don't know what to tell you. Go read something else. Somewhere Spot is running. Go see Spot do his thing. For the rest of you, understand that Lucas was 4-for-12 from the floor and committed six turnovers, tied for his most of the season. Williams took Lucas out of the game by giving up MSU center Goran Suton. Whatever Suton wanted to do on the perimeter, Williams was willing to let him do it if the alternative was giving an easy shot to Lucas. Williams refused to do that, having whichever big man was guarding Suton -- usually Tyler Hansbrough -- follow Lucas after Suton set his screen. Suton was free to score 17 points, and he went 3-for-4 from 3-point range. Yet the Spartans never got going. Why? Because Lucas, their most important player, never got going.

• Williams pressured just enough to change the game. North Carolina didn't press after every made field goal. North Carolina didn't press on all dead balls. North Carolina applied pressure when it wanted to, with no rhyme or reason, and the Spartans rarely saw it coming. Several possessions would go by and then boom! Williams would unleash the hounds. The result would be a backcourt turnover and an easy UNC basket. And these were killer baskets. Game changers. Game winners.

• Williams had his team ready to play from the opening tap, and that's not easy. Since the first day of practice, North Carolina has been called great. The best college basketball teams tend to be the hungriest teams, and the Tar Heels have been fed compliments all season. Still, the Tar Heels ran roughshod throughout the NCAA tournament, letting nobody within single digits. And the Final Four was absurd. In both games, against Villanova and then Michigan State, North Carolina led by double digits before scoring its 20th point -- 19-8 vs. Villanova, 19-7 vs. Michigan State -- and was never seriously challenged. When that happens, give credit where credit is due. (To the little guy in the suit.)

• Most important, Williams sacrificed the ACC tournament to win the NCAA tournament. That was an adjustment, a concession, Williams made a month ago, but it paid its ultimate dividend Monday night when Ty Lawson was a holy terror. Lawson made a meal of Lucas, feasting on the Big Ten Player of the Year for many of his title-game record eight steals. Lawson also had 21 points, six assists and just one turnover, and was so unstoppable on the offensive end that Michigan State's only alternative was to foul him. He went to the line 18 times and made 15 of them, the second-highest totals in championship-game history. And it happened because Williams refused to panic a month ago, when he decided to hold Lawson out of the ACC tournament because of a jammed toe. Lawson could have played, and the ACC trophy would have been nice, but Williams wanted the bigger one. Lawson delivered it.

Afterward, Williams didn't want his butt kissed. He was asked about joining his mentor, Dean Smith, among the handful of coaches who have won two NCAA titles, and he said, "Roy Williams and Dean Smith don't fit in the same sentence."

Asked another time about his second NCAA title and what it means, Williams noted that he has "had some big-time players." And then he said, "Roy Williams is not that good."

Roy Williams is a liar.