Williams says playing Kansas in NCAA tournament would be worst moment of his

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) With North Carolina and Kansas rolling toward the NCAA tournament, fans at both schools are dreaming of a head-to-head matchup in the championship game.

Roy Williams isn't one of them.

The emotional coach of the Tar Heels hates even to think about playing against the team he tearfully left behind two years ago, a move that stunned his players, shocked his chancellor and left some jilted Jayhawk fans wearing "Benedict Williams" T-shirts.

"When people ask me about it, I usually joke and say if we do meet, I hope it's on Monday night because that would mean at least we're playing for the championship," Williams said in an interview with The Associated Press.

"But I don't know if I could handle it. I really don't. This may sound corny ... but for me personally that would be the worst moment of my life. I love people at both places."

During a hugely successful 15-year run at Kansas, Williams became one of the most popular men in the entire state. His teams went 418-101, a winning percentage of .805 - the highest in Division I history of any coach's first 15 seasons.

But the pain he felt when he decided to return to his alma mater still lingers, he said.

"I've hurt some people. And needless to say, people have hurt me greatly," he said from his home in North Carolina. "But at the same time ... those were the greatest 15 years of my life."

He said the entire episode has taught him lessons in human nature, which he's tried to pass on to his players and children.

"What you want in life is to have people who are going to be with you regardless of what you do," he said. "You're going to have some people who are going to be with you only if you do what they want you to do. Then you're going to have some people who aren't going to be with you at all.

"But you really need to have that group that's with you regardless of what you do. It's important to have that."

Not all his old friends turned their backs.

"I had 27 people with Kansas ties here for my first game. I even got emotional thanking them for coming," he said. "But it has been hard. I was so naive, I thought my whole life I'd be able to please people all the time. But I wasn't able to do it."

If NCAA bids were handed out today, No. 2 Kansas and No. 4 North Carolina (21-3) might both be No. 1 seeds. The No. 2 Jayhawks are powered by four seniors Williams recruited and coached to the Final Four as freshmen and sophomores. They're 20-2 overall and leading the Big 12 under Williams' successor, Bill Self. That doesn't make watching them any easier for their old coach.

"I've only been able to see about one half," he said. "It will be easier when (the seniors) leave. My hope was this year would be the best team I would have ever had (at Kansas). I really thought that. I cared so much about those kids. It will always be difficult."