April 14
The soap opera is over. Coach Roy Williams has decided to leave Kansas and return to his native North Carolina.

Let's face it, we aren't talking about coaching Cupcake City. North Carolina is one of the premier coaching jobs in America. It has been one of the elite programs for decades.

	Roy Williams

Williams has such strong feelings for North Carolina, and he's a great choice in Chapel Hill. Williams has plenty of friends from his decade as an assistant coach with the Tar Heels.

Think about Williams' relationship with Dean Smith and Bill Guthridge. Williams' son and daughter attended North Carolina. One can't blame him for being attracted to the Tar Heels' head-coaching position.

There's no doubt in my mind that Williams will do a superb job in Chapel Hill. Former UNC coach Matt Doherty has left the cupboard filled with outstanding talent.

With Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants, Sean May, Jawad Williams and Jackie Manuel, this program is clearly one of the dazzling dozen for next season.

They found the right guy to run the show. Williams brings winning experience to North Carolina. He has a special motivational ability that rates with any coach in America.

North Carolina basketball will certainly be back in the upper echelon again. Wow! I can see the rivalry with Duke heating up again with Coach K vs. Roy! Just remember how intense the game was this year when Kansas and Duke met in the NCAA Tournament!

The ACC should be wild with matchups like Coach K vs. Williams, and Williams vs. Williams when Maryland meets Kansas. The conference got good news when Skip Prosser decided to stay at Wake Forest after being courted by Pittsburgh.

It will be like the old days when Lefty, Jimmy V, Dean Smith, Coach K and company were on the sidelines. Commissioner John Swofford has to be smiling.

Roy Williams will be a disciplinarian. He will be demanding. There will be no screaming to the athletic director by the players in this scenario.

I feel bad for the kids at Kansas, but Williams put in 15 incredible years. There were four trips to the Final Four, two shots to win the national championship, dominance in the Big 12. He averaged 28 wins a season in Jayhawk country.

This time, the call from his people in Chapel Hill proved to be too much for him to say no.

I feel for the recruits at Kansas who signed early. Whoever takes the Jayhawks job will have a quality lineup. Aaron Miles, Keith Langford, Wayne Simien, Jeff Graves and a recruiting class led by McDonald's All-America David Padgett should continue the winning tradition.

But it won't be easy to follow the success of Roy Williams in Lawrence, baby!