I 14A - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, April 15, 2003 Williams does'give a shit' about Carolina Final Four on line for Michigan at Regionals , LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) - Three years after turning down his beloved alma mater, coach Roy Williams is leaving Kansas for North Carolina, two people who were in a players' meeting said yesterday. "It's sad for the program and the players who are here," said Jeff Boschee, who graduated last year. "It's tough for them. I don't know how I would have handled it." Williams' return to Chapel Hill, N.C., ends a 15-year tenure at the helm of a program that became one of college basketball's most successful under his watch. The decision came just a week after Kansas lost to Syracuse, 81-78, for the national title. Upset about the loss and about being pushed by CBS reporter Bonnie Bernstein to talk about the coaching vacancy at North Carolina, Williams snapped, "I could give a shit about North Carolina right now." Not all the players in yesterday's half- hour meeting at Allen Fieldhouse were sad after hearing Williams' news. Wayne Simien, who dislocated his shoulder in January and later had sea- son-ending surgery, appeared angry. "I gave my right arm for him, literal- ly," said Simien, wearing a sling. "I gave my right arm for that man." Williams emerged teary-eyed from the meeting and refused to reveal his decision. Instead, he planned an evening news conference, although he did not say whether it would be held in Lawrence or Chapel Hill, N.C., at the Tar Heels' campus. North Carolina said it would have a news conference at the men's basketball practice gym, although the topic wasn't disclosed. "This is personal fellas. There is something I want to say," a choked-up Williams told reporters. "This has been a special place. I really appreciate the way you have treated me." AP PHOTO Just days after a national title game loss, Roy Williams waved goodbye to Kansas. A private jet was. waiting at Lawrence's municipal airport with a flight plan for Chapel Hill, said Lloyd Hetrick, of Hetrick Aviation Services. Williams, who has coached the Jay- hawks for 15 years, lost last week to Syracuse in the national championship game. North Carolina is seeking to replace Matt Doherty, who resigned shortly before the Final Four. Williams was an assistant at North Carolina under Dean Smith and was also a candidate for the job three years ago, when Doherty was hired. The fastest coach in NCAA Divi- sion I history to win 400 games, Williams (418-101) has won nine conference championships at Kansas and took the Jayhawks to the past 14 NCAA Tournaments. By Melanie Kebier Daily Sports Writer After taking home the Southern Divi- sion championship last weekend, the Michigan water polo team is in a win- or-go-home situation. The Wolverines will enter the Eastern Regional Championship as the No. 1 seed and are looking to gain a bid to the NCAA Final Four. "Our expectations are to be the best team in the East,' Michigan water polo coach Matt Anderson said. "We're at a point now where we've realized that we cannot lose." Winning out definitely won't be easy. After facing Iona and Hartwick in the first two rounds, Michigan will proba- bly match up in the final game of the Regionals against its biggest rival in the East, Indiana. The teams have met three times this year already. The first meeting between Michigan and Indiana in January resulted in a 12- 6 win for the Wolverines. After outscor- ing the Hoosiers 5-0 in the first quarter, Michigan cruised to victory. But the match in March was a different story. With many key players injured, Michi- gan had to fight through a close game to secure the exciting 9-7 win. This time it was Indiana that jumped out to an early lead, forcing Michigan to come back and eventually win in overtime. When the Wolverines faced Indiana with the division championship on the line, Anderson decided to implement. some new tactics. "When you play a team multiple' times in a year, you play different styles against them, so at the end of the year you can decide which one works best," he said. Last weekend, the Wolverines took a different approach most importantly on defense. Anderson decided to allow Indiana to take as many shots as they wanted - from the outside. "I allowed Indiana to think they were doing what they wanted to do," Ander- son said. "But they were taking the shots I wanted them to take." Much like a zone defense in basket- ball that protects the inside and allows the other team to attempt 3-point shots, Michigan's defense let Indiana take the shots it thought Armstrong had the best chance of blocking. The plan worked - the Hoosiers were held scoreless in the first half. Their only two goals came in the third quarter, and then the Michigan defense clamped down. Goalie Betsey Armstrong notched a season-high 17 saves, and senior Jo Antonsen record- ed a hat trick to propel Michigan to a 6-2 victory. But the defense isn't the only thing Anderson thinks will help the Wolver- ines against Indiana. "The best thing (we have against Indiana) is the confidence we have," Anderson said. "The confidence factor is the difference." Michigan will need all its weapons next weekend when they head to the Eastern Championships. Anderson is confident the Wolverines can get to the final game, where they will likely face Indiana yet again. After that, the match- es become extremely competitive. "If I had to garner a guess, I would say it would be UCLA, Stanford, Loy- ola-Marymount, and hopefully Michi- gan in the Final Four," Anderson said. But first, the Wolverines have to try for the title of best in the East. 6 Congratulations Graduates!! Celebrate with your friends and family at an Italian restaurant that appreciates special occasions!! Call for Reservations at (734) 453-2002 41661 Plymouth Rd. Plymouth, MI 48170 Dar Wil ia Ax lki 0 April 22 7:30pm Power Center Tickets Available At The Michigan Union Ticket Office Charge by phone 734-763-TKTS An Office Of Major Events Division Of Student Affairs Presentation U a I I 1 1: 111 V I JL)!!!! I