At Sunday’s press conference before the NCAA men's basketball championship game on Monday, head coach Roy Williams was asked about the academic-athletic scandal and if he is worried his players will be affected by any rulings.
“My firm belief is that we did nothing wrong. OK. And that's just the best way to put it,” Williams said. “Were there some mistakes made? You're darned right there were. Were there some things I wish hadn't happened? You're darned right. But there were no allegations against men's basketball.”
Men's basketball was absent from the NCAA's second Notice of Allegations in April 2016 — but it was reintroduced in the most recent NOA in December.
Williams said the team has seen some hurt from the scandal, especially in recruitment, but he is proud of his players for sticking with the team.
“The thing I was most proud of is that Joel (Berry), Justin (Jackson) and Theo (Pinson) all committed to us during their junior year. Right then is when things started coming out,” Williams said.
“They stuck with us. They trusted me. That was one of the most satisfying things I've ever had.”
