Brandon Robinson: We Stopped Feeling Sorry For Ourselves

UNC now confident with late-game leads

UNC has turned things around in recent games. After falling to a 10-17 record, the Tar Heels have won three straight heading into the rematch with Duke. Senior Brandon Robinson credits coach Roy Williams’ attention to detail.

“He’s definitely getting on us about being more accountable,” he said. “Even in the Wake Forest game, I missed a box out, and he pulled me out. He’s like, ‘You’re going to miss a box out in your last game in the Smith Center?’ He pushed the right button. One of the next plays, they were shooting a free throw, and I went up there and got a rebound. So I think he’s been doing a great job.”

The Tar Heels had a long string of blow leads, including the first Duke game, but UNC has been able to play with a lead recently.

“Definitely, I think we just really got to the point of stopping feeling sorry for ourselves Stop going into locker room and being like, ‘Man, we should have won the game. We were up and let it slip away.’ We didn’t want to have that feeling anymore. We’re also coming in and working every day, learning from our mistakes. We’re also at a point now when we get up in a lead, we’re not trying to panic, not worrying about it. If a team goes down and scores, we’re not dropping our head. We’re thinking about let’s go down and score. Let’s go down and get a stop on the other end. … I think every time that happens the past couple games, we’ve gotten together and been like, ‘Okay, let’s calm down. We’ve been here before. We know how to respond to this and not let it slip away.’ We just kind of lock back in and don’t necessarily panic and say, ‘We’ve got to make the right play. We’ve got to make the right play.’ We just stay calm and collected and just trying to do what we do.”