DETROIT – A day after North Carolina guard Ty Lawson said he won $250 playing craps at a Greektown casino, UNC coach Roy Williams defended his senior.
“We’ve had two of our guys go to the casino, Ty Lawson and Marc Campbell,” Williams said Friday. “I talked to them before they left. They’re both old enough. It is legal. I find it humorous that somebody would want to ask. It’s strange, if we don’t want those kids doing it, don’t put the Final Four in a city where the casino is 500 yards from our front door. And they got a great buffet in there. I mean, come on…
“I’m not gonna tell my guys they got to stay in the room and watch Bill
Cosby reruns for four days, c’mon. Those two kids, talked to them. One of my video coordinators went over there with them, not that he needed to. I would not have any problem. I just told the kids, If you think you’re going to do something questionable, talk to me about it first.
“I have zero problems with Ty doing it. I went and gambled myself. The reason I did was not the same reason that Ty did. When I came here this year to play Michigan State, we stayed at MGM. And I went down and shot craps, we lost, and we won the game. I go to Nevada, Reno, to play Nevada Reno,
and I stayed in a casino, and I went downstairs and shot craps and we lost, and my team won. So you got to be halfway idiot if you think I’m not going to go gamble and lose money before this game.
“I have gambled and I have lost. I’m doing every daggum thing I can do to win the game, including give Detroit my money (laughter).”
CHAMBERS TO BOSTON UNIVERSITY?
Villanova assistant Pat Chambers interviewed for the head coaching position at Boston University and is the favorite to land it, according to some reports.
“I met with them last week and it was a good meeting,” Chambers said. “I told them it’s about Villanova basketball right now. I have to stay focused and if things work out, maybe I can meet you next weekend after the Final Four.”
Tennessee assistant Tony Jones is also reportedly a candidate.
“I don’t know much about who’s interviewing and who’s up for it,” Chambers said. “All I know is, I knew about Pitt, I knew about Duke, now I’m going to know about North Carolina.”
STRINGER TO HALL OF FAME
Congrats to Rutgers women’s coach C. Vivian Stringer for being named to the Naismith Hall of Fame.
