Led by Their Dreams : The Inside Story of Carolina's Journey to the 2005 National Championship

by Adam Lucas, Steve Kirshner, and Matt Bowers; Foreword by Dean Smith

• ISBN13: 9781592289189
• ISBN10: 1592289185
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 2005-10-01
• Publisher: Lyons Press

Summary

"Only those who have the patience to do simple things perfectly will acquire the skills to do difficult things easily." --Thought for the Day, March 22, 2005, Carolina practice plan At the start of the 2005 season, the North Carolina Tar Heels were a talented yet dysfunctional team made up of gifted yet unfocused athletes. Head coach Roy Williams had his work cut out for him: to piece the team back together and inspire the players to use their adversity as the surest path to victory. On April 4, 2005, Carolina defeated Illinois in the championship finals. "How else could it have ended?" reflected forward Jawad Williams. "We've been the lowest and now we're the highest." Led By Their Dreams, a celebration of the Tar Heels' 2005 season, features interviews with the players and coach Roy Williams. It also includes Williams's famous inspirational quotes--his "Thoughts for the Day"--which often foretold something about to happen and always served to push the team toward better teamwork and, ultimately, the NCAA championship. With full-color photographs throughout, postseason notes, a list of the honors and awards received by standout players, and a CD of the radio call of the championship game, this is the ultimate book for fans to remember the best team of 2005 and its return to glory.

Author Biography

Adam Lucas is the publisher of Tar Heel Monthly, a newsletter that covers all University of North Carolina sports. He is author of Going Home Again, the story of Roy Williams and his return to coach the Tar Heels, published by The Lyons Press in 2004.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	vii
Foreword	ix
Dean Smith
Preface	xi
The Action
See the Future	1	(4)
Workdays in Maui	5	(8)
The Silence & the Roar	13	(6)
Building a Program	19	(6)
The Difference of Defense	25	(6)
The Blue Team	31	(6)
History Repeats Itself	37	(4)
Awards & Rewards	41	(6)
The Perils of Hesitation	47	(4)
Back on Track	51	(6)
Road Warriors	57	(8)
Senior Day	65	(10)
Letdown in D.C.	75	(4)
The Spark Returns	79	(6)
Two Steps to St. Louis	85	(10)
The Pit	95	(10)
National Champions	105	(12)
Saying Goodbye	117