It was the question that a lot of North Carolina fans wondered about both during and after North Carolina's 93-83 defeat against Duke in the ACC tournament semifinals: Why did Joel Berry, the junior point guard, sit out so long after committing his fourth foul?
UNC coach Roy Williams provided an answer on Tuesday during his pre-NCAA tournament press conference. Said Williams: “He didn't make me feel like his head was into it.”
Berry's fourth foul was perhaps the defining moment – from the UNC side, at least – of the Tar Heels' defeat. When he left with about 15 minutes remaining, UNC led by eight, and that lead quickly grew to 13 points, even in his absence.