YouTube Gold: Mike And Roy’s First Meeting

Roy Williams had a challenging first season but the brilliance was already there

The Dean vs. K rivalry was unbelievable as UNC’s Dean Smith and Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski battled for ACC supremacy. It was kind of amazing that it was soon succeeded by the Mike vs. Roy rivalry as Roy Williams came back to his alma mater.

That rivalry started before Williams came home though. He was on Smith’s staff at UNC and Smith recommended him to Kansas when (surprise) Larry Brown departed.

Williams took over when Brown left some NCAA issues in his wake and while his first season was impressive, it wasn’t always easy.

Take his first trip to Cameron as a head coach in his debut season in Lawrence.

Williams immediately distinguished himself as a promising coach but the issues Brown left behind slowed him down a bit.

Kansas finished 19-11 in Williams’ 1989-90 debut season and had an eight-game losing streak, which is not something you think about with Williams.

His trip to Cameron didn't go well as the Blue Devils ripped the Jayhawks 102-77.

Duke and Kansas would meet again soon, and on much more competitive ground as the Blue Devils knocked off Kansas in the 1991 national championship game, 72-65. Krzyzewski and Williams would meet again a couple of more times in the NCAA Tournament with each winning once, before Williams moved back to UNC in 2003 and doing his part to maintain a brilliant rivalry.