There's no place like home

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) -- ''I'm staying.''

Those two words from Roy Williams will become part of the lore of one of the nation's historic college basketball programs.

Williams was saying no to North Carolina and yes to Kansas.

Listening to Williams announce Thursday night that he had rejected an offer to return to his beloved Tar Heels and replace Bill Guthridge as coach, Kansas fans must have felt vindicated. They have finally avenged that triple-overtime loss to North Carolina in the 1957 NCAA title game, the game that broke Wilt Chamberlain's heart.

''The decision here I've made came after the toughest seven days of my life,'' Williams said as he and athletic director Bob Frederick sat in a jam-packed, steamy little room beneath the Kansas football stadium.

More than 16,000 fans sat outside in the stadium seats, watching the news conference on a giant video board and cheering every word.

Since announcing last Friday that he was torn between staying at Kansas or moving to North Carolina, Williams received almost 2,000 e-mails urging him to stay. He walked the campus by himself Thursday, reading hundreds of signs and banners proclaiming love for the coach who has won more games the past 12 years than anybody else in Division I.