Roy Williams out of hospital

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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- North Carolina basketball coach Roy Williams checked out of the hospital Thursday afternoon, just a day after undergoing a 3½-hour surgery to remove a tumor from his right kidney, the school announced.

It could take up to a week to determine whether the tumor was benign or malignant -- and that could impact whether the 62-year-old Hall of Fame coach will need surgery next month to remove another tumor, this time from his left kidney.

But his doctor said in a statement Wednesday that Williams is expected to be back on the court when UNC opens basketball practice next month, and that he fully expects Williams "to coach this season and for years to come."

If Williams needs a second surgery, he could miss some practice time, but likely not any games.

Williams found out about the tumors after a physical earlier this month. But assistant coach Steve Robinson said Wednesday that Williams "felt a little uncomfortable over the last couple of weeks and felt like something wasn't quite right."

Williams still worked until the day before the surgery, and the only reason he canceled a scheduled recruiting trip Tuesday was due to inclement weather. He didn't tell his players about his impending operation until a 10 p.m. meeting Tuesday night.

With Williams recuperating, longtime assistants Robinson and C.B. McGrath, new assistant coach Hubert Davis, director of basketball operations Joe Holladay and director of player relations Eric Hoots are dividing up the responsibilities.

"You know, Coach has always built every program he's ever (had) on consistency and he's run a program," McGrath said Wednesday. "All of our veterans know what they're supposed to do. All of us working for Coach all these years know what we're supposed to do. So things are going to be fine as usual with the program."

The kidney surgery came less than a month before UNC kicks off basketball practice with its annual "Late Night with Roy Williams" on Oct. 12. The Tar Heels will hold an exhibition game with Shaw on Oct. 26, and they open the season against Gardner-Webb on Nov. 9.

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Robbi Pickeral | email

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• ESPN.com UNC basketball blogger
• Joined ESPN.com in 2011
• Wrote for Raleigh News & Observer