A coach on a cover may be commonplace in football (see John Madden's mug on Electronic Arts' popular NFL franchise), but it's rare for sports masterminds to get respect on other playing fields. 2K Sports is changing that by awarding the coveted position of cover boy of College Hoops 2K6 to University of North Carolina coach Roy Williams and former player Marvin Williams.
The Williams duo was instrumental in the Tar Heels' run to the 2004-2005 national championship over Illinois. Roy--not to be confused with the Detroit Lions wide receiver or Dallas Cowboys safety--previously helmed Kansas before taking over UNC in 2003 and has won National Coach of the Year honors four times.
Marvin is making the jump to the pros after a stellar freshman year at Chapel Hill. Coming off the bench for a team loaded with all-Americans, the 6-foot-9-inch swingman was regarded as the NCAA's top talent and was taken second in the 2005 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks. The 19-year-old was named the ACC Rookie of the Year in the NCAA's deepest conference.
With Sony opting out of college basketball this year, the Williams duo makes it a clean cover sweep for North Carolina. UNC guard Raymond Felton, drafted fifth by the Charlotte Bobcats in the draft, dribbled onto the cover of EA's NCAA March Madness 06.
College Hoops 2K6 is rated E for Everyone and will retail for $29.99 on the Xbox and PlayStation 2 when it is released early next month. An Xbox 360 version is scheduled for release this winter.