Dec. 28, 2004

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UNC vs. UNC Willmington Quotes

Coach Roy Williams Quotes

Opening Remarks:
"I was extremely pleased with the way we played in the first half. I think we were very focused. I think it was the best we've been this year at sharing the basketball - eighteen baskets, seventeen assists in the first half. I think it was the intention of our team to do that and I was really pleased with that part of it. I thought we defended, I thought we caused some turnovers. They were averaging 11 turnovers a game and they had 12 in the first half. I think it was 54-30 at the half and I was really pleased. I was very disappointed at the way we reacted in the second half to some of the things that were going on. First time in my career I can ever remember three of my players getting technical fouls. I just spent a couple extra minutes talking to my team about being disappointed in that. Some of them were unusual, and I'm going to watch the tape to see them closer and see if I can make some assessments about what our guys did before we make decisions about how much we're going to run. I was very disappointed in that part of it. We can't get caught up in those kind of things, we need to focus on playing basketball. But, it is a college game, we won, and I was very pleased with the way we played in the first half."

On large lead in the first 5 minutes of the game:
"I told them I wanted us to set the tempo with our defense right off the bat. And you know they were hurt without their regular point guard and I think that was a major factor in the game. Our pressure was able to create, you know Jackie, our second basket was a steal that Jackie took down and layed up. And then we got another turnover right after that. You have one or two runs like that, or even one run like that, if you're a good team the other team can just never overcome it. So, I think to just set the tempo like that early was a huge factor. And then the other thing, I think that we were all over the board and kept them off the board and I think that was a big force too."

Comment on defense:
"We did a lot of our scrambles and some of it was out of our straight man-to-man as well. But I think our scrambles did a lot of the double teams. Again, they were without their point guard and I think that's a huge factor. Always coaches talk about big guys, big guys, big guys ... but no coach ever feels comfortable coaching without a point guard out there that he's used to."

Do you think you got challenged enough tonight:
At half time I might have been the pleased as I've been at any game this year. It was a physical game. They were trying to check the cutters, kinda play that you gotta be prepared for everything. Some people try to out-run you up and down the court, other people try to block your progress as you cut across. I thought it was extremely important for us and I was really happy for us. But the second half, there was so much garbage going on, and you can't get caught up in that stuff."

What do you want to see out of this team in the second half of the season after such a strong homegame streak. How do you keep a sense a urgency?
"Again, today was an unusual game. And against Kentucky we got off to such a good start, but they're pretty dogone good. I think humane nature is you tend to let up a little bit. The other team has even less pressure on them. I try to look at the game as whole. I've never been one of those coaches that think you have to win the first four minutes of this half or that half. I believe you have to play 40 minutes and at the end of 40 minutes decide who's played the best."

UNCW Coach Brad Brownell

Opening Statement:
"I want to congratulate coach Williams and his staff. They were obviously really well prepared. They got off to a great start. We came into the game and tried to do some things defensively. But, their kids made shots. We had to challenge them from the outside and they were up to the challenge. They made a lot of threes in a row right off the bat and we got down big right away. I think what kills you in that situation is the fact that once a team starts a game with a roll their confidence just soars and the basket looks as big as the ocean. They were confident the rest of the game. To get down that far, that deep, to a team this good, you're not going to make it back."

On the technical fouls in the second half:
"Our kids play hard. Their kids play hard. I don't think it was anything crazy. I think the officials just called double technicals to try to restore order. But, most of the time I don't think they do that. They just get the kids together and tell them, 'hey fellas, cut it out.' I don't think it was that much different than any other game, but the technicals make it look otherwise.

"In most games kids talk to each other. I tell my guys not to, not that they always listen. I'm sure Roy tells his team the same thing. But, my kids are not going to back down. My kids are tough kids and they try to compete. We're not as talented as some of the teams we play but we're going to give you our best effort for forty minutes. So if they get challenged and backed into a corner they're going to respond and I think the North Carolina kids are the same way."

Rating North Carolina:
"I think they're very good. I knew coming in that they're better than last year. They've got tremendous balance. Marvin Williams is going to be a great player and that helps in terms of their depth. Raymond is shooting the ball so much better. He goes four for four from three today. If he does that you're going to have a hard time beating them. I think they're starting to buy into how coach Williams wants to play defense. I could just see it on their faces and obviously with the success that they're having, winning ten straight. The more wins you get the more the coach sounds like he's telling you the right thing. They're buying into what coach Williams is telling them and they're playing some very good basketball."