University of North Carolina Athletics
Postgame Quotes
February 10, 2001 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 10, 2001
Julius Peppers on the game against Maryland...
"We knew they were going to come in and try to win a game. We had to come out and play hard. I don't think we did that well in the first half, in the second half we came out dominant."
Peppers on his comfortability in the game...
"I feel comfortable any time when I'm on the court. But Kris [Lang] out with something wrong, Coach just told us everybody had to step up. I think we did a good job. Everybody's taking their individual game up."
Peppers on Carolina's upcoming week off from games...
"We need a week off. We need practice. We had a lot of games in the past couple of days so we need a little time to right the little things we are doing wrong. We're not going to be content just being number one right now, we want to be number one at the end of the season. We're going to keep working hard, we're going to keep coming to practice every day working hard. I think everybody's together, so as long as we're number one at the end of the season, that's what we're shooting for."
Jason Capel on the team's confidence...
"We've been talking about the swagger, and we definitely have that now. I remember in high school watching [Jerry] Stackhouse and [Rasheed] Wallace, and [Antawn] Jamison and [Vince] Carter--those guys had the swagger. They knew they were going to win. I think when you look at our team, we're a touch team just like they were. We have the physical presence like they did, and we have that swagger back in Carolina basketball."
Capel on his brother's advice...
"[My brother] played for a national championship [at Duke], I haven't. He got all the way to a championship game and I didn't. I still have a ways to go in order to fill his shoes and all. Mostly he just gives me advice. He helps me out a lot. He keeps telling me to be patient and keep my composure in all instances and good things are going to come my way. That's what happened tonight. I was patient and I had a good game."
Capel on growing as a player...
"I think I've definitely grown--I think it's maturity. I think I did a lot of things my freshman year--charges, just playing kind of stupid because of immaturity. But now I'm mature. My freshman year it was more mental because of all my injuries it made me a stronger person. Last year made me a stronger person and a stronger player because of the year we had. This year I'm surrounded by a great group of guys. It's definitely frustrating being called a role player. I'm offended. I'm not a role player--I'm a player first. I don't want to be put into a category. I'm a player. I just want to go out there and have a good game and help my team win."
Max Owens on his performance...
"I felt pretty good coming into the game. I knew it was a big game and whenever I the opportunity to come in and contribute to the team I just tried to come in and do my best. I was able to knock down a couple of threes, play hard, and play good defense and it all worked out. I had the opportunity to knock down some. I had some tough defenders on me, and they kind of slipped off me a little bit on the wings, and when they got me the ball I was able to knock them down."
Owens on the Carolina team...
"We just work together as a team and it's a great defensive team. There are really no individuals on defense that really stands out. On offense we have key players. We have Joe [Forte], Capel, Brendan [Haywood], and myself coming off the bench and other players that are pretty good, too."
Joseph Forte on Peppers and Capel...
"Peppers just carried us. We fed off his energy and we were able to take care of it in the second half. Capel stepped up in the first half. Capel kicked in a couple threes right back to back, I think that kind of got us back in the game and we took over the game."
Forte on Carolina's upcoming week off from games...
"It's a good time to take a week off. We're kind of tired. We've been playing a lot of games, a lot of emotional games. We need this time off."
Forte on the distribution of points...
"I think everybody knew we had to step up for Kris and every night I'm not going to lead us with scoring. We're a team. We're a great team and we showed that tonight."
Forte on having a sizeable lead...
"It felt good. To hold on to a lead, that's been our biggest problem--not to give up but to hold onto it. I think it showed the maturity and the growth of the team."
