University of North Carolina Athletics
Roy Williams Press Conference Quotes
February 13, 2004 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 13, 2004
North Carolina Head Coach Roy Williams
On Rashad McCants' progress on defensive and offensive ends:
"I think he has progressed significantly. He still has those lapses. Georgia Tech was not his best game defensively, nowhere near what he had done a couple games previously. I think he's starting to learn each and every practice what we're looking for. He's working at it. He's understanding how important it is.
"I think he's the most scrutinized player I've ever coached. And yet he has really progressed. I said all along Jackie bought into [the new coaching style] quicker than anyone. At the same time, Rashad has really come a long way. He's a youngster who doesn't mind taking the big shot and has made some big shots for us. When the other team starts talking about preparation for us, I think Rashad's got to be one of the first things they consider. And I always think that's the biggest respect anyone can give you is when the other team's defense aim is to make it more difficult for you. Am I satisfied? No. I don't think he wants me to be satisfied because he knows he can do a lot better. But I do think he's continuing to improve and we want him to keep doing what he's doing."
On McCants' offensive improvements in the last eight games:
"He's understanding between a good shot and a mediocre shot. Using screens better and setting more screens for his teammates. But I think the biggest thing is that he's a big-time shooter and he doesn't mind being put in the position to have to take that big shot. I would like him to drive to the basket more and rebound more on the offensive boards. I think those will be the next steps for him on the offensive end. If he starts getting those parts of his game, he's going to be really, really difficult to guard."
On the players adjusting to his system of coaching:
"Until you really trust and believe in something at times of adversity, you're going to revert back. One season or philosophy is plenty of time for some youngsters and is not plenty of time for other youngsters. [Getting] Jackie [to follow the system] to me was a pretty easy thing. He just bought into [what I told him] immediately."
On changing his style of coaching when he arrived at Carolina:
"I think initially I changed because it wasn't exactly a happy-go-lucky... place around here. There were a lot of negative things. There had been a lot of adversity on the court and off the court. So I wanted to make sure that I understood these were still young people and there had to be a relationship that had to be built. I wasn't going to assume that they were going to trust me and I wasn't going to assume that things were going to be rosy. I don't think you can push people who have not had much success as hard as you can push people who have had success.
"What I've tried to do everyday is talk about the quality of the shot. I haven't varied in that whatsoever. I've tried to talk everyday about consistency of our effort. And the name on the front of the jersey is much more important than the individual name on the back."
On feeling tension or pressure to make the NCAA Tournament:
"I think we're going to try to do the best we can. At the end of the year, let it all be added up and see what it means. I've done that every year I've ever coached. The only difference is that in a lot of years we've gotten off to a great start and I'd say, 'We've got a little cushion, let's make that cushion bigger.'"
On thinking about RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) and strength of this year's schedule:
"I could not tell you where we're ranked right now. In the rankings I saw yesterday, I saw that our strength of schedule was No. 1. What I mostly do when I'm looking at those things, when I see a school's name, I see a coach's name by it... I've never filled out a bracket in my entire life and I will never will. Last year [at Kansas], I thought we could be a No. 1 seed very easily; we weren't-we were a No. 2 seed."
On Jawad Williams' injury and whether it's made his game more tentative:
"You know, you would have to ask him. But my answer to that is I think so. He's not as aggressive as he was earlier in the season. But I've seen a couple of things in the last couple of games, even if it was just one play, that I'm hoping is starting to help him get out of it."
On the possibility of Stanford finishing the season undefeated:
"I think it would be fantastic. Mike Montgomery is a really big-time friend...It's hard to find anyone in basketball that I have more respect for than Mike Montgomery."
On his team's play at Georgia Tech on Tuesday:
"I definitely think we're playing better than a month ago. Not too many teams have gone in and won at Georgia Tech. They're a very good basketball team. But we didn't play as well as we've been playing either... And that's what I hope we can change."
On getting ready for Maryland and what makes them a difficult team to play against:
"Everything they could do well to hurt us, they did. Nik Caner-Medley kept hurting us on the curl-three baskets on one simple move. We gave him 15 points. We just didn't box out. Jamar Smith was a load for us inside. [John] Gilchrist was tough on Raymond. Raymond had a tough time stopping his penetration. So everything they were doing really hurt us."
