University of North Carolina Athletics
Q & A With Jawad Williams and Marvin Williams
January 11, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 11, 2005
On Luke Schenscher's height:
"We don't alter our game. We're going to go out there and do the best we can. I mean he's seven-foot, he's long; but we're going to play to our advantages, which is our speed and our quickness."
On not getting caught up with Carolina's success right now:
"Well things were going very well for us last year at one point, and it went downhill from there. So all this hype and all that type of stuff doesn't mean anything about us. We haven't accomplished anything yet."
On what Marvin Williams adds as the team's sixth man:
"Marvin's just very aggressive. He's one of the most aggressive players on our team. He plays extremely hard, and he does a lot of other great things for us besides score the basketball. He rebounds well, and he defends well, which is always a plus."
On being a leader on the team:
"It's Coach Williams' team. I'm just playing on it. I'm just playing my role and hoping we can continue to get wins. I'm not going to step out and say I'm the leader. I just know what Coach Williams tells me to do."
On his role on the team:
"Lead by example, and try to help the younger guys come along and realize that the ACC is one of the toughest conferences in the country, and we have to be on our toes every night."
On what to stop Georgia Tech from doing:
"Probably the dribble penetration. They have a lot of great guards - Elder, Bynum and Jarrett Jack. Then we have to be aware of the pick-and-roll. Just different things like that. But if we play our game and play our principles, we should be fine."
On Coach Williams stressing defense more this week:
"He teaches us that every day. We have to close out on defense regardless of who we're playing against. But we might have to be more conscious closing out, expecting a shot, but at the same time being ready for a drive. They have great guys that can penetrate and dish the ball."
On what he has learned from Jawad Williams:
"There are so many things I've learned from everybody, but Jawad - just how to carry yourself, how to be professional on and off the court, just how to play all the time."
On whether taller players like Luke Schenscher will get to him in a game:
"Not at all. Some people it does get to, but you just have to keep taking it at him. Hopefully you can get a foul or maybe make one."
On his first taste of the ACC:
"It was nice. We came out with a win, which was also good. But as for me personally, it was tough, it was exciting, it was pretty physical. It was what everybody said it was going to be."
On developing free throw stroke:
"My dad. Free throws are free. Nobody contests them, so you've got to make them, I guess. My dad taught me how to shoot when I was younger."
On remaining focused:
"You just live day by day. The future and my future are something only God knows, and I just leave it in his hands. I'm in college right now just trying to win a national championship with the rest of my team, so that keeps me focused."
