.png&width=36&height=36&type=webp)
University of North Carolina Athletics
Postgame Quotes
November 19, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 19, 2005
Roy Williams Quotes vs. Gardner-Webb - Nov. 19, 2005
Opening Statement:
"Well, needless to say we're extremely fortunate to win. I told several of the players [from Gardner-Webb] including Coach [Rick] Scruggs that I almost hate that we won it that way because I felt like they played so, so well and made shots and it gives you a bitter taste in your mouth, but you like to win. In the first half we didn't guard anybody, yet we rebounded pretty well and got to the free throw line. In the second half we did a little bit better job of guarding people, but we didn't finish the defense. They out-rebounded us by six rebounds in the second half and we cannot have that. I took five guys out because they were standing there watching instead of going and rebounding the basketball, but can't just say it's the freshmen. We go to the free throw line - have an opportunity to get six points and go 0 for six. Bobby [Frasor]'s was a one-and-one and then David [Noel]'s and Reyshawn [Terry]'s were both two shot fouls. Make your free throws and it could be an eight-point game and you feel a lot better about it, but I'm extremely happy for David Noel because he's done a great job of leading this team through preseason practice. He had a big-time defensive rebound down there that got slapped out of his hands and then they end up getting it and scoring on it. Overall, you just feel as lucky as you can possibly be and just get the heck out of town."
RE: On the number of turnovers in the first half
"Well if you looked at it tonight and know anything about basketball you said, `My gosh, that's a bunch of inexperienced kids,' and that's what it was. We had three turnovers where you're throwing the ball to a teammate and he's gone...It looked like a very inexperienced team. We had eight turnovers the first six minutes. We had 13 at half so we had 20 for the game - had seven the second half and yet three of those were just silly."
RE: On forcing Gardner-Webb into a number of turnovers in the first half
"The good thing is that we got them to turn it over or they made the shot because they shot 59 percent. You guys have heard me say before we want to be a team that can make the other team turn it over and hold them to a low percentage and we didn't do that even though they shot a little less in the second half than they did in the first half."
RE: On Marcus Ginyard's role on the team
"It's too early to talk about roles. I mean, basketball develops. I've never known a coach in my life to say `This is what you do and you don't do anything else' because you restrict people. He's got to be a defender - which he does a nice job. He's got to make some shots; he's got to get to the offensive boards. That goes for Reyshawn and that goes for Danny [Green] - that goes for all of them. I'm not good enough to tell a kid what his role is after one game."
RE: On Tyler Hansbrough's play
"We didn't do a very good job getting the ball inside - we've got to do a better job of that. And I think he's got to do a better job of just going up strong. He loves to spin the baseline and go up on the other side - which is fine - but I think you're better off going the baseline and going up on the strong side and use the rim to keep people away and use your strength, but again he's a freshman."
Gardner-Webb Head Coach Rick Scruggs
Opening Statement
"I tell you what, it was a great game. It wasn't exactly how we wanted it to finish, but it was a great game. I think our kids did a tremendous job overcoming the crowd and everything else. I couldn't be any prouder of them than I am right now. I wish that David's shot hadn't gone in. If we could have gotten it to overtime I think it would have been really interesting because we had great momentum going down the stretch. We did some nice things to get them out of their pressure. Even when they were ten, eleven up our guys never stopped and never gave in and we came back and almost won the game. We told them in the locker room if you told us six years ago that we would be disappointed coming out if the locker room in Chapel Hill after a national championship I wouldn't have believed it. You know we are disappointed that we didn't get the win because I thought we played really, really well."
About not being intimidated of the Tarheels national championship
"Like I was telling our President Doctor Bonner before the game is that we played everywhere the last few years from Tennessee to UNLV to Colorado to Arkansas. We have played all the big guys that we can play and our guys have never walked into a place and had been intimidated or taken back from their surroundings. Last night we came in and had a great practice and had the chance to look at all the banners and look at all the jerseys hanging up, And again I don't think the crowd bothered us, and I don't think anybody playing on their home court had bothered this team. These type games are great for us. It really helps us with our conference play."
On the difference it is playing North Carolina
"I have coached in a bunch of different places. I've coached in Kentucky, I have coached all over and I believe as great as state this is, in basketball there's only one school that represents North Carolina every time they walk on the floor, and that's North Carolina. They are North Carolina basketball when they walk out. It's an honor to play them after the national championship, after a great year they had and with some of the young players they have, this team is going to be fun to watch because it is young, but very talented."
UNC Player Quotes
David Noel
On taking the last shot:
"When I knew that they were shagging off and I see how much room I had, I just yelled for Bobby [Frasor] to get me the ball and I knew I was gonna shoot it."
On when he knew his last-second shot was going in:
"When I let it go and I looked at it, I was like, `it's a little short'. I kinda knew that all my shots early in warm-ups were hitting the front rim and bouncing in. When I let it go I was like ah, it's a little short, but once it bounced around and went in, I jumped for joy."
On how it feels to be in the role where he is looked to for a big shot:
"It feels good, man. Like I said, I'm blessed just to be in this opportunity; just to have this opportunity to be able to lead a group of guys like this. They just battle man. Tonight was a great game. It's a great feeling just to be in this position."
On the play of the freshmen:
"Once you get out there and you get those jitterbugs out and you get all your turnovers out. Those guys came to play. In the second half they came out and we had less turnovers and we were able to get some tip-ins. Marcus [Ginyard] had a big tip-in. Danny [Green] hit a bunch of big threes. Tyler [Hansbrough] down low and Bobby handling the ball."
On if he said anything to the freshman:
"I just told them, alright the first half is over. Now it's time to step up and be like men and that's what they did."
Danny Green
On his performance in the game:
"I started getting into a rhythm. I just started playing my game and not worrying about anything else. I guess in the beginning I was a little nervous worrying about certain assignments and after that, I started running and got into a rhythm and stopped worrying about everything else and started playing basketball."
On how he feels after his first real game:
"Relieved, actually. Get all the butterflies out. It was fun; I had fun. Just trying to learn from [mistakes]. Get better and cut down on mistakes, so I can be in the game at the end of the game."
Tyler Hansbrough
On his first game grade:
"I think that our team played well at points. There are certain things that I think Coach really wants us to work on a lot more. The first game is a great atmosphere. It was kind of overwhelming coming out there and seeing all those people; not playing in front of a big crowd like that normally at high school. It was real enjoyable."
On how important it was for the team to play a game together:
"I think it was really important to see how we gel in a game and in game situations and carry over what we do in practice into a game."
On if he expects to be a dominant player in every game:
"Whatever it takes to win is what's gonna be my role. My teammates got me the ball a lot. I got a lot of opportunities for some baskets, so I took advantage of it."
