University of North Carolina Athletics
Roy Williams Press Conference Quotes
November 28, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 28, 2005
On not having many veterans:
I don't know that I ever care for anybody to show deference to veterans on the court. Out there, it's every man is the same, it's just who has the best shot. That guy should have it regardless of what class he is. Where you have the factor of a security blanket helping you is if you're in tough times at practice...they (veterans) can keep them focused on what they're supposed to be doing. Or during the course of a game, when things aren't going well, they can pull them together. David Noel, for example. In the first game, we're walking out there dribbling off our feet, throwing it behind our ears, everything you could possibly do to look like a junior high team. David makes our first two baskets and sort of calms everything down a little bit. Even though David's stats weren't like Sean or Raymond or Rashad or Marvin, he is the steadying influence. If he can continue doing that in the big games that are coming up...then he can be that security blanket that we need.
On the expectations of the team:
I do sit back and try to look at the big picture and see how we're playing. That's more important to me than the actual score is. Again, it's hard to make that statement as soon as the game is over with. I think about it later on. If they do what we're coaching them to do and what they're trying to do and what we all want to do, then in the long run, that's the most important thing. Last year at the end of the season, we were playing our best basketball. We were playing harder on the defensive end than we had all year long. We were playing together and more unselfishly than we'd ever done. I think that was a direct result of all the work we had put in through the course of the season. I'm hopefully at the end of this year, we'll be playing our best then.
On how Illinois is a good test:
I said the other night, that I think after this game and Saturday's game, we'll have a much better read on our team than we do at this time, just because of the level of competition.
On David Noel's transition back to the post position:
He understands so much more than my first year here. He felt like it was a position he had to fit into, whereas now it's a position that he plays that he can expand it, he can form the role himself with his own ability. He understands that much better than he did before. At that point in his sophomore year he had to guard those 6-9, 6-10 guys and he had to bang with them. There is something to that, but now they've got to guard him too. He's got to really be effective at so many different areas to be successful that it's almost unfair to him.
On the challenge of guarding Dee Brown:
For such a little guy, he's a big load. There's no question about that. He had tremendous speed and his acceleration as he's coming at you with the ball is about as good as anyone in college basketball. I can't think of anybody that pushes it faster than he does. It's going to be a challenge. We're starting two freshmen at the guard spots and they've never seen anything like what they're going to see tomorrow night. It's going to be hard to simulate that in practice. He comes at you so hard that you have to give ground so much that at some point you've got to draw a line and say I can't continue to give ground or I'll be in the bleachers and you'll be laying it up. (We need) to get some help from other people and slow him down a little bit. Yet, he's such a big-time shooter. He has a tremendous balance of fantastic speed and the ability to shoot from outside. That's a hard combination to guard for anybody whether you're a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior. He's been the focal point of our defense the last two years when we've played them.
On UNC's point guard play:
I'm a fairly tough grader on point guards. I feel they're trying as hard as they possible can and trying to do the best that they possibly can and that they are going to be eventually be very good for us.
On paying attention to the overall score of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge:
It is a source of pride. No question about that. When I watch the games, I cheer for our guys. Probably in the commissioner's office or your offices there is more made of it than there is in our offices. You like to talk to kids about playing in the best league in the country and any information that you can get that can validate that statement I think is good for us.
On playing another conference other than the Big Ten:
I hadn't thought about it. We talked when I was at the Big 12 about playing some other people. I think it's good. It brings attention to college basketball a little more. Two great leagues that have been great leagues for a really long time. But I have not thought about playing another league.
On Tyler Hanbrough's toe injury:
It's better. We hope it stays that way. Last week, we held him out of three different days.
On preparing for a high profile game:
I think I'm preparing this team differently regardless of who we're playing.
