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University of North Carolina Athletics
Postgame Quotes
December 28, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 28, 2005
Opening Statement:
"Well, needless to say we feel a lot better than we did after the Southern Cal game the other night. I thought we were really active defensively in the first half. If we had been flying around and having that kind of intensity last Wednesday, the outcome would have been a lot better. I really wanted to focus on getting that bad taste out of our mouth and I think for the most part we did that. But the thing about basketball it doesn't do any good, you still got that tails beat last Wednesday. But it was a tough night for Asheville to catch us coming off that loss and playing the way we did. So again, I really thought the whole thing was our defense intensity and forcing the turnovers. We didn't shoot the ball very well the entire game and didn't make good decisions with the ball in the second half and turned it over too much, but I guess it's always difficult when you have got a big lead to keep the same type of intensity and concentration that you did in the first half. Thought Tyler [Hansbrough] was really active defensively, eight steals, I think the school record is nine. I would like for him when he does make those steals to make better decisions on the break, but a couple times, I was standing there watching him, instead of trying to get out and fill the lane and give him an outlet and throw the ball to him. I thought David [Noel] gave us great leadership. First possession of the game set the tone. We missed three in a row and had three offensive rebounds. I think that again that set the tone for us and that our athleticism was going to be the most important part of the game."
On picking up the intensity in practice after the USC game:
"I think we responded well. It wasn't one of those hide the women and children kind of practices like it was in Maui last year the first time. But it was a good solid, hard practice. We ran up and down the court several times. We made them watch the first half of the tape. I guess it was Wednesday. We came back Sunday night and got home Monday for our first practice at 8:30. We watched the first half of the USC game and then practiced. Tuesday morning we watched the second half and then waited and didn't any UNC-A tape until we came back to practice Tuesday afternoon because we were here twice. But I do think they reacted pretty well. But, again we caught Asheville at a good time. They played a difficult schedule, difficult people on the road. We caught them at a good time. Now we've got to really get ready because we've got a fantastic Davidson team, a fantastic Arizona team and 16 conference games."
On eight players with assists and eight players with steals:
"I think that we did share the ball very well. We missed, I think, seven of our last eight. I don't like that part. I do think that we shared the ball well and again, it started with our defense. I talked to a media person this week and they said `people talk of Roy Williams and our coaching staff and they talk about fast break basketball.' They always think I am a defensive coach and it always starts on the defensive end for us. We spend a heck of a lot more time there. The defensive part of it, we like to think we have a pretty good scheme covering up for people. Then on the offensive end, if teammates are open, we are throwing them the ball. I think we did pass the ball really well."
Eddie Biedenbach
UNC-Asheville Head Coach
Opening Statement:
"Well, Carolina had some of their doldrums before the Christmas break against Southern Cal and we had ours after. This will be a great learning experience for us. We didn't learn anything playing out here tonight except that you can't be flat playing against somebody. You've got to come out with emotion and play every play like it's the last play. We didn't do that. We didn't execute. We didn't move without the ball. We just didn't play. It wasn't that our guys didn't try hard. Our guys tried all week.
"Carolina, coming off of the loss at Southern Cal, went in there and played really hard, with a lot of emotion and a lot of energy and we couldn't match that. I told our guys before the game that it was going to be a high-octane game and that we had to take the wind out of their scorers by doing some things. But, we couldn't get those done. We couldn't score on this end. We put on the full court pressure to try and slow them down. We just got to where we were taking quick shots and we didn't play a very good game. But, we will learn a lot when we get back and look at the tape and understand that when you play good teams you have to make their runs come over long periods of time, not on quick baskets."
On the difference between the first and second half:
"Well, I think that it's hard to go into the locker room with a 33 point lead at the half and tell your guys they've got to play better in the second half. We've got to use this to learn. Players sit around, and these are young guys that Carolina has, and they can't come out with the same enthusiasm, the same fire. On the other hand, I think our guys did do a good job. They came out and did what they needed to do, which is what they should have done the whole game. We did better at that point."