University of North Carolina Athletics
Postgame Quotes
February 3, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 3, 2005
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COACH Roy Williams
Opening Remarks:
"I appreciate you understanding that this is not going to be very long. I
haven't felt very good, since you saw me at that press conference, I guess it
was yesterday. I haven't gotten any better; I'm feeling a little better now,
my temperature last night was over a 103. I went to the hospital today and
they gave me a couple of liters of IV to see if they could get me through the
game. The best that happened is that my team played their butts off and that
certainly made me feel a lot better. Marvin's 3's in the first half were
important to us. Sean's rebounding, Raymond I thought made one of his best
defensive games and on the offensive end did a nice job pushing the ball and
getting us some shots. It was a very difficult team to play against and
prepare for because they are unusual. I'm pleased with what our kids did."
On Marvin Williams' performance tonight:
"He had 20 points, I thought he was impressive shooting both outside and
around the backboards. He makes a bunch of free throws; that's a guy that
plays aggressive around the backboards has a chance to get a lot of free
throws. He's been sick himself, he got it on Saturday night, and I didn't get
it till Monday night. Hopefully three days from now I'll look like Marvin."
On the team's overall performance:
"Well the nine turnover part is really good. I thought we played pretty well
on Saturday too. We played pretty well so I didn't have to do much screaming.
I told them before the game if they played their tails off it'd be a lot
easier to coach. I tried to get them to concentrate during the timeouts so
they could listen to me because I couldn't talk as loud as I normally do, so
they concentrated. Give the kids credit, I could have stayed in the locker
room and I honestly believed they would have played very well."
On Rashad's unselfish play, how he's looking to create for other people:
"I don't know that he's looking to create. He's just becoming a basketball
player. What that means is when there's a guy open who's got a better shot
you just instinctively give them the ball. I think he did that, and I think
he's been doing more and more of that. He's becoming a much better all-around
basketball player who can still score."
On how Marvin has improved from earlier this year:
"In every phase of the game. He's better defensively; he's better offensively.
He's concentrating more on the fundamental part of his shot and free throws.
He's been very very talented to begin with, but he's worked himself so hard
in practice that he's better in every phase of the game, especially
defensively."
COACH HERB SENDEK
Opening remarks:
"Although when you look at the 13 turnovers and the final stat sheet that's a very feasible number when you come here to play, our first half turnovers, which were ten, really contributed significantly to the deficit we had. They converted almost without fail on those. Tony Hanes told me that only one of our turnovers they didn't convert down to the other end, which is exactly what we prepared for. We tried to emphasize, but we just didn't get that level of execution in the first half. In the second half we were a little bit better, we only turned it over three times. That certainly was an improvement, but our guys continued to battle, we have all year and North Carolina right now I think is as good as anyone in the country, they are playing at an extremely high level."
On his first impressions of Marvin Williams:
"He is awesome. It is really no surprise. I didn't have a chance to watch him extensively in high school, but as everyone knows there was a lot of speculation if he would even come to college and you can see why. He is just an awesome talent, he really is. I don't think there is anything he can't do. What is really eye catching when you see him for the first time up close is how big he is."
On if the turnovers led to more points on their side:
"Maybe some. I can think of some turnovers right now that we just dropped the pass. You know, just flat out dropped the pass. You know we probably had a couple other ones that maybe were ill advised. You know to come over here and show better than we did, we don't have the margin of error to be five or twenty two or three. You have to make some of the looks that we didn't. You have to make a few more free throws. All things have to be in place and we weren't at that level tonight."
On the mindset of the team:
"The guys are battling and really have a terrific mindset. Our group has been through a tremendous amount. The resiliency and character has been admirable, it really has. Our guys have a sense of urgency and our guys are battling to do that, but our guys are together, we have no problem whatsoever with the mindset of our team."
On what the team has to do to go five and three on the backside:
"We have to play great basketball, we really do. There is no easy game on the schedule. You guys go to the games day in and day out. We are going to have to be at a very high level. I don't know how much healthier we are going to get. You know Tony Bethel is just coming back now. You know you do the best you can. We have weathered and taken some hits, but the togetherness, effort, and preparation, because all those things you can control have been there for us. And to be five and three on the backside, we have to play great basketball."
UNC PLAYER QUOTES
On his behind the head dunk:
"I used to do it in high school all the time. I told my buddy back home I'd do it if I got a breakaway. It's the first time I've done it in college."
On his recovery from sickness:
"Two days ago I didn't think I was going to play. But, not yesterday. I was getting better yesterday. I got some treatment this morning. I had two I.V. bags this morning about 11 or 12 and then that was that. I pretty much slept the rest of the day after that. I just drank a lot. I'll be okay."
On coach Herb Sendek's comment that there is nothing he can't do:
"I don't know about that. There's a whole lot I can't do. That's nice to hear but I just want to be working on my game."
On what he can't do:
"I can't beat Rashad in video games."
On his big block against Julius Hodge: "I timed it perfect and got a hand on it. I'm glad that's not on SportsCenter . . . me getting dunked on. I felt like it was a little momentum shift. I think that could have got them going. I was hoping I was going to catch him on that break because if I didn't it was going to be in every paper in America. But it was just a good time and a good play."
On how close the team is to peaking:
"We've got a group of talented guys that can put it up on the basket at any given moment. I think if we can get things clicking on all cylinders we'll be unstoppable. I think we're fairly close. With more practice we'll be there before the end of February."
On Marvin Williams:
"Marvin is a freak of nature. I love Marvin. I'm glad he's here. He's helped us so much as a team, especially rebounding and scoring and being another threat inside. He's not doing anything that we haven't seen from him before in practice."
On his role as a passer in this game:
"I guess some people would say that some people would say I was possessed not wanted to shoot as much. I was looking for the teammate more. My goal in the beginning of the preseason was to become more of a complete player. I told you guys points would have to go down and assists and rebounds would have to go up a little bit."
On his throat-slashing gesture:
"There's nothing I can do on the court except for smile and frown and look like I'm not smacking my teammates hands. Everybody makes a big deal out of everything that I do. So, I live with it. I made a mistake. Coach told me that it was something that's not appropriate for us as a team and I made a mistake in doing it. Like I said, anything that I do on the court people are going to see and make a big deal about it. I don't know why, but it happens. It wasn't directed at N.C. State it was actually directed at one of my friends in the stands."
