University of North Carolina Athletics
Postgame Quotes
February 4, 2006 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 4, 2006
Roy Williams
UNC HEAD COACH
Opening statement:
"We have to feel very fortunate. It was an unusual game. We scored
twice, one time when we're trying to make the first lob pass for a
dunk in Bobby Frasor's career and it goes in, and the other time David
throws the lob over to Tyler and he's just trying to tip it to himself
and it goes in. We felt very fortunate. Reyshawn had a couple of
spurts in there that were big for us. I thought David's dunk follow
and then the defensive play on the other end got us a little enthused.
Wes and David on the break. Reyshawn's first career double-double
and the second time in a row he's set his career-high on rebounds.
ut again it was an unusual game. I think Clemson was really
aggressive trying to drive us to the basket and pitch off and we
didn't do a very good job. We weren't nearly as good defensively
today as we were Thursday. But we were very fortunate. I really feel
that way. I've always thought that good teams get lucky sometimes and
we have the makings of being a good team, but we're not there yet by
any means.
"David Noel really struggled for a four or five game stretch, and I thought he was really good particularly in the first half against Maryland and then to be nine (assists) and three (turnovers) today after he had struggled there with turnovers so much for a long stretch. I feel very fortunate. If I was on the road, I'd get out of town as fast as I could. I feel like I've stolen somebody's candy."
On the fans chanting "You can't win here" to Clemson:
"I just don't think you need to do that. They know it. You don't need
to rub it in. And the guy on the other bench is one of the classiest
people in the business that I really enjoy ... I love our crowd, but I
don't like to put other people down. But they responded very well.
They stopped."
On Clemson's full-court press:
"I don't think we responded very well. The biggest thing is we didn't
get the ball out of bounds and attack. We were so cautious with it.
And we didn't have very good movement, but when we did attack and did
have good movement we had three-on-twos and two-on-ones on the other
end. I think that we've got to do a much better job on it than we did
today."
On Reyshawn's improved play of late:
"Well, I think he's working harder. Little things - he's coming out
early before practice, not just standing around jawing, he's trying to
get ready for that practice. He's working harder defensively... I
think he's worked extremely hard to try to become a better player, and
I think he's going to be a big-time defensive player when he puts the
focus in and tries to do it every single day."
OLIVER PURNELL
CLEMSON HEAD COACH
Opening statement:
"I want to give a lot of credit to North Carolina coming back off a 42, 43 hour turnaround and to come out here today and really jump on us right off the bat with tremendous energy. I thought our guys were ready to go but I think North Carolina may have had even more energy at the beginning of the game. Obviously at the beginning of the game a 14-2 run was probably the tale of the tape, along with the run at the beginning of the second half. The two beginning of the halves really hurt us.
"I thought our guys really fought hard, turned Carolina over with our pressure some. You're just in too big of a hole. They're such a good transition team so if they break the press, they are going to have the opportunity to make a high-percentage shot. We didn't shoot the ball well enough from three. Even on the interior we fumbled away some opportunities that really gave us a chance to make a ballgame of it. I don't know if we were a little bit tight, and certainly North Carolina's defense and energy had something to do with it, but I thought we had a number of opportunities on the interior--a few passes to Akin [Akingbala], a couple passes to Sam Perry--where we could have put some pressure on them and we didn't deliver.
"Again, I give an awful lot of credit to North Carolina for that short turnaround and coming out with energy and I thought they played pretty well."
On some of Carolina's more fortunate plays and interior miscues factoring into the final the decision:
"I think that and we didn't cash in on some interior passing situations where we could have put pressure on them. I remember two where Sam Perry fumbled out of bounds. I remember at least two, maybe three, that Akin [Akingbala] fumbled out of bounds. He had 6 turnovers and you have to make something happen with those. You couple that with a couple things of good fortune for them, but you have to look at their energy with that quick turnaround, they came out ready to play.
On Clemson's reliance on the three-point:
"We went in to Akin [Akingbala] quite a bit. He just had a tough night. We went inside to Steve Allen. We didn't finish a lot inside. We went inside quite a bit. We certainly do rely on thee three some. We want to take wide-open threes and knock them down. The nights that we do that, we will be a little better offensive team."
On Clemson's trouble winning in Chapel Hill:
"Because they've had good players and good coaches ever since I've been born and probably when I'm gone they still will. It's a tough place to play. Not just here, but Carmichael, and obviously they've had some great coaches as well."
On the different responses to Carolina's fast start in the 2005 game and today's:
"We just pointed out what was going on. We had missed some easy bunnies; we turned the ball over inside some. Once we settled down and really started to spread the offense out then we could score versus them and the fact that they were prone to turn the ball over. We get up into them they are going to turn the ball over. Those things started to happen and I think it gives us confidence to stay with what we are trying to do."
UNC PLAYERS
Tyler Hansbrough
On his low field goal percentage:
"Well, obviously some of my jump hooks weren't falling as good as they usually do. There's going to be days like that, where the ball just doesn't go in the hole. So, I guess it was just one of those days."
On what this win means going into the Duke game:
"Well, it gives us a lot of momentum going in there on Tuesday. It boosts our confidence a little bit."
On what the Carolina-Duke rivalry means to him:
"Well, I always watched it when I was growing up. So, I know it's a big rivalry. But, at the same time, it's still an ACC game. So we're going to prepare for it just like any other game. We're just going to come out and play our best."
On whether he's looking forward to matching up against Sheldon Williams:
"Yea, I am. I'm looking forward to going out there and trying to get a `w' against a quality team."
David Noel
On he and Reyshawn's high-flying dunks:
"We just knew that they were kind of slack on boxing out sometimes and that if we could get to the offensive boards that we could definitely get some offensive rebounds. We got lucky tonight and some bounced the right way and we were able to get some highlights."
On flirting with a triple-double:
"Yeah, that's been a goal of mine all season. I hadn't really told anybody. But, for the most part, I've been trying every game to get a triple-double. I've been getting real close to it. But, every time I ask her she's just saying `no.' So, I don't know. I got to get her some roses or something."
On the win:
"It was big. A lot of guys were talking about the streak and we didn't want to be the team to lose the streak. At the same time, coach Williams doesn't think the streak is that important. But, it's just another ACC win for us and we finally got another chance to protect our home."
Wes Miller:
On Reyshawn Terry's improved level of play:
"I'm not sure if there's anything I can pinpoint. I think he just got more comfortable. Reyshawn didn't play a whole lot the last couple years. He got his opportunity this year and I think he just got more comfortable in that kind of role. We've all always known how talented he is. He can do so many things. He's so versatile, so athletic, and he's really putting things together now."
On whether he could beat J.J. Redick in a game of H-O-R-S-E:
"[Laughing] I'm not really concerned about that right now. I'm concerned about us beating Duke on Tuesday. There's no question I watch him shoot. I'm a big college basketball fan and always have been. He's a tremendous shooter. I mean, he does it so many different ways. He runs off screens, he can catch and shoot off the dribble. I'm very impressed with the way he can shoot the ball."
On Duke's defense:
"I think Duke really tries to pressure the ball and really tries to get up into the passing lanes. You've got to be strong with the ball and you've got to attack them. We've got to have good spacing. We've got to make good sharp cuts when we don't have the ball. We just have to help each other out offensively. But, Duke will try to get after you on the defensive end of the floor, just like we do. We've just got to be patient, be strong, and attack attack them."
Bobby Frasor
On the win-streak against Clemson:
"Coach Williams, after the game, told us that the streak's going to be broken one day. He said, `don't even think about it, don't even look at it.' He said to just take it one game at a time. It's just another ACC win."
On David Noel's play:
"Dave's just a player. He can do everything. He can rebound, he can pass, he can handle the ball, and he can score. Him getting out there doing everything for us, being an all-around basketball player, he can do that every night."
On Carolina's ability to overcome 20 turnovers in a game:
"I think it's because we play defense. I thought that in the first half our defense was exceptional at times, while at times we struggled. But, if we just played hard on the defensive end and get some stops we'll be fine."
On the upcoming Duke game:
"You say it's not just another game, but it really is. It's just another ACC game. Everyone does watch it. It's a big rivalry. Everyone is going to blow it up as the biggest game of the year. But, we're looking at it as another ACC game. We're going to approach them just as we do every other team. But, there's definitely going to be a lot more energy and intensity in this one."
