University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina-Duke Postgame Quotes
February 11, 2010 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 11, 2010
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UNC Head Coach Roy Williams
Opening Statement:
"For thirty minutes I thought it was a really good basketball game. I think there were two or three storylines. One was there work on the offensive boards; they were killer. The second was our inability to put the ball in the basket. It does hurt. We had six possible points at the free-throw line that we missed. [Duke] had 23 offensive rebounds. I would think that's the most we have given up all year.
"But there are no moral victories. We have got to play better. I thought we really had the intensity during the first thirty minutes that we needed and should have had for the whole season.
After that, I think it was just [Duke's] work on the offensive boards. They seemed hungrier to get there and we just didn't do a good job of boxing out or chasing the ball. And then they made four baskets in a row and we came up empty on the other end [each time]. "
On the intensity in the final ten minutes of the game:
"I don't know if there was a drop-off [in intensity]. They were just more active and we didn't do a good job of getting them off the boards. Also, Nolan [Smith] didn't make any field goals in the first have and then made two key one [at the end of the game]. And Jon Scheyer then made a three. [Duke] continued to score and we came up empty on the other end."
Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski
"I thought a huge play was 54-48 Henson hitting two free throws making it 54-50. We calm down, ran a set to get John open, he hit Brian (Zoubek) and he gave Kyle (Singler) and unbelievable pass for a layup. Those two possessions were huge for us. John (Scheyer) made some huge plays for us; we shot 50% from three and about 20% from two. A lot of that has to do with the fact that when you have it close its tough to score against them. I thought they played really hard and well and it was a heck of a game. So we're proud to win and thankful we came out on top."
"We hit some shots, the team that was going to hit some shots was going to get some separation or it was going to come down to one possession and someone's going to hit a free throw instead. John (Scheyer) was huge throughout with 24. I thought he played a sensational basketball game."
On not shooting well:
"We tried to tell them to not worry about not hitting. You can get flustered when you don't hit. I said we're playing really well otherwise we'd be losing. We kept reassuring them at time outs that we were going to start hitting some shots. Just hang in there and take every shot fresh and they did. You can say whatever you want but its up to them and they did.
On Duke's defense:
"We didn't give them good looks, we were able to get some defensive stops, they didn't score, controlled clock and made enough free throws down the stretch to get a four-possession lead in the last two minutes which was utopia in this game"
On Lance Thomas' injury:
"It's not a minor injury; it's a serious injury. I don't think it's his ACL but it's his knee. We will know more in the next 24 hours."
UNC Player Quotes
Freshman John Henson
"It just came down to they made the plays and we didn't. That's pretty much what it came down to in the last eight minutes of the game, just concentration. At the end of the game it's just about making plays. It's whoever hits that shot and that's something we didn't do and once we start doing that we'll get over the hump."
On Offensive rebounds:
"I think offensive rebounding was a big part of the game. That's extra possessions. I think it was 14 to 23 so that's like giving them the ball nine times before we even start playing back and forth. That's how we look at it and that's nine times that really hurt us. I really can't say[why Duk, we are going to have to watch film. I don't know if it was just the way the ball bounced or they just wanted it more. I know Singler got a few key rebounds. He just went to get the ball and that's the kind of fight we need to have too."
On if Duke out-hustled Carolina
"We were boxing out, we were going hard. Sometimes it's just the way the ball bounces. We'll watch film and look at that, so I don't know about that."
On the position the team is in:
"We can't give up, we can't give up. We've got to keep pushing. I think that as a team, we're going to see who we are as people through this stretch and I feel like we'll keep pushing and things are going to get better."
"It's tough. No one in that locker room ever experienced something like this at any level. It's tough, but we've got to push through it and we've got to get better every day and keep making progress."
On finding any positives from the game:
"The biggest positive is the way we played the first 32 minutes. If we had played that way the entire season, we would not be in this predicament right now. In the back of my mind it is killing me. If we had played like that from the start of Virginia Tech until right now, who knows what our record could be, but I know we wouldn't be in this situation right now."
On how to keep fighting:
"That's one thing you have to have is pride wearing those colors. So many people wore these colors and played hard and that's one thing you have to have at the end of the day. That's one thing this team has a lot of. Things may not be going our way, but we aren't going to give up until the end. We just got to play harder and make plays. Once we start making plays we will be just fine."
Junior Will Graves
On what happened at the end of the game:
"We just weren't making plays and they came down and showed us why they are the number seven team in the country, Scheyer made some tough, big shots. Every time they had an answer for everything we did and even when we weren't doing something they still had an answer. They made plays and we didn't. I can't put another formula together."
On if this game was the team's last chance to turn the season around:
"We've got another game on Saturday. Strap up and give it our all again. I'm not folding my chair up. I'm keeping my chair strong and I don't think my teammates are either and I know the coach isn't. [Coach Williams] hates losing. We all hate losing and we've got to make plays. That was the message, make plays. He loves our effort and if we had been doing this from game one, there's no telling what position we'd be in.
On losing another game:
"It's all frustrating. 11 losses. One loss is frustrating to me. It's not really like it's piling up or I am depressed or anything, but you just want it all to turn around soon."
On anything good coming out of this game:
"I saw flashes for the whole game until the last eight minutes. They just made plays and showed us why they are the number seven team in the nation. It's just a matter of time. I know time is running short, but it's just a matter of time.
On what can you take away from the first 32 minutes:
"Just the fact that we were right there. A lot of games we were right there and one stretch has made it look worse than it really was. I don't take a moral victory from this. A loss is a loss. You just got to keep coming back to work and my chair's not going to fold, it's going to sit there strong."
