University of North Carolina Athletics
UNC-Belmont Abbey Postgame Quotes
November 8, 2014 | Men's Basketball
CHAPEL HILL-Postgame quotes from the media room and the lockerroom after Friday's exhibition blowout win over Belmont Abbey:
UNC Head Coach Roy Williams
Opening Statement
“We're much more gifted naturally than that team was, and we've been working pretty doggone hard in practice. We've been getting after them a little bit, and I thought the first couple of minutes we weren't really into it defensively, and then we were really good defensively, and all of a sudden, getting turnovers and going out on the break. In the second half, I thought we did some nice things, and then I had five guys in, and I got really mad at them because they did nothing. Put three starters in Joel [James] and Jackson [Simmons] again, and then we played five straight possessions and only gave up one shot. When I put Nate [Britt] and Joel [Berry II] and Theo [Pinson] and Isaiah [Hicks] and Desmond [Hubert] back in, and they did a great job as well. Again, we are more gifted and we did some good things well. I loved our effort, and they were tired of playing against each other, so it was good to play against somebody else. I was stunned by how little the crowd was when it first started. I loved the students because they were the only ones here. And all of a sudden I thought people did fill in upstairs, but this team was a wonderful group of kids, and it's been fun so far.”
On aggressiveness
“I think one time Jackson was involved, J.P. [Tokoto] was involved, Brice [Johnson] was involved, Brice was involved twice, and Joel [James] I want to look at on tape to see if he really dove or if he just tripped. I gave him credit for that one. But I think we really had good effort, and other than that three to four minute stretch in the second half and the first two or three minutes of the game, I thought we were really into it.”
On defense
“I told them in the lockerroom that we have the chance to be much better defensively this year than we were last year. When you're playing three freshmen and giving them a lot of minutes, but then Desmond defensively gives us more than any of the other big guys, but other than the first two or three possessions when Brice and Kennedy [Meeks] were laying off their big guys, I thought they did a nice job defensively. We do with J.P. and Justin at 2-3, they're 6'7”, 6'8” with their length and athleticism they have and Marcus [Paige] is as good of a defender as I've ever had as a point guard, so that's pretty strong on the perimeter, and you get the big guys in there, then you have a chance.”
Isaiah Hicks, So., F
On the team playing better than the team did last year at this time
“Just us as a team, we're more connected and more together. You see us out there yelling for each other and cheering each other on and having fun with each other. Last year, we probably would get up every once in a while and cheer. I would just say that the chemistry this year is so much better.”
On the difference between this year's team and last year's regarding defense
“The effort. Last year we started off horrible with effort. Some games Coach would have to get on us. Every game he would say, 'Play with a sense of urgency, play with a sense of urgency.' That's something we'd hear. Now, with these two exhibition games, we didn't hear it that much, well, we didn't really hear it. The effort on defense has been so much better.”
On his improvement from last year to this year
“I was just sitting there watching and learning – learning everything. I took up so much from last year. Now, I can see the big picture, see what's going on. That's what really helps out. Knowing what's going to happen and what to do in certain situations. Last year there was so much hesitation. I [would] be open and I wait, and then there's someone right there. Now it's get it and go."
J.P. Tokoto, Jr., F
On getting out in transition
“We got out on the break a lot tonight. We scored 47 points on the break compared to their seven, which was in our minds good. But looking at the caliber of the team, we can do better. Coming from Coach's perspective, he expects us to get the ball out on the break. Whoever it is, whether it's me, Justin [Jackson], Theo [Pinson], Nate [Britt] or Marcus [Paige]. He just wants us to push it up the floor and get it to our outlets, who are looking for our big men running the floor.”
On if this year's team is faster than last year's
“We are ten times faster than last year. We didn't even run last year looking at the tape.”
