University of North Carolina Athletics
UNC Quotes
March 22, 2014 | Women's Basketball
2014 NCAA Division I women's basketball championship
Carmichael Arena • Chapel Hill, N.C.
Saturday, March 22
NORTH CAROLINA PRESS CONFERENCE
Andrew Calder, North Carolina Associate Head Coach:
Opening statement
"We are very excited about having the opportunity to participate in the 2014 NCAA Playoffs, and also very excited about hosting. We're looking forward to playing."
On Coach Sylvia Hatchell's recovery
" She did speak with the team today. She's a little bit down right now, working her way back up from her last treatment which, we thank the good Lord for that this, is her last treatment. But after that treatment you have a down cycle and you have to work your way back up. So she's on that down cycle right now, working her way back up. But she will attend the game tomorrow. We do not know when she will return to the bench. "
On game plan changes against UT Martin
"We're not planning anything right now. We're going to play them straight up and make adjustments in the game from there."
On his role changes during Coach Hatchell's illness this year
"The toughest thing was watching a friend for so long with cancer. As far as the coaching part, we have a great staff. I have a great support staff around me, and the players have been fantastic. I know that we are prepared. Coach Hatchell always prepares her assistant coaches to be head coaches one day. We're still following her game plan that she wants for this team. We've had to make some slight adjustments. Defensively we need to get a little better in the half court. We're not pressing as much, we had to set a foundation in the half court with our defense before we could advance to pressing more. We would like to press more and probably run more, but we need to make sure we can take care of business in the half court and then we can build from there. As far as coaching the game, I'm prepared - Coach Hatchell has prepared me to be in this situation and we're still following her advice."
On the team's youth and possibility of having an emotional game against UT Martin
"We have never said the words 'we're a young team' to them. We give them no excuses. This is who we've got, this is who we play, this is who we are and then we go play. We try to play against the perfect game every time, we're just trying to improve each game. We're competing against the perfect game and that's the way we look at it. But we don't ever look at the excuse 'you're young'. I know a lot of people say 'you're young' etc. etc. etc. But they're basketball players and they know how to play the game. This is who we have, we're very excited about who we have and very proud of who we have. We wouldn't trade any of them for anybody else in the country."
On Diamond DeShields' progression as a freshman
"You need to work with Diamond on the basketball court and then you would understand her high basketball IQ. We think she's an All-American and deserves to be an All-American. We're very excited about the fact that she got National Freshman of the Year. But if you work with Diamond on the basketball court, I mean, you can see from just her talking here why ESPN says she the best interview in women's college basketball. She's really intelligent and she tells you how it is...she's taken ownership of this team and when we're going through the other teams' plays she's helping direct traffic out there, as is Xylina [McDaniel] and the other juniors. But Diamond is taking some ownership and her basketball IQ, I mean, if you go through a move and say do a Jamal Crawford finish on the break, 'Oh yeah, I got that Coach' without even showing her that, she already has this stuff. It's amazing. Steve Nash step-back move ... she already has all this stuff. It's impressive. She's worked extremely hard and we're so excited that she's at UNC."
Diamond DeShields, North Carolina Guard:
On her feelings going into the tournament
"It feels pretty natural, surprisingly. These are moments you dream of as a kid, and so actually being here I'd say it feels pretty natural. Having gone through this long season and everything, you kind of know what to expect from a collegiate game whether it be in the tournament or out of the tournament. I don't feel like anything has changed other than the fact that we don't own our gym, which is different. It's just another game for me, and I'm going to treat it that way, prepare the same, and do everything as I normally would. I don't need to do anything different, just take it one game at a time."
On playing on their home court
"I feel like a gym is a gym, no matter where it is, no matter what it looks like. We could be on the other side of the country playing right now and I think I'd feel the same way. Being at home helps, but like I said, it's not ours this time. Hopefully the fans come out and everything like that but I just feel like part of my comfort comes from just knowing that it is just another game. The rules haven't changed. The stakes are higher, and that's about it."
On stopping UT Martin's offense
"They've put up some big numbers, but they haven't gone up against our defense yet so I'm not really worried about it, honestly. I'm looking forward to the game. I know they've got some offensive scorers and I think it'll be exciting to have that challenge for our defense. I think we need a challenge like that, especially for our first game to get ourselves going. I think it'll be good for us. I think we'll step up to the challenge and we'll be alright."
On winning National Freshman of the Year
"Honestly, I was not surprised only because I know how hard I worked and I know what I've done to accomplish that goal. That was one of the goals that I've set for myself before I even came here. So accomplishing it is gratifying for me. The expectation I set for myself was to get that award this year, and I did it.
"But I want to be the best player, so that's [the next goal I have for myself]. I wouldn't have been able to get that award without my teammates."
Xylina McDaniel, North Carolina Forward:
On her advice to the team
"So far I haven't really had to say much. The freshmen, they're actually pretty calm and that's good, so tomorrow I'll probably just tell them it's just another game. Coach Hatchell came to talk to us. She's like, 'It's a new season. Game one will be tomorrow.' So there's really not much I have to say to them, thank God. Just tell them to relax, it's just another game; and if we play our game, of course we're going to come out on top."
On Coach Sylvia Hatchell's speech to the team
"She talked to us earlier at the hotel. She pretty much was talking to us about how she wishes she was on the bench. It was just a motivational speech. She talked about how we were starting a new season. It's a six-game season, and if you win six games, you have a national championship. She was just saying how everybody needs to play their role. Everybody needs to work together, no matter what. As long as we're playing team ball, who knows what we can do."
On the difference in feeling in this year's tournament playing in Chapel Hill
"Well last year I was extremely nervous because we were in Delaware, and it was just different for me. But this year, I'm pretty relaxed and calm, one, because we are here, and two, because I just have so much confidence in my team. Having them behind me, I just know that I have nothing to worry about. So they're actually calming me down and they don't even know it. It's exciting. This is the time of year that everybody waits for. It's just exciting, not overwhelming, but exciting. "
