University of North Carolina Athletics
One on One with Nate Britt
January 21, 2015 | Men's Basketball
By Turner Walston
Point guard Nate Britt has been a spark off the bench for the Tar Heels in his sophomore season. In the off-season, he switched shooting hands, opting to shoot right-handed on jump shots but still shooting left-handed from the free throw line. Last week at NC State, he played important minutes down the stretch and hit a pair of free throws with three seconds remaining to keep the Wolfpack at bay. This week, he sat down with CAROLINA's Turner Walston for an exclusive interview.
Turner Walston: You started a lot last year. Now that you're midway through this season, how do you like your role at this point?
Nate Britt: I like it a lot. I feel like I can contribute a little bit more scoring than I did last year, especially from the outside. I feel like that helps our team a lot, because we can get the ball to the bigs a lot more; it makes it a lot easier for them. I'm just glad I can contribute in that way.
TW: Before Joel (Berry) got hurt, I was really liking that second unit with the two of you up top and Theo, Isaiah and Joel. Did you like that?
NB: I did. I felt like we had been doing a pretty good job of not letting any slack and giving good energy off of the bench and being a good cast for our starting five. I did like that. I felt like we had been doing a pretty good job of it, but with Joel out, the rotations will change a little bit more. We'll just have to see how it goes.
TW: You've been through a full ACC season. How is sophomore Nate Britt different from freshman Nate Brit in terms of confidence?
NB: It's just me knowing what to expect. As far as me playing, I'm a whole lot more comfortable now that I know everything, I know all the positions and I don't have to think as much when I'm out there on the court.
TW: Obviously, the Nate Britt story that the TV announcers know to talk about is the shooting hand. Does it feel different for you? Are you still consciously aware of it?
NB: No, not really. I don't think about it. A lot of people have asked me, 'Do you ever get caught getting ready to shoot left-handed when you're shooting right-handed?' but it's something that I've always done so it's not really hard. It's kind of second nature.
TW: But still, you shot those free throws (at NC State) left-handed.
NB: Right.
TW: Correct?
NB: Correct. Right, meaning 'correct.' I did shoot the free throws left-handed. I don't know. I just feel like my confidence is really high on my free throws, especially with me shooting left-handed. I started off rough last year, but once we got in conference play, I didn't miss that many free throws and I feel like I'm doing a pretty decent job this year.
TW: Those were big free throws you made in Raleigh. Do you think about how big they are in the moment, or do you just try to clear your head?
NB: I feel like it's not really a whole lot of pressure for me. The only change is me thinking, 'I have to knock these down. I know I have to hit these.' Once I get to the line, it's just going through the same routine every time, so I don't really think about anything, just telling myself the same thing as I'm getting ready to shoot the ball.
TW: Which is . . .
NB: I'll just say my routine as I'm doing it, so I'll say, 'Spin, one, two, three,' because I'll dribble three times and I'll spin it again and shoot it. So I'll just say that in my head as I'm shooting the ball. I think that's a good way to get your mind off the pressure, to keep doing the same thing every time you step to the line.
TW: You seem to be more confident in terms of catch and shoot when you find an open spot on the floor and your teammates find you.
NB: Yes, definitely. Just from all the work that I put in over the summer, especially with Coach Davis, my confidence has gotten a whole lot better, especially in the catch and shoot. If I'm open, that's a shot that I would want and my teammates would want me to take, so whenever I get the chance, I'm always ready.
TW: What do the coaches want from you defensively?
NB: Always to put pressure on the ball, because most of the time I'll be guarding the point guard, unless Joel and I are out there together. But whenever I'm guarding the one, to put pressure on the ball and try to make the team start their offense out a lot higher than what they want, so if I can pick up full court and wear down their point guard, or at least pick up at half court where they have to start their offense farther from the three-point line, that's what they want me to do.
TW: When you have Joel healthy, are you able to be more active defensively because you know you can spell each other?
NB: Most definitely. Coach always says no matter how long you're in the game, you've got to give it 110 percent for that time, so I feel like for us guys coming off the bench, as soon as we get in there, we have to give it all that we can. I know that we're deep enough that if we need a sub, we can come out, and Coach doesn't mind us calling for a sub and then putting us right back in the game when we're ready, so I feel like that's very important for our team.
TW: When you're on the court with Joel, are you the 2, or are there two 1s?
NB: I feel like it's really two 1s, but I just play the 2 spot. Marcus and I did the same thing last year. As a freshman, it's hard to learn the point guard position by itself. We think it's easier just to allow [Joel] to get down the 1 spot and understand that and me having been here a year, I have it down and I know the 2 spot so I can run the 2 spot. I feel like it's an easier adjustment for him to make than him trying to learn the 1 and know the 1 and run the 2 as a freshman. That's what Marcus and I did last year, and that's where we're at with it with Joel now.
TW: You're OK with him starting the offense?
NB: Yeah, I'm completely fine with it.
TW: You have picked up the tradition that I guess Danny Green started, and then Leslie McDonald and now you and Theo in front of the bench before the tip-off. Is that all freelance, or do you plan it?
NB: We've talked about it a little bit, but we have never practiced it. You can say that it's freelance. I was here last year, so I've seen Les do it, and we've watched film on Danny. Danny had a party while he was in the NBA, and they played the song for him and he started dancing. I've seen videos of all the guys dancing, even Justin Watts.
TW: So you have done some film study?
NB: Yep. I have.
