University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina-FSU Quotes
January 24, 2015 | Men's Basketball
UNC Head Coach Roy Williams
Opening Statement
“We are good to say the least, we got the 'W,' it was a weird game at times but we did some nice things. Our execution on offense at the end, and also defensively, I thought we played well at times. But boy, [Xavier] Rathan-Mayes, we held him scoreless without a field for about four or five minutes, but all of a sudden in the last 30 seconds he made three of four of them in a row. He was a difficult guy for us to guard. Sometimes he'd come off the screen, and a big guy would be there and the next time he would refuse a screen and beat a defender back to the basket. And we didn't do a good job of getting back and helping the helper, but I think that was some happy [news], I'm proud of Brice [Johnson]. Brice's back was bothering him during warm-ups; I told him I wish it was bothering during warm ups all the time if he is going to get 18 and 14, but I was worried about him. Joel [James] hurt his knee; the reason he couldn't get back into the game. We tried some zone, we tried some 1-3-1, just a few things just to try to change things up, just to buy some time. But it wasn't a very comfortable day for us, but that's because Florida State is really good. A couple of times we thought we have very open looks to the basket, a couple of times they blocked and other times our guys were afraid they were going block it, so we missed some easy ones. But you know, Brice had 18-14 and Marcus having 19 and playing as many minutes as he played. Justin [Jackson] played 34 minutes, and I thought Justin if he could have made a lay up and make some free throws he could have had a big time game. Everybody's been saying too many good things about him the last few games so its right that he stinks so he can go back and be a better player again. [I'm] very pleased to win the game.”
On being pleased with Nate Britt
“Yes, especially the first half I thought he was really good. In the second half he didn't make a couple of passes and he missed some shots. He's a little guy. He has to understand that when he gets runs in there, I mean those guys have flyswatters. He's leading the country in blocked shots when he thinks he's got an open layup. I was really pleased. He showed some toughness today and he's a tough kid. I asked him, “Are you sure you're alright?” and he said, 'I'm fine.' I mean he has 15 stiches inside his upper lip, and its not very comfortable for him. I am very proud of him and he gave us some great minutes.”
On areas the have worked on in modified practices
“I think our sustained effort defensively. We did pretty good for the first 10 seconds and then all of a sudden we made a rarified error that we haven't been before, and maintaining the defense and intensity and finishing. You know they got 11 offensive rebounds, but they got a lot more of them in the first half than they did in the second. I think that just sustaining the effort, and then the other thing is that if you don't have good practice time, its hard to execute under duress because we cant put them in duress situations during the course of our practice. But we got some big time offensive rebounds for us there today in the game and I think three of four possessions we got and offensive rebound and put it back in and that always helps.”
On the team finding ways to win
“Well, we've done a pretty nice job of that but it's still so early in the season, who knows what's going to happen. We've got 11 more ACC games this season, and if you're not going to grind it out in this league, you're going to get your tail beat. But I have been impressed, they don't jabber at each other when somebody makes mistakes, they stick their hand back and say alright let's go, pick him up and at the same time, we keep trying.”
On how the team's toughness has evolved
“We've gotten better, we really have. Last year, James Michael McAdoo set the tone for everybody and all of a sudden he's diving on the floor, taking charges and it set the tone. We talked about that at practice one day and I said that's the biggest thing we're missing. Somebody's got to step up – I believe in that old saying, one man makes a majority and if you'll step up, everybody will follow. Now tonight we had several opportunities to take a charge and we haven't gotten one yet. But we're going to get one next game, I think we'll get on next game and if we don't, we'll have a take charge drill the next day in practice because we're going to get one before I die. It's something that we hope comes frequently and very soon.”
On how injuries and foul trouble affect the rotation
“It's difficult, you've just got to think a little more. I know that's a problem for me probably every day, but during the course of the game, you can't be concerned with woe is me, you've just got to say it's time for you to do it and you to do it the right way. A couple of times today, particularly with J.P. [Tokoto] and Marcus [Paige], I would take them out and I think both of them, and J.P. at least two times, I said okay, you get a minute and then that was it. So just trying to get it and trying to get a minute around a TV – if you get a timeout pretty close and you've given them any break, you've got a half hour break as long as the timeouts are, so you should be ready when you come back in.”
On the importance of the high number of assists
“Well, it is important. But you look at us, 13 assists and 29 baskets, that's not a very good percentage for us, I would think that's below average and I would think possibly – let's see, 11 points off offensive rebounds – so that's five of them right there that you can't have an assist on unless you give a guy an assist for missing a shot. We do try to share the ball. Tonight a couple of times we should've given it up sooner and two times on the break in the first half, we throw it off a guy's foot one time and Kennedy [Meeks] is in the middle, we practice him in the middle on the fast break everyday, every single day. I've never had a practice where we don't put a big guy in the middle of the court and let him handle the ball, so do the simple thing and it can help you. But we are an unselfish team and 13 to five I really like, I really like five turnovers. I really like that, so hopefully we're gaining some ground there.”
On Brice Johnson being more consistent and taking the next step
“You guys want me to anoint somebody. I anoint somebody after the season is over, after the career is over, anything like that. It's a work in progress every single day, but Brice is getting better. His toughness I think today is maybe one of the best games he's had because he's hurting. But no, I am not ready to put him or Kennedy or Tyler Hansbrough or John Henson or Tyler Zeller, no. You guys have a job to do, you write what you want, but he's nowhere close to where I think he can be. I'm saying he's nowhere close, but it is every other day you guys are like 'boy, aren't they doing well.' No they're not, their defense sticks, when they start playing great defense, then I'll anoint them also.”
On whether anyone has stepped forward like James Michael McAdoo last year
“What play do you think I liked more than any play that Brice made in the game? He dove on the floor. He didn't call the Constitution, he didn't get on Twitter and ask his followers if he should dive. He dove on the daggum floor and it got us an extra possession and we scored, and it was a pretty significant move. He is getting better and if we can get that kind of effort all the time, but no one person has stepped up. I like it better when everybody does, but the two best plays of the game where that one right there where he dove, got us an extra possession and the other one, J.P. went over the bench and knocked into Shane [Parrish], our equipment manager, and they broke a chair. Best daggum – we can't wait to watch that one on replay.”
Florida State Head Coach Leonard Hamilton
Opening Statement
"North Carolina did exactly what we were concerned about. They did a very good job of getting some temporary time in the offensive put backs. They are one of the best offensive teams in the country. They were very timely after we got stops. I think they must have tipped about four in after we had gotten stops. Defensively, we did everything we could to try to keep the ball out of the post. There were a couple of occasions where they threw it over the top and got some easy buckets. I thought those two things are where we fell short. At the beginning of the game, they got three run out baskets early. Sometimes you don't realize the effect that has on you. That was just kind of a break down on our defensive part. They're very talented. They're a very difficult team for us to defend because they maintain their poise. They execute. They don't turn the ball over very much. They do a very good job of the stick-and-whiff. They assist in playing within themselves. They were the better basketball team today."
"I think X [Xavier Rathan-Mayes] has been playing with a tremendous amount of effort. He's going through just a transition of learning. All his life he's been a combo-guard. With Devon [Bookert] being hurt early in the season, we put him at the point guard position. That's been a little bit challenging for him. Just learning how to run a team, make decisions, get everybody involved and also be productive offensively himself. Today it was quite obvious that they were doing a very good job defending us. He just sensed that he needed to step up because we were stuttering there. He just took advantage of what the offense gave us. We had a game plan, and I thought that he played within the schemes of what we wanted to accomplish. Things were available for him, and he took advantage of them. X is still a guy that his future is very bright. I think he's learning. He always gives great effort while he's learning and growing. Today's just one of the days that I think it all came together for him. We really needed every one of his points just to stay close."
"North Carolina is tremendous in quickness, speed, athleticism and they're very talented. I don't know what else I can say. They're well coached, and they executed their defensive game plan very well. They make life miserable for just about everyone who they play. Third winningest in the history of college basketball. They have a very rich tradition. They're very proud about how they play. They play a lot of very aggressive defense. They force you into a lot of turnovers. I was surprised we didn't turn the ball over more than we did today. They were really playing North Carolina aggressiveness. I just think they just did a very good job of defending us. I don't think that's any different than what I've seen. That's kind of the way life is in the ACC. Every team you play is going to be ready to play and execute. They're loaded with talent. They're very well coached. That's why it's a great conference. You know if you're not at your very, very best before the minutes, it is going to be very difficult to win."
UNC Player Quotes
Brice Johnson, Jr., F
On standing while on the bench
“I don't know if it was hurting to sit out; I didn't want to stiffen up. I wanted to stay loose. I just wanted to stand up and do a little stretching and stretch my hamstrings so it won't tighten up anymore.”
On his back injury
“It was starting to hurt before the game, and then all of a sudden after I fell, it just made it a little bit worse. I was just trying to be cautious of it and try to play aggressive at the same time.”
Kennedy Meeks, So., F
On playing tough
“I think we are getting tougher and tougher every day, just trying to grind it out in practice. We have a lot of guys out, so we are just trying to bring it together, really grind it out in practice and focus on what Coach [Williams] is saying.”
“We got players down, and we still pick it up on offense or defense, whatever it is. I think that is what we did today. [Xavier] Rathan-Mayes had an excellent game with 35 points, so we just have to get better on some aspects like ball screens and all of that stuff. Going into this week's practice, we will work hard toward that.”
On bringing and keeping momentum
“It's all about toughness. I think that's what we have really been focusing on since we have players down. Coach has been preaching that in practice…It's all about picking our teammates up and really grinding it out.”
J.P. Tokoto, Jr., F
On having only five turnovers today
“Coach [Williams] was very excited about that because he is big on turnovers. For ourselves, we are extremely happy just because we don't have to run in practice.”
On playing more minutes with players out
“It's basketball. You come to this university to play..I feel like that is every college player's dream to come to a college like this and kind of fall into some minutes. It's unfortunate it comes at the cost of our teammates being hurt. But at the same time, that's basketball. We just have to keep playing.”
