University of North Carolina Athletics
UNC-Pitt Quotes
February 14, 2016 | Men's Basketball
North Carolina Head Coach Roy Williams
Opening Statement
“More fast break points today than any of the last three games, so that was helpful. You guys have been here more times than me, so what am I going to say to start off? Everything is better when the ball goes in the basket, just wanted to see if you guys (the press) have been paying attention. We shot the ball in (the basket), but we were more active defensively, with one exception, than we have been in the long time. It reminded me going all the way back to the Maryland game of how active we were defensively today. The only thing is we didn't do a very good job of finishing the defense and giving them so many offensive rebounds. Fortunately, they didn't score on a lot of those, but they had a ton more offensive rebounds, 19 offensive rebounds and one for us. That's mind-boggling. We shot a good percentage, which is more opportunities if you shoot a bad percentage. I thought that Justin (Jackson) and Marcus (Paige) early made shots, Joel (Berry) made a three early, and I thought that gave us some confidence when they went zone. I thought Brice (Johnson) was really effective in the second half, I was really surprised he had six rebounds at half and he only had seven for the game. But, I do think that Theo (Pinson) gave us a big lift coming off the bench. You look at his line, he took one shot, had six assists, and only one turnover. He was trying to make a play. I didn't think he should've tried and make a play, but I can always live with that kind of turnover. He was trying to throw a lob to a guy who was open, but they made a good defensive play. He's 6-1 and Justin Jackson is 6-1 (Assist-TO). Shooting the ball in the basket and our effort defensively were the two most important things for us. It did help when their two guys (Jamel) Artis and (Michael) Young both got fouls. I think they got a third foul early in the second half, so that helped no question.”
On how to judge playing well versus scoring
“It's human nature. Today's culture makes it even worse because that's all most people talk about, especially their parents. But, it's the reason I try to praise, it's the reason you see me and Coach Davis every time someone makes a good pass we stand up and point at him on the sideline trying to recognize him. Our turnovers and their lack of turnovers lost the game at Notre Dame. Today, we had 11 turnovers and they had 19 turnovers. What I don't like is offensive turnovers like Kennedy (Meeks) backing a guy down, Brice setting an illegal screen. We had another silly one like that, and we don't need those. I think you just have to tell the team it's all about the name on the front of they jersey. I've said many times if you take care of the name on the front of the jersey the name on the back will be taken care of. I was just happy to finish the daggum game. It was boring the other night, didn't feel well, and it was boring.”
On close games
“That's a good word for it: drama. I just think in the ACC you're supposed to play close games like that. But I think that both road games at Notre Dame and at Louisville we had a chance to win, at Boston College we had a chance to win and did, but they had a chance to win too. To me, that's more what you see in the ACC. It doesn't bother me, the scores, I'd like to preform better down the stretch and execute under a little bit of adversity, I'd like for us to do that a lot better. There's no question if you score 85 and win by that margin, everybody's happy because guys got more playing time, they're happier about the way they played not just the fact that it was not contingent on the last 60 seconds of the game.”
On the closing run
“Ball went in the basket. It's really pretty simple, because we've had some really good shots that we haven't made. I told Brice because he missed a layup, Marcus and Joel (Berry) just missed some wide-open threes, you're going to miss some shots. But during that stretch I think the best thing we did is pass the basketball. We made no border-line passes I think during that stretch too. We didn't have a turnover in a 9 minute stretch.”
On a “springboard effect” from Boston College
“I think the guys were very positive after the game with the outcome. They didn't feel like they played exceptionally well, but they were very pleased with the outcome. Some of my teams may not have been able to fight through it and get that done, but I think that did get them some positive feelings. Virginia after that big game against Wake Forest, it was a big thing for them. We've got some very difficult games left. I do like the attitude of our team, the feeling of our team in the locker-room. You saw the results of more effort and more concentration.”
On the overall performance
“I was really pleased with us defensively with the exception of finishing the defense, getting a good box out, and coming up with the ball. They're a really good rebounding team. I think our rebound margin was a little bit better than them coming into the game. We were one position maybe ahead in the ACC standings, but they were vicious going after that ball on the offense boards. Couple times Kennedy had it in his hands and didn't hang onto it. I was pleased that Joel (Berry) and Nate (Britt), those guys got back and got some tough rebounds. That's really the only thing that I would say, the silly turnovers when you just make an offensive foul or something like that, and the way we finished the defense were the things I was not pleased with. I liked the shot selection. I even told Justin he was 2-3 from three and the only one he missed was the last one and it looked different, almost like he shot it too quick. He needed to see some of those to go in as well. He's had two good games in a row shooting the basketball, 9-11 and 6-10. I love the 6 assists and 1 turnover just as much. The one turnover was when there was a miscommunication between Theo and Marcus when he passed it out of bounds.”
On the defense improvement
“All year long it's been you have to concentrate on keeping the ball in front of you because of dribble penetration. I should go back and say we've got to do a better job of guarding the guy in the post because a couple of times they got it six or eight feet away and just drove it straight to the basket. It is effort, but it's also concentration. My guys, they don't ever loaf, but there are different degrees of how much you can give. I think we need to do a better job more consistently at the highest level, and I thought we did that today. Marcus one time just kept the ball. A guy tried to drive about three different directions, he kept it in front of him and Joel (Berry) came in and knocked it away and we took it down on the break. Joel did the same thing, and Brice even got down in a stance one time. He (Brice) broke out in a sweat, and he lived through it so that was alright.”
On how energy effected this game:
“It's been the greatest season that we've had all week. That was a downfall that our two games that we've lost in conference play, it's was a down fall for us at Boston College. Its just we've got to play harder and play with a lot more effort. It's our Achilles Heel when it came to those last two games that we've lost.”
On the kind of game they need to play:
“This is the type of game that we need to play all the time. We really played with a lot of effort and a lot of intensity on defense. We didn't really play our best, but at the same time we can do a lot better. But that was a starting point for us after the past three games that we weren't playing very well.”
Besides effort was there anything they were trying to do:
“That's just it. It was just the little plays here and there and just the effort. Some players just wanted it more than us, and they just try to beat us. That was just the biggest thing for us. It translated in to being more active. Like I said, when you play with a lot of effort and a lot of energy, it becomes a lot more fun, and it just becomes a lot more easy on the defensive end. Everyone is just flying around and playing great together.”
Justin Jackson, F/G
On being motivated:
“Just playing and forgetting everything about the past and just going out there and playing. It's funny, I was watching film on the Boston College games, and I had my first three and they said I was 0 for 30 the last 30 three-pointers that I shot. So for me it's just forgetting all that stuff, and just going out and just playing like it's my first game that I've played.”
Conversations with Coach Williams on the bus:
“No, I mean me and coach still talk, but it wasn't a come-to-Jesus moment or anything like that. I just keep putting in the time that I put in and just go out there and just play with confidence.”
On being relaxed:
“I think it was a whole lot of me, and I just wanted to get out of the slump that I was in. So for me, whenever I shot the ball, I was like I've got to make this so I can get out of this slump. So I started to shoot it, like I knew it was going in. So I think I definitely relaxed a little bit, and it's just a different attitude honestly. Just going out there and trying to have fun instead of just going out there and feeling like I have to do something.”
Head Coach Jamie Dixon
Opening Statement
“I'll just keep it pretty simple and pretty short. We obviously got outplayed in pretty much every facet. We did outrebound them by 12 so a point to our positive, something that we certainly wanted to do, but when you pride yourself on being a low turnover team and you turn it over 19 times, you're gong to come up short. Short is a kind way for putting it. A bad performance by us, a good performance by them and certainly something. The most important thing for us is getting ready for quick turnaround and playing Tuesday against Wake Forest. This is, again, a bad loss for us in how we performed is the best way to put it. Certainly, the turnovers were the thing that stood out, but the shot selection wasn't very good either.”
On 19-1 offensive rebound ratio
“I thought that really our half court defense was pretty sound, and we talked about not giving up offensive rebounds. That was a big part of it, but I mean it's 19 turnovers and the shot selection was atrocious, so really our offense was a big cause of our defensive breakdowns because it's hard when you turn it over that many times and a lot of live-ball turnovers as well so we could sit here and analyze it all day long. It's just that we got manhandled. The rebounding numbers are hard to fathom as well as the 19 turnovers, just in different ways.
On weak offense
“I think it's across the board; it's everybody. We were not very good in all facets. We're not about blame. We're about getting better, and that's what we have to do for Tuesday.”
On James Robinson
“It wasn't our game. It wasn't our team, it wasn't our game, and it wasn't our stuff. It was a bad performance in every facet.”
On the quick turnaround after a loss
“Well, we'll see. We'll see. We've got to use it to our advantage if you can. They played yesterday, we played today, and we're both going to be coming off losses. We've got to go do something about it. You've go to hit whatever makes a team change or recognize their deficiencies and play to their strengths. Hopefully, this will be the case.”
