UNC-NCSU Postgame Quotes

UNC-NC STATE POSTGAME QUOTES

Armando Bacot
Q: Armando, how much of a boost emotionally was it knowing that Coach Williams is going to be honored and the 1982 team is going to be recognized? I mean, basically, like you guys couldn't lose a game where all that is happening, right?

"Definitely. I 100% agree. Just having those guys Coach [Roy] Williams and Michael Jordan and other guys come back. I mean, it was huge. And it was a surreal feeling. And once we found out yesterday, we all were just, like, even more pumped up just to be in a state game. We knew the energy was gonna be there, and it'll be a big game. It was just that was the icing on the cake."

Q: Hey, Armando, given some of the challenges last couple of weeks. How good is it for this team? They experienced this today when everything just seems to be going your way?

"Yeah, I mean, it was especially good for a lot of guys that weren't here my freshman year. I didn't get a chance to just experience playing in a big rivalry game with this environment. I mean, it was a great environment. And it was fun and just for us to be thrilled. Right now, after a tough week stretch we had last week I mean, it's just great. And we feel good right now."

Q: Armando, I'm just curious. When did you know that Michael [Jordan] was going to be here today? Did he get a chance to talk to the team?

"Yeah, I saw something on Instagram that said [he might come]. I didn't know I didn't even believe it because he hasn't made it since I've been here. So when I was in the training room yesterday with Coach Williams, he told me that Michael Jordan and maybe like Sam Perkins and James Worthy were coming. So I was super excited."

Q: Armando, you joined a lot of that lineage today becoming the 79th 1,000-point scorer in Carolina history. What does it mean to join that?

"It's great to just you know, be a part of such a strong tradition and to join the other 78 players who have also scored 1000 I think is just a testament to just my coaches and teammates and how hard they push me and how much I believe in myself."

Q: Armando, I just want to ask you about the first half and just sort of the feeling of what was happening I mean the threes are going in the lead was just ballooning this place was getting into it you know, like just what was the feeling of the first half it seemed like like all the good stuff was sort of pouring out right there in those moments.

"Yeah, man we just caught fire early I think we hit like 10 threes in the first half and we're hard to beat when shooting the ball like that and it just was a lot of fun just seeing the guards hit their shots and everybody just hitting shots."

Brady Manek
Q: Brady from the margin of victory into the crowd to Michael Jordan sitting courtside. Is this how you imagined Carolina basketball to be when you transferred here?

"Most definitely. That's a unreal experience. It definitely was one of the reasons to pull me here, a game like that. And you know, with Michael being here, it's makes it 30 times better. That's awesome. That's unbelievable. It was a really fun game. We had a really really good time out there. We all played really well."

Q: You've obviously been a part of some good shooting and you've made eight threes in the game yourself. But just what was different about today considering especially the recent the struggles you guys have had?

"We came out, we played together. We played hard. It was just a super fun game. The crowd was awesome. Everybody leading out to the game was talking about the NC State UNC rivalry, The hate for both schools towards one another. I didn't really understand it. But being in that game, it was special and you could tell that people cared people and wanted to be here. It was awesome."

Q: Going back to defense. Did you get the sense early on that you guys were kind of clicking with the rotation and that help defense? You said it was a great team defensive game. Did you get that sense early on without obviously you haven't seen the film of it?

"Yeah, I'd say we were fortunate to make tough shots. And guys were helping on the open guys. Our guys were helping on the ball screens. We were forcing them to make contested mid range jumpers, contested threes, contested at the rim. We just had a really good day and hopefully we can keep doing it and keep carrying it on and look forward to playing the rest of the year."

Hubert Davis
Q: Hubert, Leaky was just telling us that Michael's message to the team was to play with passion, and to play even with more passion, which we know is a lot. How would you describe that scene of Michael talking to the team and what it might have done for your guys?

"Well, I thought our team did play with a lot of passion and energy and toughness. And one of the things that we had talked about, in preparation for the three games this week is that there's three things that we wanted to focus on. Number one, being the best defensive team that we could be. Number two is rebounding the basketball really well. And the third thing is take care of the basketball. And I told them to then I'm not a really big stats guy, but when looking at the stats, there's a difference in the the wins versus the losses in terms of average points per game. I think it was 63 to 90. There was a difference in terms of the stats in terms of rebounding the basketball, and there was a difference in terms of the stats between the wins and losses and in taking care of the basketball and not turning the ball over. And I said if you take those three things, and we do those things really well, the offense will take care of itself. And in combination with the energy and the effort and the passion that they had, we just played really well today. And I'm just very proud of this team."

Q: Yeah, Hubert, considering how well your team played in front of the '82. guys today, how soon would you like to get the '93 team into the Smith Center?

"Yeah, we get the 93 team, the 2017 team, if we're gonna play like that, let's get them all here. It was really neat. For me personally, to have the 82 team here because I just, I remember them winning the national championship. You know, I think I've said this before the press conference yesterday, I remember missing the first half of the championship game against Georgetown, because I was a Boy Scout and we had a Boy Scout meeting and my parents wouldn't allow me to skip the Boy Scout meeting to watch the entire game. So I only got to watch the second half. But you know, to have Michael here and Buzz Peterson and Matt Doherty. For our guys to be able to see them and see the bond that they have had for so many years because they have shared experiences of playing together and being a team, I think it really encouraged them and it gave them a great visual of what it's like to be a team and what it means to be successful here at North Carolina.

Q: How important is it to see what Puff did today with a career high eight points, six rebounds.

"Well, the thing that I like about Puff is he doesn't care when he gets in a game. The manner in which he gets in the game, how he gets in the game, he just wants to play. And I just saw him before I came here. He was in a training room. And nothing was wrong with him. He was just explaining that he was on fire. He says he couldn't stop moving. And I mean, he's just diving on the floor. He was guarding everybody out there on the floor. He was rebounding. He you know, over this entire season, I've at great length talked about energy, effort and toughness. I don't have to ever mention that to Puff. He plays with a sense of urgency and a joy that I think really only come from his inability to play the last couple years. He hardly played last year, he was injured most of the year this year. And so when he gets a chance to get out on the court, the joy of playing, the joy of being healthy, the joy of having an opportunity to be out there on that floor. It just comes out in his play. And he played really well today. He's 6-8, he's long, he's versatile on the defensive end. I really feel like he can get even better because he's not even in a rhythm offensively. And so I was really proud of Puff, his energy and his effort and the plays that he made today."

Scoreboard Slider

University of North Carolina Athletics

Players Mentioned

Armando Bacot

Brady Manek

Related Videos