UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA
MEN'S BASKETBALL POST-GAME PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
Tuesday, February 24, 2015 vs. NC State
Brice Johnson, Junior Forward
On how BeeJay Anya was different in this game
"He was just being a space-eater. We got to do a better job of getting him away from the basket so our guards can drive to the lane. He blocked about six shots out there so you've got to get him out from around the basket because he's a terrific shot blocker. Just got to be able to get him out of the lane, we're more effective when he's not in there."
On the turnovers at the end of the game
"We can't do that. We can't, at the end of games, turn the ball over the way we did. We have to be able to hold onto it. Every possession is key for us, especially in a game like that because it was a grind out game. It could've come down to one or two possessions and we turned it over."
Justin Jackson, Freshman Forward
On NC State's physicality
"Both games they were physical, that's just how they play. But the difference was we didn't come out ready for that physical play. Obviously we didn't shoot the ball well, especially in the first half. For us defensively, they killed us on the boards, which obviously that's all physical. Just playing harder than we do."
On poor end of game execution
"For us we became stagnant. We had no movement, and then we just started settling for shots. I think for me I had some shots, probably some tough ones, where I could have easily rotated the ball. Everybody had some shots that they usually make that just didn't go in for us, but I think there were a lot of things as far as just becoming a stagnant on offense and not finishing the defense."
On how off-court issues are affecting the team
"Obviously Coach Smith is an amazing man, and everything that he left behind everyone will remember, but we can't make that as an excuse. We just didn't come to play. We got beat by a team that wanted it more than we did, and we just didn't come out from the jump ball to match the intensity they came out with."
Marcus Paige, Junior Guard
On Poor game execution
"We have Joel and Justin, we have some freshmen in. The lineup doesn't get a whole lot of reps, so we had a couple bad mix-ups on what were going to run. We ran 'Quick' one time in the corner, and I was open. I thought JP [Tokoto] was looking at me because he was up under the basket too, but I probably still should have shot it, and that kind of started the whole thing. Just not sound execution on the stretch, but you can't dig yourself into a 12, 13-point hole."
On NC State keeping UNC limited offensively
"I mean we shot 7 for 25. We got the ball inside around the basket. They are physical down low. We got the shots that we wanted, we didn't make very many of them, obviously. Sometime the ball just doesn't go in."
On NC State's physical game throwing UNC off their game
"We were getting the ball five, six feet away from the basket, so I don't know. We just couldn't convert a lot of those, I don't know why. Usually our bigs do a great job of scoring inside. We just couldn't get the ball to go in. Justin had a couple of easy throws around the basket, but you know they are physical and obviously very good shot blockers. That might have had something to do with it."
MEN'S BASKETBALL POST-GAME PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
Tuesday, February 24, 2015 vs. NC State
Brice Johnson, Junior Forward
On how BeeJay Anya was different in this game
"He was just being a space-eater. We got to do a better job of getting him away from the basket so our guards can drive to the lane. He blocked about six shots out there so you've got to get him out from around the basket because he's a terrific shot blocker. Just got to be able to get him out of the lane, we're more effective when he's not in there."
On the turnovers at the end of the game
"We can't do that. We can't, at the end of games, turn the ball over the way we did. We have to be able to hold onto it. Every possession is key for us, especially in a game like that because it was a grind out game. It could've come down to one or two possessions and we turned it over."
Justin Jackson, Freshman Forward
On NC State's physicality
"Both games they were physical, that's just how they play. But the difference was we didn't come out ready for that physical play. Obviously we didn't shoot the ball well, especially in the first half. For us defensively, they killed us on the boards, which obviously that's all physical. Just playing harder than we do."
On poor end of game execution
"For us we became stagnant. We had no movement, and then we just started settling for shots. I think for me I had some shots, probably some tough ones, where I could have easily rotated the ball. Everybody had some shots that they usually make that just didn't go in for us, but I think there were a lot of things as far as just becoming a stagnant on offense and not finishing the defense."
On how off-court issues are affecting the team
"Obviously Coach Smith is an amazing man, and everything that he left behind everyone will remember, but we can't make that as an excuse. We just didn't come to play. We got beat by a team that wanted it more than we did, and we just didn't come out from the jump ball to match the intensity they came out with."
Marcus Paige, Junior Guard
On Poor game execution
"We have Joel and Justin, we have some freshmen in. The lineup doesn't get a whole lot of reps, so we had a couple bad mix-ups on what were going to run. We ran 'Quick' one time in the corner, and I was open. I thought JP [Tokoto] was looking at me because he was up under the basket too, but I probably still should have shot it, and that kind of started the whole thing. Just not sound execution on the stretch, but you can't dig yourself into a 12, 13-point hole."
On NC State keeping UNC limited offensively
"I mean we shot 7 for 25. We got the ball inside around the basket. They are physical down low. We got the shots that we wanted, we didn't make very many of them, obviously. Sometime the ball just doesn't go in."
On NC State's physical game throwing UNC off their game
"We were getting the ball five, six feet away from the basket, so I don't know. We just couldn't convert a lot of those, I don't know why. Usually our bigs do a great job of scoring inside. We just couldn't get the ball to go in. Justin had a couple of easy throws around the basket, but you know they are physical and obviously very good shot blockers. That might have had something to do with it."
